ميخا 7

١ 1 وَيْلٌ لِي، فَقَدْ صِرْتُ كَرَجُلٍ جَائِعٍ جَاءَ يَبْحَثُ عَنْ جَنْيِ الصَّيْفِ وَبَقَايَا قِطَافِ الْعِنَبِ، فَلَمْ يَجِدْ عُنْقُوداً لِلأَكْلِ وَلا شَيْئاً مِنْ بَاكُورَةِ التِّينِ مِمَّا تَشْتَهِيهِ نَفْسِي.

Alas for me! for I am become as one gathering straw in harvest, and as [one gathering] grape-gleanings in the vintage, when there is no cluster for me to eat the first-ripe fruit: alas my soul!

٢ 2 قَدْ بَادَ الصَّالِحُ مِنْ الأَرْضِ وَاخْتَفَى الْمُسْتَقِيمُ مِنْ بَيْنِ النَّاسِ. جَمِيعُهُمْ يَكْمِنُونَ لِسَفْكِ الدِّمَاءِ، وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ يَقْتَنِصُ أَخَاهُ.

For the godly is perished from the earth; and there is none among men that orders [his way] aright: they all quarrel even to blood: they grievously afflict every one his neighbour:

٣ 3 تَجِدُّ أَيْدِيهُمْ فِي ارْتِكَابِ الشَّرِّ، وَيَسْعَى الرَّئِيسُ وَالْقَاضِي وَرَاءَ الرِّشْوَةِ، وَيُمْلِي الْعَظِيمُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَهْوَاءَ نَفْسِهِ، فَيَتَآمَرُونَ جَمِيعاً عَلَى الْحَقِّ.

they prepare their hands for mischief, the prince asks [a reward], and the judge speaks flattering words; it is the desire of their soul:

٤ 4 أَفْضَلُهُمْ مِثْلُ الْعَوْسَجِ، وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ اسْتِقَامَةً أَسْوَأُ مِنْ سِيَاجِ الشَّوْكِ. وَهَا يَوْمُ عِقَابِكُمُ الَّذِي أَنْذَرَ بِهِ أَنْبِيَاؤُكُمْ قَدْ وَافَى. عِنْدَئِذٍ يَعْتَرِيكُمُ الارْتِبَاكُ.

therefore I will take away their goods as a devouring moth, and as one who acts by a [rigid] rule in a day of visitation. Woe, woe, thy times of vengeance are come; now shall be their lamentations.

٥ 5 لَا تَأْتَمِنْ جَارَكَ وَلا تَثِقْ بِصَدِيقٍ، وَاحْتَرِسْ مِمَّا تَنْطِقُ بِهِ شَفَتَاكَ مِمَّنَ تَرْقُدُ فِي حِضْنِكَ.

Trust not in friends, and confide not in guides: beware of thy wife, so as not to commit anything to her.

٦ 6 فَإِنَّ الابْنَ يَسْتَخِفُّ بِأَبِيهِ وَالابْنَةُ تَتَمَرَّدُ عَلَى أُمِّهَا، وَالْكَنَّةُ عَلَى حَمَاتِهَا، وَأَعْدَاءُ الإِنْسَانِ أَهْلُ بَيْتِهِ.

For the son dishonours his father, the daughter will rise up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law: those in his house [shall be] all a man's enemies.

٧ 7 أَمَّا أَنَا فَأَرْتَقِبُ الرَّبَّ وَأَنْتَظِرُ إِلَهَ خَلاصِي فَيَسْمَعُنِي إِلَهِي.

But I will look to the Lord; I will wait upon God my Saviour: my God will hearken to me.

٨ 8 لَا تَشْمَتِي بِي يَا عَدُوَّتِي، لأَنِّي إِنْ سَقَطْتُ أَقُومُ، وَإِنْ جَلَسْتُ فِي الظُّلْمَةِ يَكُونُ الرَّبُّ نُوراً لِي.

Rejoice not against me, mine enemy; for I have fallen [yet] shall arise; for though I should sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me.

٩ 9 إِنِّي أَخْطَأْتُ إِلَى الرَّبِّ لِذَلِكَ أَتَحَمَّلُ غَضَبَهُ، إِلَى أَنْ يُدَافِعَ عَنِّي وَيُثْبِتَ اسْتِقَامَتِي، فَيُخْرِجُنِي إِلَى النُّورِ لأُشَاهِدَ عَدْلَهُ.

I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he make good my cause: he also shall maintain my right, and shall bring me out to the light, [and] I shall behold his righteousness.

١٠ 10 عِنْدَئِذٍ تَرَى ذَلِكَ عَدُوَّتِي فَيَعْتَرِيهَا الْخِزْيُ إِذْ قَالَتْ لِي: «أَيْنَ هُوَ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكِ؟» سَتَشْهَدُهَا عَيْنَايَ تُدَاسُ كَطِينِ الشَّوَارِعِ وَالأَزِقَّةِ.

