Micah 2

ה֧וֹי חֹֽשְׁבֵי־אָ֛וֶן וּפֹ֥עֲלֵי רָ֖ע עַל־מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָ֑ם בְּא֤וֹר הַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ יַעֲשׂ֔וּהָ כִּ֥י יֶשׁ־לְאֵ֖ל יָדָֽם׃ Ah, those who plan iniquity
And design evil on their beds;
When morning dawns, they do it,
For they have the power.

וְחָמְד֤וּ שָׂדוֹת֙ וְגָזָ֔לוּ וּבָתִּ֖ים וְנָשָׂ֑אוּ וְעָֽשְׁקוּ֙ גֶּ֣בֶר וּבֵית֔וֹ וְאִ֖ישׁ וְנַחֲלָתֽוֹ׃ {ס}         They covet fields, and seize them;
Houses, and take them away.
They defraud men of their homes,
And people of their land.

לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה הִנְנִ֥י חֹשֵׁ֛ב עַל־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את רָעָ֑ה אֲ֠שֶׁ֠ר לֹֽא־תָמִ֨ישׁוּ מִשָּׁ֜ם צַוְּארֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם וְלֹ֤א תֵֽלְכוּ֙ רוֹמָ֔ה כִּ֛י עֵ֥ת רָעָ֖ה הִֽיא׃ Assuredly, thus said GOD: I am planning such a misfortune against this clan that you will not be able to free your necks from it. You will not be able to walk erect; it will be such a time of disaster.

בַּיּ֨וֹם הַה֜וּא יִשָּׂ֧א עֲלֵיכֶ֣ם מָשָׁ֗ל וְנָהָ֨ה נְהִ֤י נִֽהְיָה֙ אָמַר֙ שָׁד֣וֹד נְשַׁדֻּ֔נוּ חֵ֥לֶק עַמִּ֖י יָמִ֑יר אֵ֚יךְ יָמִ֣ישׁ לִ֔י לְשׁוֹבֵ֥ב שָׂדֵ֖ינוּ יְחַלֵּֽק׃ In that day,
One shall recite a poem about you,
And utter a bitter lament,
And shall say:
“My people’s portion changes hands;
How it slips away from me!
Our field is allotted to a rebel.^arebel Emendation yields “ravager.”
We are utterly ravaged.”^bMy people’s portion … ravaged Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

לָכֵן֙ לֹֽא־יִֽהְיֶ֣ה לְךָ֔ מַשְׁלִ֥יךְ חֶ֖בֶל בְּגוֹרָ֑ל בִּקְהַ֖ל יְהֹוָֽה׃ Truly, none of you
Shall cast a lot cord^ccast a lot cord On a piece of land, thus acquiring title to it; cf. Josh. 18.6 and Ps. 16.6.
In the assembly of GOD!

אַל־תַּטִּ֖פוּ יַטִּיפ֑וּן לֹֽא־יַטִּ֣פוּ לָאֵ֔לֶּה לֹ֥א יִסַּ֖ג כְּלִמּֽוֹת׃ “Stop preaching!” they preach.
“That’s no way to preach;
Shame shall not overtake [us].

הֶאָמ֣וּר בֵּֽית־יַעֲקֹ֗ב הֲקָצַר֙ ר֣וּחַ יְהֹוָ֔ה אִם־אֵ֖לֶּה מַעֲלָלָ֑יו הֲל֤וֹא דְבָרַי֙ יֵיטִ֔יבוּ עִ֖ם הַיָּשָׁ֥ר הֹלֵֽךְ׃ Is the House of Jacob condemned?^dShame … condemned Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
Is GOD’s patience short?
Has such been the practice?”
To be sure, My words are friendly
To those who walk in rectitude;

וְאֶתְמ֗וּל עַמִּי֙ לְאוֹיֵ֣ב יְקוֹמֵ֔ם מִמּ֣וּל שַׂלְמָ֔ה אֶ֖דֶר תַּפְשִׁט֑וּן מֵעֹבְרִ֣ים בֶּ֔טַח שׁוּבֵ֖י מִלְחָמָֽה׃ But an enemy arises against^ean enemy arises against Meaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “you arise as enemies against.” My people.
You strip the mantle with the cloak^fwith the cloak Meaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “off peaceful folk.”
Off such as pass unsuspecting,
Who are turned away from war.^gWho are turned away from war Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

נְשֵׁ֤י עַמִּי֙ תְּגָ֣רְשׁ֔וּן מִבֵּ֖ית תַּֽעֲנֻגֶ֑יהָ מֵעַל֙ עֹֽלָלֶ֔יהָ תִּקְח֥וּ הֲדָרִ֖י לְעוֹלָֽם׃ You drive the women of My people away
From their pleasant homes;
You deprive their infants
Of My glory forever.

ק֣וּמוּ וּלְכ֔וּ כִּ֥י לֹא־זֹ֖את הַמְּנוּחָ֑ה בַּעֲב֥וּר טָמְאָ֛ה תְּחַבֵּ֖ל וְחֶ֥בֶל נִמְרָֽץ׃ Up and depart!
This is no resting place
Because of [your] defilement.
Terrible destruction shall befall.^hBecause of … befall Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

לוּ־אִ֞ישׁ הֹלֵ֥ךְ ר֙וּחַ֙ וָשֶׁ֣קֶר כִּזֵּ֔ב אַטִּ֣ף לְךָ֔ לַיַּ֖יִן וְלַשֵּׁכָ֑ר וְהָיָ֥ה מַטִּ֖יף הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּֽה׃ If someone were to go about uttering
Windy, baseless falsehoods:
“I’ll preach to you in favor of wine and liquor”—
That would be a preacher [acceptable] to this people.

אָסֹ֨ף אֶאֱסֹ֜ף יַעֲקֹ֣ב כֻּלָּ֗ךְ קַבֵּ֤ץ אֲקַבֵּץ֙ שְׁאֵרִ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יַ֥חַד אֲשִׂימֶ֖נּוּ כְּצֹ֣אן בׇּצְרָ֑ה כְּעֵ֙דֶר֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַדׇּֽבְר֔וֹ תְּהִימֶ֖נָה מֵאָדָֽם׃ ⁱThis verse and the next may offer another example of the “acceptable” preaching mentioned in v. 11. I will assemble Jacob, all of you;
I will bring together the remnant of Israel;
I will make them all like sheep of Bozrah,^jof Bozrah Emendation yields “in a fold [Arabic sīrah].”
Like a flock inside its pen^kpen Meaning of Heb. uncertain.—
They will be noisy with people.

עָלָ֤ה הַפֹּרֵץ֙ לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם פָּֽרְצוּ֙ וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֔רוּ שַׁ֖עַר וַיֵּ֣צְאוּ ב֑וֹ וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר מַלְכָּם֙ לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיהֹוָ֖ה בְּרֹאשָֽׁם׃ {פ}
One who makes a breach
Goes before them;
They enlarge it to a gate
And leave by it.
Their king marches before them,
GOD at their head.