The Prophet Micah

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

Terrible things will happen to you who lie awake at night, planning to do wicked things. Then you get up at dawn, and you do those things as soon as you are able to do them.

You want fields that belong to other people, so you seize them; you also take their houses. You cheat people to get their homes, taking away the property that belongs to their families.

Therefore, this is what Yahweh says: “I will cause you people of Israel to experience disasters, and you will not be able to escape from them. You will no longer walk around proudly, because when that happens, it will be a time of much trouble for you.

At that time, your enemies will make fun of you rich people; they will ridicule you by singing this sad song about you: ’We Israelites are completely ruined; Yahweh is taking our land from us, and he will give it to those who capture us.’”

So when it is the time for the land to be given back to you people who belong to Yahweh, there will be no one alive among you rich families to receive back any of that land.

Reproof of False Prophets

(Ezekiel 13:1–16)

The people who heard me say that replied to me, “Do not prophesy such things! Do not say that Yahweh is going to humiliate us by causing us to experience disasters!”

But you people talk like that! You say that Yahweh never gets angry, and that he never really punishes us.” Of course, what I say certainly helps those who live in the right way.

But Yahweh says, “Recently my people have been acting toward me like an enemy. You rich people refuse to return the coats of those who have borrowed money from you, the coats they gave you to promise that they would repay their debts. You take their coats without warning, surprising them as much as soldiers returning from war would be surprised by attacks instead of safety at home.

You have forced women to leave their nice homes, and you have stolen from their children forever the blessings that I wanted to give them.

So get up and leave here! This is not a place where you can rest and be safe, because you have defiled it. I will make sure it will be completely destroyed.

You people want a prophet who will lie to you, saying, ‘I will preach that you should drink plenty of wine and other alcoholic drinks!’ That is the kind of prophet who would please you.”

The Remnant of Israel

(Micah 5:7–15)

“But some day, you descendants of Jacob, I will bring back from exile the Israelite people who have survived. I will gather you together like a shepherd gathers his sheep into a pen, and there will be many of you in your land.

Your leader will enable them to leave the countries where they have been exiled; he will lead them out of the gates of their enemies’ cities, back to your own country. Your king will lead them; it is I, Yahweh, who will be their king!”

Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds! When the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand.

They covet fields and seize them, and houses, then take them away. They oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

Therefore the LORD says: “Behold, I am planning against these people a disaster, from which you will not remove your necks, neither will you walk haughtily, for it is an evil time.

In that day they will take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, saying, ‘We are utterly ruined! My people’s possession is divided up. Indeed he takes it from me and assigns our fields to traitors!’”

Therefore you will have no one who divides the land by lot in the LORD’s assembly.

Reproof of False Prophets

(Ezekiel 13:1–16)

“Don’t prophesy!”—they prophesy— “Don’t prophesy about these things. Disgrace won’t overtake us.”

Shall it be said, O house of Jacob, “Is the LORD’s Spirit angry? Are these his doings? Don’t my words do good to him who walks blamelessly?”

But lately my people have risen up as an enemy. You strip the robe and clothing from those who pass by without a care, returning from battle.

You drive the women of my people out from their pleasant houses; from their young children you take away my blessing forever.

Arise, and depart! For this is not your resting place, because of uncleanness that destroys, even with a grievous destruction.

If a man walking in a spirit of falsehood lies, saying, “I will prophesy to you of wine and of strong drink,” he would be the prophet of this people.

The Remnant of Israel

(Micah 5:7–15)

I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob. I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the middle of their pasture. They will swarm with people.

He who breaks open the way goes up before them. They break through the gate, and go out. Their king passes on before them, with the LORD at their head.