Micah 2

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Disaster for those who plot evil, who lie in bed planning mischief! No sooner is it dawn than they do it,since they have the power to do so.	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 Seizing the fields that they covet, they take over houses as wel , owner and house they seize alike, theman himself as wel as his inheritance.	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 So Yahweh says this: Look, I am now plotting a disaster for this breed from which you wil not extricateyour necks; you wil not hold your heads up then, for the times wil be disastrous indeed.	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 That day they wil make a satire on you, they wil strike up a dirge and say, 'We have been stripped ofeverything; my people's land has been divided up, no one else can restore it to them, our fields have beenawarded to our despoiler.'	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 Because of this, you will have no one to measure out a share in Yahweh's community.	5 Thus you shall have no one to mark out boundaries by lot in the assembly of the LORD.
6 'Do not drivel,' they drivel, 'do not drivel like this! Disgrace will not overtake us!	6 "Preach not," they preach, "let them not preach of these things!" The shame will not withdraw.
7 'Can the House of Jacob be accursed? Has Yahweh grown short-tempered? Is that his way of going towork? His prophecies can only be favourable for his people Israel!'	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 you are the ones who play the enemy to my people. From the inoffensive man you snatch his cloak,on those who feel safe you inflict the damage of war.	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 My people's women you evict from the homes they love, and deprive the children of my glory for ever,	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 saying, 'Up and off with you! You can't stay here!' For a worthless thing you exact an extortionatepledge.	10 "Up! Be off, this is no place to rest"; For any trifle you exact a crippling pledge.
11 If a man of the spirit came and invented this lie, 'I prophesy wine and liquor for you,' he would be theprophet for a people like this.	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 shall assemble the whole of Jacob, I shal gather the remnant of Israel, I shal gather them togetherlike sheep in an enclosure. And like a flock within their fold, they will bleat far away from anyone,	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 their leader wil break out first, then al break out through the gate and escape, with their king leadingthe way and with Yahweh at their head.	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.