Micah 7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Total Corruption of the People
7 Woe is me! For I have become like one who,
after the summer fruit has been gathered,
after the vintage has been gleaned,
finds no cluster to eat;
there is no first-ripe fig for which I hunger.(A)
2 The faithful have disappeared from the land,
and there is no one left who is upright;
they all lie in wait for blood,
and they hunt each other with nets.(B)
3 Their hands are skilled to do evil;
the official and the judge ask for a bribe,
and the powerful dictate what they desire;
thus they pervert justice.[a](C)
4 The best of them is like a brier,
the most upright of them a thorn hedge.
The day of their[b] sentinels, of their[c] punishment, has come;
now their confusion is at hand.(D)
5 Put no trust in a friend;
have no confidence in a loved one;
guard the doors of your mouth
from her who lies in your embrace,
6 for the son treats the father with contempt,
the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
your enemies are members of your own household.(E)
7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.(F)
Penitence and Trust in God
8 Do not rejoice over me, my enemies;[d]
when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be a light to me.(G)
9 I must bear the indignation of the Lord
because I have sinned against him,
until he takes my side
and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
I shall see his vindication.(H)
10 Then my enemies[e] will see,
and shame will cover those[f] who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will see their[g] downfall;[h]
now they[i] will be trodden down
like the mire of the streets.(I)
A Prophecy of Restoration
11 A day for the building of your walls!
On that day the boundary shall be far extended.(J)
12 On that day they will come to you
from Assyria to[j] Egypt
and from Egypt to the River,
from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.(K)
13 But the earth will be desolate
because of its inhabitants,
for the fruit of their doings.(L)
14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock that belongs to you,
which lives alone in a forest
in the midst of a garden land;
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,
show us[k] marvelous things.(M)
16 The nations shall see and be ashamed
of all their might;
they shall lay their hands on their mouths;
their ears shall be deaf;(N)
17 they shall lick dust like a snake,
like the crawling things of the earth;
they shall come trembling out of their fortresses;
they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God,
and they shall stand in fear of you.(O)
God’s Compassion and Steadfast Love
18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over the transgression
of the remnant of his possession?
He does not retain his anger forever
because he delights in showing steadfast love.(P)
19 He will again have compassion upon us;
he will tread our iniquities under foot.
You will cast all our[l] sins
into the depths of the sea.(Q)
20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our ancestors
from the days of old.(R)
Micah 7
Common English Bible
The prophet laments
7 I’m doomed!
I’ve become like one who,
even after the summer fruit has been gathered,
after the ripened fruits have been collected,
has no cluster of grapes to eat,
no ripe fig that I might desire.
2 Faithful ones have perished from the land;
there is no righteous one among humanity.
All of them lie in wait for bloodshed;
they hunt each other with nets.
3 Their hands are skilled at doing evil.
Official and judge alike ask for a bribe;
the powerful speak however they like;
this is how they conspire.
4 The good among them are like a briar;
those who do the right thing are like a thorny thicket.
(A day for your lookouts![a]
Your punishment has arrived.
The confusion of the wicked[b] is nearby.)
5 Don’t rely on a friend;
put no trust in a companion;
guard the doors of your mouth from she who lies in your embrace.
6 Son disrespects father;
a daughter rises up against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
the enemies of a man are those of his own household.
7 But me! I will keep watch for the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.
Zion speaks
8 Do not rejoice[c] over me, my enemy,
because when I fall, I will rise;
if I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light.
9 I must bear the raging of the Lord,
for I have sinned against him,
until he decides my case and provides justice for me.
He will bring me out into the light;
I will see by means of his righteousness.
10 Then my enemy will see;
shame will cover her who said to me:
“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will see her ruin;[d]
now she will become something to be trampled,
like mud in the streets.
Micah responds to Zion
11 A day for the building of your walls!
On that day, the boundary will be distant.
12 On that day, they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
from Egypt to the River,
from sea to sea,
and from mountain to mountain.
13 And the earth will become desolate because of her inhabitants,
because of the fruit of their actions.
Micah intercedes for the people
14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
the sheep of your inheritance,
those dwelling alone in a forest in the midst of Carmel.
Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead, as a long time ago.
God agrees
15 As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
I will show Israel wonderful things.
The prophet continues
16 Nations will see and be ashamed of all their strength;
they will cover their mouths;
their ears will be deaf.
17 They will lick dust like the snake,
like things that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling from their strongholds to the Lord our God;
they will dread and fear you!
18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity,
overlooking the sin of the few remaining for his inheritance?
He doesn’t hold on to his anger forever;
he delights in faithful love.
19 He will once again have compassion on us;
he will tread down our iniquities.
You will hurl all our sins into the depths of the sea.
20 You will provide faithfulness to Jacob, faithful love to Abraham,
as you swore to our ancestors a long time ago.
Footnotes
- Micah 7:4 Heb uncertain
- Micah 7:4 Heb lacks the wicked.
- Micah 7:8 Rejoice (feminine singular)
- Micah 7:10 Heb lacks ruin.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible