Micah 2
Woe to those who lie awake plotting wickedness and seize fields and houses by violence. The LORD plans disaster against this family of oppressors. False prophets tell the people what they want to hear, but the LORD will gather the remnant of Israel like sheep in a fold, and their king will pass through before them with the LORD at their head.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand. | Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! When the morning is light, they carry it out, because it is in the power of their hand. |
| 2 | And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. | They covet fields and seize them by violence. They covet houses and take them away. They oppress a man and his house, even a man and his inheritance. |
| 3 | Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am devising against this family an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil. | Therefore the LORD says: I am devising against this family a disaster from which You will not remove Your necks. You will not walk proudly, for this time is evil. |
| 4 | In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields. | In that day someone will take up a proverb against you and lament with a bitter lamentation, saying, "We are utterly ruined. He has changed the portion of my people. How He has taken it from me! He has turned away and divided our fields." |
| 5 | Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the LORD. | Therefore You will have no one to cast a measuring line by lot in the congregation of the LORD. |
| 6 | Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame. | "Do not prophesy," they say to those who prophesy. They will not prophesy to them, so that disgrace will not overtake them. |
| 7 | O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly? | O You who are called the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the LORD restricted? Are these His doings? Do not My words do good to the one who walks uprightly? |
| 8 | Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war. | Even lately My people have risen up as an enemy. You pull off the robe along with the garment from those who pass by securely, as men turning away from war. |
| 9 | The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever. | You have cast out the women of My people from their pleasant houses. From their children You have taken away My glory forever. |
| 10 | Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. | Arise and depart, for this is not Your rest. Because it is defiled, it will destroy You with a grievous destruction. |
| 11 | If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people. | If a man walking in a spirit of falsehood lies, saying, "I will prophesy to you of wine and of strong drink" — he will be the prophet of this people. |
| 12 | I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. | I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob. I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together like the sheep of Bozrah, like a flock in the middle of its fold. They will make a great noise because of the crowd of people. |
| 13 | The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them. | The One who breaks through has gone up before them. They have broken out, passed through the gate, and gone out by it. Their king will pass before them, and the LORD at their head. |