Micah 7
1 Woe to me, for I have become just like one who gleans the clusters of the vintage in autumn. There is no cluster of grapes to consume; my soul desired figs out of season.
Woe, woe is me, for I have become like a field after harvest, like a vineyard after gathering; not a cluster of grapes to eat, not a fig that anyone desires.
2 The holy ones pass away from the land, and there is no one righteous among men. All wait in ambush for blood; a man hunts his brother to death.
The honest have perished from the land, of the upright among people there is none. All of them lie in wait to shed blood. They hunt one another with the net.
3 The evil of their hands, they call good. The leader is demanding, and the judge is yielding, and the great is speaking the desire of his soul, and they have confused it.
Their hands know well how to do evil, the officer and judge demands a bribe, the high official decides as he pleases and they conspire to pervert justice.
4 Whoever is best among them is like a thorny plant, and he who is righteous is like a thorny hedge. The day of your inspection, your visitation, arrives. Now will be their ruination.
The best of them are like a thorn thicket, their most upright like a prickly hedge. The day of their punishment has come, now will be their confusion!
5 Do not be willing to believe a friend. And do not be willing to confide in a commander. From her, who sleeps in your bosom, keep the doors of your mouth closed.
Do not trust your neighbor, do not rely on a friend. From the wife who lies in your arms guard your tongue.
6 For the son acts with contempt for the father, and the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man’s enemies are those of his own household.
For son insults father, daughter rises up against mother, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law, a man’s enemies are the people of his own household.
7 But I will look towards the Lord. I will wait for God, my Savior. My God will hear me.
But I will look to the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me!
8 You, my enemy, should not rejoice over me because I have fallen. I will rise up, when I sit in darkness. The Lord is my light.
Do not rejoice over me, my enemy. If I have fallen, I will rise. If I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light.
9 I will carry the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he may judge my case and execute judgment for me. He will lead me into the light. I will behold his justice.
The anger of the Lord I will bear, for against him have I sinned – until he champions my cause and gives judgment for me. He will bring me into to the light, I will see his justice.
10 And my enemy will look, and she will be covered with confusion, she who says to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will look upon her. Now she will be trampled underfoot like the mud of the streets.
So my enemy will see, and shame will cover them, they who said, “Where is the Lord your God?” I will look upon them, they will be trampled on like mud in the street!
11 The day that your walls will be rebuilt, in that day the law will be far away.
It is a day for rebuilding your walls, this day will your boundary will be extended.
12 In that day also, they will come towards you even from Assur, and even to the fortified cities, and from the fortified cities even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.
This day they will come to you, from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the Euphrates River, from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.
13 And the land will be in desolation, because of its inhabitants and because of the fruit of their intentions.
Though the land has become a desolation because of its inhabitants, because of their deeds.
14 With your rod, pasture your people, the flock of your inheritance, living alone in the narrow forest, in the midst of Carmel. They will graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the ancient days.
Shepherd your flock with your staff, the flock that belong to you, who live alone in the forest, in the midst of meadows; so that they may pasture in Bashon and Gilead as in the days of old,
15 As in the days of your departure from the land of Egypt, I will reveal miracles to him.
as in the days when you came from Egypt, gave us wonders to see.
16 The nations will look, and they will be confounded at the strength of them all. They will place hand over mouth; their ears will be deaf.
Nations will see and be ashamed of all their might; they will put their hands to their mouth, their ears will become deaf,
17 They will lick the dust like serpents, and, like the creeping things of the earth, they will be disturbed in their houses. They will dread the Lord our God, and they will fear you.
they will lick the dust like snakes, like creatures that crawl on the earth; they will come trembling and in terror from their hiding places, in dread and fear.
18 What God is like you, who takes away iniquity and passes over the sin of the remnant of your inheritance? No longer will he send forth his fury, because he is willing to be merciful.
Who is a God like you, forgiving iniquity and passing by the rebellion of the remnant of your people? He does not retain his anger forever, but is one who delights in mercy.
19 He will turn back and have mercy on us. He will put away our iniquities, and he will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
He will tread under foot our iniquity; you will cast into the depths of the sea all our iniquities.
20 You will give the truth to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, which you swore to our fathers from the ancient days.
You will show faithfulness to Jacob, and loving kindness to Abraham, as you have sworn to our ancestors from the days of old.
