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.

Woe is me! for I am as the last of the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage; there is no cluster to eat; nor first-ripe fig which my soul desireth.

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

The godly man is perished out of the earth, and the upright among men is no more; they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.

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

Their hands are upon that which is evil to do it diligently; the prince asketh, and the judge is ready for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together.

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

The best of them is as a brier; the most upright is worse than a thorn hedge; the day of thy watchmen, even thy visitation, is come; now shall be their perplexity.

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

Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a familiar friend; keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.

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

For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.

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

'But as for me, I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

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

Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; though I am fallen, I shall arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD is a light unto 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 plead my cause, and execute judgment for me; He will bring me forth 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.

Then mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her; who said unto me: Where is the LORD thy God? Mine eyes shall gaze upon her; now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.'

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

'The day for building thy walls, even that day, shall be far removed.'

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

There shall be a day when they shall come unto thee, from Assyria even to the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even 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 desolate for them that dwell therein, 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 staff, the flock of Thy heritage, that dwell solitarily, as a forest in the midst of the fruitful field; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

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

'As in the days of thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvellous things.'

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

The nations shall see and be put to shame for all their might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

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

They shall lick the dust like a serpent; like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their close places; they shall come with fear unto the LORD our God, and shall be afraid because 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 unto Thee, that pardoneth the iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy.

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

He will again have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

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

Thou wilt show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, as Thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.