Part 591 (2/2)

How shall he depart, etc... How do you pretend to say that the a.s.syrian is departing; when indeed he is coming to divide our lands amongst his subjects?

2:5. Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast the cord of a lot in the a.s.sembly of the Lord.

Thou shalt have none, etc... Thou shalt have no longer any lot or inheritance in the land of the people of the Lord.

2:6. Speak ye not, saying: It shall not drop upon these, confusion shall not take them.

It shall not drop, etc... That is, the prophecy shall not come upon these. Such were the sentiments of the people that were unwilling to believe the threats of the prophets.

2:7. The house of Jacob saith: Is the Spirit of the Lord straitened or are these his thoughts? Are not my words good to him that walketh uprightly?

2:8. But my people, on the contrary, are risen up as an enemy: you have taken away the cloak off from the coat: and them that pa.s.sed harmless you have turned to war.

You have taken away, etc... You have even stripped people of their necessary garments: and have treated such as were innocently pa.s.sing on the way, as if they were at war with you.

2:9. You have cast out the women of my people from their houses, in which they took delight: you have taken my praise forever from their children.

You have cast out, etc... either by depriving them of their houses: or, by your crimes, given occasion to their being carried away captives, and their children, by that means, never learning to praise the Lord.

2:10. Arise ye, and depart, for there is no rest here for you. For that uncleanness of the land, it shall be corrupted with a grievous corruption.

2:11. Would G.o.d I were not a man that hath the spirit, and that I rather spoke a lie: I will let drop to thee of wine, and of drunkeness: and it shall be this people upon whom it shall drop.

Would G.o.d, etc... The prophet could have wished, out of his love to his people, that he might be deceived in denouncing to them these evils that were to fall upon them: but by conforming himself to the will of G.o.d, he declares to them, that he is sent to prophesy, literally to let drop upon them, the wine of G.o.d's indignation, with which they should be made drunk; that is, stupified and cast down.

2:12. I will a.s.semble and gather together all of thee, O Jacob: I will bring together the remnant of Israel, I will put them together as a flock in the fold, as sheep in the midst of the sheepcotes, they shall make a tumult by reason of the mult.i.tude of men.

2:13. For he shall go up that shall open the way before them: they shall divide and pa.s.s through the gate, and shall come in by it: and their king shall pa.s.s before them, and the Lord at the head of them.

Micheas Chapter 3

For the sins of the rich oppressing the poor, of false prophets flattering for lucre, and of judges perverting justice, Jerusalem and the temple shall be destroyed.

3:1. And I said: Hear, O ye princes of Jacob, and ye chiefs of the house of Israel: Is it not your part to know judgment,

3:2. You that hate good, and love evil: that violently pluck off their skins from them and their flesh from their bones?

3:3. Who have eaten the flesh of my people, and have flayed their skin off them: and have broken, and chopped their bones as for the kettle, and as flesh in the midst of the pot.

3:4. Then shall they cry to the Lord, and he will not hear them: and he will hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved wickedly in their devices.

3:5. Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err: that bite with their teeth, and preach peace: and if a man give not something into their mouth, they prepare war against him.

3:6. Therefore night shall be to you instead of vision, and darkness to you instead of divination: and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be darkened over them.

3:7. And they shall be confounded that see visions, and the diviners shall be confounded: and they shall all cover their faces, because there is no answer of G.o.d.

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