TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Micah - Chapter 2

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1Ah, those who plan iniquity And design evil on their beds; When morning dawns, they do it, For they have the power.

אהוֹי חֹשְׁבֵי־אָוֶן וּפֹעֲלֵי רָע עַל־מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָם בְּאוֹר הַבֹּקֶר יַעֲשׂוּהָ כִּי יֶשׁ־לְאֵל יָדָם׃

2They covet fields, and seize them; Houses, and take them away. They defraud men of their homes, And people of their land.

בוְחָמְדוּ שָׂדוֹת וְגָזָלוּ וּבָתִּים וְנָשָׂאוּ וְעָשְׁקוּ גֶּבֶר וּבֵיתוֹ וְאִישׁ וְנַחֲלָתוֹ׃

3Assuredly, thus said Hashem: 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.

גלָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה הִנְנִי חֹשֵׁב עַל־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה הַזֹּאת רָעָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תָמִישׁוּ מִשָּׁם צַוְּארֹתֵיכֶם וְלֹא תֵלְכוּ רוֹמָה כִּי עֵת רָעָה הִיא׃

4In 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. We are utterly ravaged.”

דבַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִשָּׂא עֲלֵיכֶם מָשָׁל וְנָהָה נְהִי נִהְיָה אָמַר שָׁדוֹד נְשַׁדֻּנוּ חֵלֶק עַמִּי יָמִיר אֵיךְ יָמִישׁ לִי לְשׁוֹבֵב שָׂדֵינוּ יְחַלֵּק׃

5Truly, none of you Shall cast a lot cord In the assembly of Hashem!

הלָכֵן לֹא־יִהְיֶה לְךָ מַשְׁלִיךְ חֶבֶל בְּגוֹרָל בִּקְהַל יְהֹוָה׃

6“Stop preaching!” they preach. “That's no way to preach; Shame shall not overtake [us].

ואַל־תַּטִּפוּ יַטִּיפוּן לֹא־יַטִּפוּ לָאֵלֶּה לֹא יִסַּג כְּלִמּוֹת׃

7Is the House of Yaakov condemned? Is Hashem's patience short? Is such His practice?” To be sure, My words are friendly To those who walk in rectitude;

he-a-MUR bayt ya-a-KOV ha-ka-TZAR RU-akh a-do-NAI im AY-leh ma-a-la-LAV ha-LO d'-va-RAI yay-TEE-vu IM ha-ya-SHAR ho-LAYKH

זהֶאָמוּר בֵּית־יַעֲקֹב הֲקָצַר רוּחַ יְהֹוָה אִם־אֵלֶּה מַעֲלָלָיו הֲלוֹא דְבָרַי יֵיטִיבוּ עִם הַיָּשָׁר הוֹלֵךְ׃

Goats roaming the hillside of the Land of Israel.

2:7  To be sure, My words are friendly to those who walk in rectitude

Micha answers the false prophets who attempt to quiet his warnings. They claim that Hashem’s patience is forever, and that since Israel is God’s people, they will never come to harm. Micha explains that for God’s blessings to rest on the people, they must “walk in rectitude,” and not on the crooked path. If they do not heed this warning, He will punish them and exile them from the Land of Israel, which cannot tolerate evil behavior. In verse 12, however, Micha promises that once the people have been punished, they will be returned to the Land of Israel from all the places of their exile, and placed under God’s protection like a flock of sheep safe in its pen.

8But an enemy arises against My people. You strip the mantle with the cloak Off such as pass unsuspecting, Who are turned away from war.

חוְאֶתְמוּל עַמִּי לְאוֹיֵב יְקוֹמֵם מִמּוּל שַׂלְמָה אֶדֶר תַּפְשִׁטוּן מֵעֹבְרִים בֶּטַח שׁוּבֵי מִלְחָמָה׃

9You drive the women of My people away From their pleasant homes; You deprive their infants Of My glory forever.

טנְשֵׁי עַמִּי תְּגָרְשׁוּן מִבֵּית תַּעֲנֻגֶיהָ מֵעַל עֹלָלֶיהָ תִּקְחוּ הֲדָרִי לְעוֹלָם׃

10Up and depart! This is no resting place Because of [your] defilement. Terrible destruction shall befall.

יקוּמוּ וּלְכוּ כִּי לֹא־זֹאת הַמְּנוּחָה בַּעֲבוּר טָמְאָה תְּחַבֵּל וְחֶבֶל נִמְרָץ׃

11If a man were to go about uttering Windy, baseless falsehoods: “I'll preach to you in favor of wine and liquor”— He would be a preacher [acceptable] to that people.

יאלוּ־אִישׁ הֹלֵךְ רוּחַ וָשֶׁקֶר כִּזֵּב אַטִּף לְךָ לַיַּיִן וְלַשֵּׁכָר וְהָיָה מַטִּיף הָעָם הַזֶּה׃

12I will assemble Yaakov, all of you; I will bring together the remnant of Yisrael; I will make them all like sheep of Bozrah, Like a flock inside its pen— They will be noisy with people.

יבאָסֹף אֶאֱסֹף יַעֲקֹב כֻּלָּךְ קַבֵּץ אֲקַבֵּץ שְׁאֵרִית יִשְׂרָאֵל יַחַד אֲשִׂימֶנּוּ כְּצֹאן בָּצְרָה כְּעֵדֶר בְּתוֹךְ הַדָּבְרוֹ תְּהִימֶנָה מֵאָדָם׃

13One who makes a breach Goes before them; They enlarge it to a gate And leave by it. Their king marches before them, Hashem at their head.

יגעָלָה הַפֹּרֵץ לִפְנֵיהֶם פָּרְצוּ וַיַּעֲבֹרוּ שַׁעַר וַיֵּצְאוּ בוֹ וַיַּעֲבֹר מַלְכָּם לִפְנֵיהֶם וַיהֹוָה בְּרֹאשָׁם׃