Micah 7

1 Woe is me! For I am like one gathering summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster to eat, no early fig that I crave.

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 desired the first ripe fruit.

2 The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt one another with a net.

The good man is 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.

3 Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together.

That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asks, and the judge asks for a reward; and the great man, he utters his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.

4 The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns. The day for your watchmen has come, the day of your visitation. Now is the time of their confusion.

The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of your watchmen and your visitation comes; now shall be their perplexity.

5 Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.

Trust you not in a friend, put you not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of your mouth from her that lies in your bosom.

6 For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies are the members of his own household.

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.

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

Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.

Rejoice not against me, O my enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light to me.

9 Because I have sinned against Him, I must endure the rage of the LORD, until He argues my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me into the light; I will see His righteousness.

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.

10 Then my enemy will see and will be covered with shame— she who said to me, “Where is the LORD your God?” My eyes will see her; at that time she will be trampled like mud in the streets.

Then she that is my enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said to me, Where is the LORD your God? my eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

11 The day for rebuilding your walls will come— the day for extending your boundary.

In the day that your walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed.

12 On that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, even from Egypt to the Euphrates, from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.

In that day also he shall come even to you from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

13 Then the earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants, as the fruit of their deeds.

Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.

14 Shepherd with Your staff Your people, the flock of Your inheritance. They live alone in a woodland, surrounded by pastures. Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

Feed your people with your rod, the flock of your heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the middle of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

15 As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show My wonders.

According to the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt will I show to him marvelous things.

16 Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their might. They will put their hands over their mouths, and their ears will become deaf.

The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand on their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

17 They will lick the dust like a snake, like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will crawl from their holes in the presence of the LORD our God; they will tremble in fear of You.

They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of you.

18 Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance— who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?

Who is a God like to you, that pardons iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retains not his anger for ever, because he delights in mercy.

19 He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea.

He will turn again, he will have compassion on us; he will subdue our iniquities; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob and loving devotion to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from the days of old.

You will perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.