Micah 7
1 Woe is me! I have become like the gathering of summer fruit, and like the grapes that have been gleaned; there is no grape cluster to eat, no ripe early fig that my soul desires.
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 Faithful people have disappeared from the land; there is no upright person in all mankind. They all lie in wait to shed blood; each one hunts his own brother with a net.
The good [man] hath perished from 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 Their hands are very good at doing harm: the ruler asks for money, the judge is ready for bribes, and the powerful man is saying to others what he wants to obtain. Thus they plot together.
That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge [asketh] for a reward; and the great [man], he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.
4 The best of them is like a brier, the most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. It is the day foretold by your watchmen, the day of your punishment. 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 thy watchmen [and] thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.
5 Do not trust any neighbor; put no confidence in any friend. Be careful about what you say even to the woman who lies in your arms.
Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.
6 For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies are the people of his own house.
For the son dishonoreth 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.
7 But as for me, I will look to Yahweh. 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 rejoice over me, my enemy. After I fall, I will rise. When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light for me.
Rejoice not against me, O my enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD [will be] a light to me.
9 Because I sinned against Yahweh, I will bear his rage until he pleads my cause, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me to the light, and I will see him rescue me in his justice.
I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he shall 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 it, and shame will cover the one who said to me, “Where is Yahweh your God?” My eyes will look at her; she will be trampled down like the mud in the streets.
Then [she that is] my enemy shall see [it], and shame shall cover her who said to me, Where is the LORD thy God? my eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.
11 A day to build your walls will come; on that day the boundaries will be extended very far.
[In] the day that thy walls are to be built, [in] that day shall the decree be far removed.
12 On that day your people will come to you, from Assyria and the cities in Egypt, from Egypt to the River, from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.
[In] that day [also] he shall come even to thee 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 But the land will be desolate because of the people who are living there, because of the fruit of their actions.
Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell in it, for the fruit of their doings.
14 Shepherd your people with your rod, the flock of your inheritance. They live alone in a thicket, in the midst of a pastureland. Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the old days.
Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thy heritage, who dwell solitarily [in] the wood, in the midst 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 the land of Egypt, I will show them wonders.
According to the days of thy departure from the land of Egypt will I show to him marvelous [things].
16 The nations will see and be ashamed of all their power. They will put their hands on their mouths; their ears will be deaf.
The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay [their] hand upon [their] mouth, their ears shall be deaf.
17 They will lick the dust like a snake, like creatures that crawl on the earth. They will come out of their dens with fear; they will come with fear to you, Yahweh our God, and they will be afraid because 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 thee.
18 Who is a God like you— who takes away sin, who passes over the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? He does not keep his anger forever, because he delights in his covenant faithfulness.
Who [is] a God like to thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth [in] mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us; you will trample our iniquities under your feet. You will throw all our sins into the depths of the sea.
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
20 You will give truth to Jacob and covenant faithfulness to Abraham, as you swore to our ancestors in ancient days.
Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, [and] the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn to our fathers from the days of old.
