Micah 7

1 Alas for me! for I am become as gatherings of summer fruit, as gleaning-grapes in harvest, there is no cluster to eat, the first ripe fruit, my soul, craved.

Woe is me, for I am become as one that gleaneth in autumn the grapes of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat, my soul desired the firstripe figs.

2 Perished is the man of lovingkindness out of the earth, and, upright among men, is there none, —they all, for bloodshed, lie in wait. Every man—for his brother, do they hunt as for one devoted to destruction.

The holy man is perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood, every one hunteth his brother to death.

3 Of wickedness with both hands to make sure, the ruler, doth make demand—and the judge—for a recompense, —and, as for the great man, he, is putting into words the desire of his soul, So have they woven the net!

The evil of their hands they call good: the prince requireth, and the judge is for giving: and the great man hath uttered the desire of his soul, and they have troubled it.

4 The best of them, is as a sharp briar, and, the most upright, worse than a thorn hedge, The day of thy watchmen—of thy visitation, hath come, Now, shall be their confusion!

He that is best among them, is as a brier: and he that is righteous, as the thorn of the hedge. The day of thy inspection, thy visitation cometh: now shall be their destruction.

5 Do not trust in a friend, do not put confidence in an associate, —from her that lieth in thy bosom, keep thou the doors of thy mouth;

Believe not a friend, and trust not in a prince: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that sleepeth in thy bosom.

6 For, the son, treateth as foolish, the father, and, the daughter, riseth up against, her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, —The foes of a man, are the men of his own house.

For the son dishonoureth the father, and the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law: and a man’s enemies are they of his own household.

7 But, I, for Yahweh, will watch, I will wait for the God of my salvation, —My God, will hear me.

But I will look towards the Lord, I will wait for God my Saviour: my God will hear me.

8 Do not rejoice, O mine enemy, against me, Though I fall, I shall rise again! Though I sit in darkness, Yahweh, is a light to me.

Rejoice not, thou, my enemy, over me, because I am fallen: I shall arise, when I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light.

9 The indignation of Yahweh, will I bear, for I have sinned against him, —until he take up my controversy, then will he do me justice, he will bring me forth to the light, I shall behold his righteousness.

I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him; until he judge my cause and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth into the light, I shall behold his justice.

10 So shall she who had been mine enemy fear, and shame, shall cover her, who used to say unto me—Where is Yahweh thy God? Mine own eyes, shall look upon her, Now, shall she become one to he trodden down, like the mire of the lanes.

And my enemy shall behold, and she shall be covered with shame, who saith to me: Where is the Lord thy God? My eyes shall look down upon her: now shall she be trodden under foot as the mire of the streets.

11 On the day for building thy walls, —on that day, far away shall be thy boundary:

The day shall come, that thy walls may be built up: in that day shall the law be far removed.

12 The very day, that, against thee, shall one come from Assyria, and [from] the cities of Egypt; yea from Egypt, even unto the River, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain:

In that day they shall come even from Assyria to thee, and to the fortified cities: and from the fortified cities even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

13 Though the land become a desolation, because of them that dwell therein, —by reason of the fruit of their doings.

And the land shall be made desolate, because of the inhabitants thereof, and for the fruit of their devices.

14 Shepherd thou thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine inheritance, Dwell thou alone, a jungle in the midst of a fruitful field, —Let them feed in Bashan and in Gilead, as in the days of age-past times.

Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thy inheritance, them that dwell alone in the forest, in the midst of Carmel: they shall feed in Basan and Galaad according to the days of old.

15 As in the days of thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt, will I shew him wonders.

According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt I will shew him wonders.

16 Nations, shall see, that they may turn pale at all their valour, —they shall lay hand on mouth, their ears, shall be silent:

The nations shall see, and shall be confounded at all their strength: they shall put the hand upon the mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

17 They shall lick the dust like the serpent, Like the crawlers of the earth, shall they come quaking out of their fastnesses, —Towards Yahweh our God, shall they pay adoration, and shall fear because of thee.

They shall lick the dust like serpents, as the creeping things of the earth, they shall be disturbed in their houses: they shall dread the Lord our God, and shall fear thee.

18 Who is a GOD like unto thee, taking away the iniquity—and passing over the transgression—of the remnant of his inheritance? He hath not held fast, perpetually, his anger, for, one who delighteth in lovingkindness, is he!

Who is a God like to thee, who takest away iniquity, and passest by the sin of the remnant of thy inheritance? he will send his fury in no more, because he delighteth in mercy.

19 He will again have compassion upon us, he will subdue our iniquities, —Thou wilt cast—into the depths of the sea—all their sins.

He will turn again, and have mercy on us: he will put away our iniquities: and he will cast all our sins into the bottom of the sea.

20 Thou wilt grant—the faithfulness to Jacob, the lovingkindness to Abraham, —which thou didst swear to our fathers, from the days of ancient time.

Thou wilt perform the truth of Jacob, the mercy to Abraham: which thou hast sworn to our fathers from the days of old.