And she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shall clothe herself with shame, who says, Where [is] the Lord thy God? mine eyes shall look upon her: now shall she be for trampling as mire in the ways.

١١ 11 هَا قَدْ أَقْبَلَ يَوْمُ بِنَاءِ أَسْوَارِ مَدِينَتِكِ. فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ تَتَّسِعُ تُخُومُكِ.

[It is] the day of making of brick; that day shall be thine utter destruction, and that day shall utterly abolish thine ordinances.

١٢ 12 وَيَتَقَاطَرُ إِلَيْكِ شَعْبُكِ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ، مِنْ أَشُّورَ وَمِنْ مُدُنِ مِصْرَ حَتَّى نَهْرِ الْفُرَاتِ؛ مِنْ بَحْرٍ إِلَى بَحْرٍ؛ وَمِنْ جَبَلٍ إِلَى جَبَلٍ.

And thy cities shall be levelled, and parted among the Assyrians; and thy strong cities shall be parted from Tyre to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

١٣ 13 غَيْرَ أَنَّ الأَرْضَ تَكُونُ مُوْحِشَةً بِسَبَبِ سَيِّئَاتِ سُكَّانِهَا.

And the land shall be utterly desolate together with them that inhabit it, because of the fruit of their doings.

١٤ 14 ارْعَ يَا رَبُّ شَعْبَكَ بِعَصَاكَ، فَهُمْ قَطِيعُ مِيرَاثِكَ الرَّابِضُونَ وَحْدَهُمْ فِي الْغَابَةِ فِي وَسَطِ الْكَرْمَلِ. قُدْهُمْ إِلَى بَاشَانَ وَجِلْعَادَ لِيَتَمَتَّعُوا بِخِصْبِ أَرْضِهِمَا كَالْعَهْدِ بِهِمْ فِي أَيَّامِ الْقِدَمِ.

Tend thy people with thy rod, the sheep of thine inheritance, those that inhabit by themselves the thicket in the midst of Carmel: they shall feed in the land of Basan, and in the land of Galaad, as in the days of old.

١٥ 15 وَيُجِيبُ الرَّبُّ: سَأُرِيهِمْ مُعْجِزَاتٍ كَمَا فَعَلْتُ فِي أَيَّامِ خُرُوجِهِمْ مِنْ دِيَارِ مِصْرَ.

And according to the days of thy departure out of Egypt shall ye see marvellous [things].

١٦ 16 فَتَرَى الأُمَمُ وَيَخْزَوْنَ مِنْ قُوَّتِهِمْ وَيَضَعُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَلَى أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَتُصَابُ آذَانُهُمْ بِالصَّمَمِ.

The nations shall see and be ashamed; and at all their might they shall lay their hands upon their mouth, their ears shall be deafened.

١٧ 17 وَيَلْحَسُونَ التُّرَابَ كَالْحَيَّةِ وَيَنْسَلُّونَ مِنْ حُصُونِهِمْ مُرْتَعِبِينَ كَزَوَاحِفِ الأَرْضِ، وَيَرْجِعُونَ بِخَوْفٍ إِلَى الرَّبِّ إِلَهِنَا مُرْتَعِبِينَ مِنْكَ.

They shall lick the dust as serpents crawling on the earth, they shall be confounded in their holes; they shall be amazed at the Lord our God, and will be afraid of thee.

١٨ 18 إِيُّ إِلَهٍ مِثْلُكَ يَصْفَحُ عَنِ الإِثْمِ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ مَعْصِيَةِ بَقِيَّةِ مِيرَاثِهِ؟ لَا يَحْتَفِظُ إِلَى الأَبَدِ بِغَضَبِهِ لأَنَّهُ يُسَرُّ بِالرَّحْمَةِ.

Who is a God like thee, cancelling iniquities, and passing over the sins of the remnant of his inheritance? and he has not kept his anger for a testimony, for he delights in mercy.

١٩ 19 يَعُودُ يَرْحَمُنَا وَيَطَأُ ذُنُوبَنَا بِقَدَمَيْهِ، وَيَطْرَحُ مَعَاصِيَنَا إِلَى أَعْمَاقِ الْبَحْرِ.

He will return and have mercy upon us; he will sink our iniquities, and they shall be cast into the depth of the sea, [even] all our sins.

٢٠ 20 أَنْتَ تُبْدِي أَمَانَةً لِذُرِّيَّةِ يَعْقُوبَ، وَرَحْمَةً لِنَسْلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، كَمَا حَلَفْتَ لأَجْدَادِنَا مُنْذُ الْقِدَمِ.

He shall give blessings truly to Jacob, and mercy to Abraam, as thou swarest to our fathers, according to the former days.