Micah 7

1 Misery is mine! Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard. There is no cluster of grapes to eat. My soul desires to eat the early fig.

My woe [is] to me, For I have been as gatherings of summer-fruit, As gleanings of harvest, There is no cluster to eat, The first-ripe fruit has my soul desired.

2 The godly man has perished out of the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net.

The kind have perished out of the land, And upright among men—there are none, All of them lie in wait for blood, They each hunt his brother [with] a net.

3 Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe. The powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.

On the evil [are] both hands to do [it] well, The prince is asking—also the judge—for repayment, And the great—he is speaking the mischief of his soul, And they wrap it up.

4 The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even your visitation, has come; now is the time of their confusion.

Their best one [is] as a brier, The upright one—than a thorn-hedge, The day of your watchmen—Your visitation—has come. Now is their perplexity.

5 Don’t trust in a neighbor. Don’t put confidence in a friend. With the woman lying in your embrace, be careful of the words of your mouth!

Do not believe in a friend, Do not trust in a leader, From her who is lying in your bosom keep the openings of your mouth.

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 a son is dishonoring a father, A daughter has stood against her mother, A daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, The enemies of each [are] the men of his 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.

And I—in YHWH I watch, I wait for the God of my salvation, My God hears me.

8 Don’t rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me.

You do not rejoice over me, O my enemy, When I have fallen, I have risen, When I sit in darkness YHWH is a light to me.

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

I bear the indignation of YHWH, For I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my cause, And has executed my judgment, He brings me forth to the light, I look on His righteousness.

10 Then my enemy will see it, and shame will cover her who said to me, “Where is Yahweh your God?” My eyes will see her. Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets.

And my enemy sees, And shame covers her, Who says to me, “Where [is] your God YHWH?” My eyes look on her, Now she is for a treading-place, As mire of the out-places.

11 A day to build your walls! In that day, he will extend your boundary.

The day to build your walls! That day—removed is the limit.

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

That day—even to you it comes in, From Asshur and the cities of the fortress, And from the fortress even to the river, And from sea to sea, and mountain to mountain.

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

And the land has been for a desolation, Because of its inhabitants, Because of the fruit of their doings.

14 Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage, who dwell by themselves in a forest. Let them feed in the middle of fertile pasture land, in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

Rule Your people with Your rod, The flock of Your inheritance, Dwelling alone [in] a forest in the midst of Carmel, They enjoy Bashan and Gilead as in days of old.

15 “As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things.”

“According to the days of your coming forth out of the land of Egypt, I show it wonderful things.”

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

Nations see, and they are ashamed of all their might, They lay a hand on the mouth, their ears are deaf.

17 They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling things of the earth, they will come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to Yahweh our God, and will be afraid because of you.

They lick dust as a serpent, as fearful things of earth, They tremble from their enclosures, They are afraid of our God YHWH, Indeed, they are afraid of You.

18 Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness.

Who [is] a God like You? Taking away iniquity, And passing by the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance, He has not retained His anger forever, Because He delights [in] kindness.

19 He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

He turns back, He pities us, He subdues our iniquities, And You cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

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

You give truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, That You have sworn to our fathers, from the days of antiquity!