Micah 7

1 Woe is me! For I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage. There is no cluster to eat. My soul desires the first ripe fig.

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!

2 The devout man has perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood. They hunt every man his brother with a net.

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

3 Their hands are upon that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler asks, and the judge asks for a bribe. And the great man, he utters the evil desire of his soul. Thus they weave it together.

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

4 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, has come. Now shall be their perplexity.

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, your times of vengeance are come; now shall be their lamentations.

5 Trust ye not in a neighbor. Put ye not confidence in a friend. Keep the doors of thy mouth from her who lies in thy bosom.

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

6 For the son dishonors the father. The daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies are the men of his own house.

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.

7 But as for me, I will look to Jehovah. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

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

8 Rejoice not against me, O my enemy. When I fall, I shall arise. When I sit in darkness, Jehovah will be a light to me.

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.

9 I will bear the indignation of Jehovah, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.

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.

10 Then my enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her who said to me, Where is Jehovah thy God? My eyes shall see my desire upon her. Now she shall be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

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

11 A day for building thy walls! In that day the decree shall be far removed.

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

12 In that day they shall come to thee from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, and mountain to mountain.

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

13 Yet the land shall be desolate because of those who dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.

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

14 Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thy heritage, which dwell solitarily in the forest in the midst of Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

Tend your people with your rod, the sheep of your 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.

15 As in the days of thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt I will show marvelous things to them.

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

16 The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might. They shall lay their hand upon their mouth. Their ears shall be deaf.

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.

17 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 to Jehovah our God, and shall be afraid because of thee.

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 you.

18 Who is a God like to thee, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness.

Who is a God like you, 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.

19 He will again have compassion upon us. He will tread our iniquities under foot, and thou will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

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.

20 Thou will perform the truth to Jacob, and the loving kindness to Abraham, which thou have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

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