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.
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.
3 Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: 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.
5 Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord 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.
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?
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.
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.
10 Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore 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.
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.
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.

1Woe to them that deuise iniquitie, and worke euill vpon their beds: when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.

2And they couet fields and take them by violence: and houses, and take them away: so they oppresse a man and his house, euen a man and his heritage.

3Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, against this familie doe I deuise an euill, from which ye shall not remoue your necks, neither shall ye goe haughtily: for this time is euill.

4 In that day shall one take vp a parable against you, and lament with a dolefull lamentation, and say, We be vtterly spoiled: hee hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he remoued it from me? turning away hee hath diuided our fields.

5Therefore thou shalt haue none that shall cast a cord by lot in the Congregation of the Lord.

6Prophecie ye not, say they, to them that prophecie: they shall not prophecie to them, that they shall not take shame.

7 O thou that art named the house of Iacob, is the Spirit of the Lord straitned? are these his dongs? doe not my words do good to him that walketh vprightly?

8Euen of late, my people is risen vp as an enemie: ye pull off the robe with the garment, frō them that passe by securely, as men auerse from warre.

9The women of my people haue ye cast out from their pleasant houses, from their children haue ye taken away my glory for euer.

10Arise ye and depart, for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you euen with a sore destruction.

11If a man walking in the spirit and falshood, doe lie, saying, I will prophecie vnto thee of wine and of strong drinke, he shall euen bee the prophet of this people.

12 I will surely assemble, O Iacob, all of thee: I will surely gather the remnant of Israel, I will put them together as the sheepe of Bozrah, as the flocke in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.

13The breaker is come vp before them: they haue broken vp and haue passed through the gate, and are gone out by it, and their king shal passe before them, & the Lord on the head of them.

I == Ps 36:4

 

II == Isa 5:8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IV == Hab 2:6

 

 

 

 

V == Deut 32:8-9

 

VI == Isa 30:10 ; Ezek 21:2 ; Amos 2:12 ; 7:16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X == Lev 18:25 , 28 ; Deut 12:9 ; Jer 3:2

 

XI == Ezek 13:3

 

 

XII == Jer 31:10 ; Ezek 38:37 ; Mic 4:6-7

 

 

 

XIII == Isa 52:12 ; Hos 3:5

 

 

1 Woe to those who plan iniquity, and work out evil on their couches; In the morning light they accomplish it when it lies within their power.

2 They covet fields, and seize them; houses, and they take them; They cheat an owner of his house, a man of his inheritance.

3 Therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I am planning against this race an evil from which you shall not withdraw your necks; Nor shall you walk with head high, for it will be a time of evil.

4 On that day a satire shall be sung over you, and there shall be a plaintive chant: "Our ruin is complete, our fields are portioned out among our captors, The fields of my people are measured out, and no one can get them back!"

5 Thus you shall have no one to mark out boundaries by lot in the assembly of the LORD.

6 "Preach not," they preach, "let them not preach of these things!" The shame will not withdraw.

7 How can it be said, O house of Jacob, "Is the LORD short of patience, or are such his deeds?" Do not my words promise good to him who walks uprightly?

8 But of late my people has risen up as an enemy: you have stripped off the mantle covering the tunic Of those who go their way in confidence, as though it were spoils of war.

9 The women of my people you drive out from their pleasant houses; From their children you take away forever the honor I gave them.

10 "Up! Be off, this is no place to rest"; For any trifle you exact a crippling pledge.

11 If one, acting on impulse, should make the futile claim: "I pour you wine and strong drink as my prophecy," then he would be the prophet of this people.

12 I will gather you, O Jacob, each and every one, I will assemble all the remnant of Israel; I will group them like a flock in the fold, like a herd in the midst of its corral; they shall not be thrown into panic by men.

13 With a leader to break the path they shall burst open the gate and go out through it; Their king shall go through before them, and the LORD at their head.

v 1,2. The people acted on the principle that might makes right, and took away the possessions of others because they could, even taking away heritage contrary to Law.

v 3-5. Therefore the enemy would take their inheritance and there would be none of God’s people with a measuring cord to take it back, the legal system was destroyed.

 

 

 

v 6-9. False prophets couldn’t believe God would judge His chosen people and told the true prophets not to prophesy in that manner. By not telling people to repent and return to the Lord, false prophets were actually setting people up for captivity.

 

 

 

 

v 10,11. Micah sarcastically tells the people to go away into exile because they preferred to listen to drunken prophets who prophesied of wine and prosperity.

 

v 12,13. In spite of their sin, Micah holds forth hope to Israel because of God’s promises to Abraham. Eventually, the Lord will again lead Israel as a shepherd, and He will go before them in the Millennium as their king.