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Wait Upon Yahweh

Woe is me! For I have become
    like the gatherings of summer,
    like the gleanings of the grape harvest,
when there is no cluster of grapes to eat
    or early ripened fruit that my soul desires.
The faithful person has perished from the land,
    and there is none who is upright among humankind.
All of them lie in wait;
    each hunts his brother with a net.
Their hands are upon evil, to do it well;
    the official and the judge ask for the bribe,
and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul;
    and they weave it together.
The best of them is like a brier;
    the most upright worse than a thorn hedge.
The day of your watchman, your punishment, has come;
    now their confusion will come.
Do not put faith in a friend;
    put no trust in a close friend.
Guard the doorways of your mouth
    from the one who lies in your lap.
For a son treats a father with contempt;
    a daughter rises up against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
    the enemies of a man are the men of his own house.
But as for me, I will look to Yahweh;
    I will wait for the God of my salvation.
    My God will hear me.
You should not rejoice over me, O my enemy!
    When I fall I will stand up;
when I sit in darkness
    Yahweh will be a light for me.
I will bear the rage of Yahweh,
    for I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause
    and executes my justice.
He will bring me out to the light;
    I will see his righteousness.
10 Then my enemy will see,
    and shame will cover her who said to me,
“Where is Yahweh your God?”
    My eyes will look upon her;
now she will become a trampling place,
    like mud in the streets.
11 A day for building your walls;
    on that day he will extend your boundary.
12 On that day he will come to you
    from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
and from Egypt to the River,
    and from sea to sea
    and mountain to mountain.
13 But the earth will be a desolation
    because of its inhabitants,
    for the fruit of their deeds.
14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
    the flock of your inheritance,
those dwelling alone in a forest
    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
    from the land of Egypt
    I will show him wondrous things.
16 The nations will see and be ashamed
    because of all their might.
They will lay the hand on the mouth;
    their ears will be deaf.
17 They will lick the dust like the serpent,
    like the crawling things of the earth.
They will come trembling from their strongholds
    to Yahweh our God.
    Let them fear and be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God like you, forgiving sin
    and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
    for he delights in loyal love.
19 He will again have compassion[a] on us;
    he will trample our iniquities.
And you will hurl all their sins
    in the depths of the sea.
20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob,
    and loyal love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our ancestors[b]
    from the days of old.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 7:19 Literally “He will return, he will have compassion”
  2. Micah 7:20 Or “fathers”

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.
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.
Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently.
    The ruler and judge ask for a bribe;
    and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul.
    Thus they conspire together.
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.
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!
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.
But as for me, I will look to Yahweh.
    I will wait for the God of my salvation.
    My God will hear me.
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.
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.
10 Then my enemy will see it,
    and shame will cover her who said to me,
    where is Yahweh your God?
Then my enemy will see me and will cover her shame.
    Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets.
11 A day to build your walls!
    In that day, he will extend your boundary.
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.
13 Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein,
    for the fruit of their doings.
14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
    the flock of your heritage,
    who dwell by themselves in a forest,
    in the middle of fertile pasture land, let them feed;
    in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
15 “As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt,
    I will show them marvelous 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.
17 They will lick the dust like a serpent.
    Like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their dens.
    They will come with fear to Yahweh our God,
    and will be afraid because 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.
19 He will again have compassion on us.
    He will tread our iniquities under foot;
    and you will 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.