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
English Standard Version
Wait for the God of Salvation
7 Woe is me! For I have become
(A)as when the summer fruit has been gathered,
as when the grapes have been gleaned:
there is no cluster to eat,
no (B)first-ripe fig that my soul desires.
2 (C)The godly has perished from the earth,
and (D)there is no one upright among mankind;
(E)they all lie in wait for blood,
and (F)each hunts the other with a net.
3 (G)Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well;
(H)the prince and (I)the judge ask for a bribe,
and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul;
thus they weave it together.
4 The best of them is (J)like a brier,
the most upright of them a thorn hedge.
The day of (K)your watchmen, of your punishment, has come;
(L)now their confusion is at hand.
5 (M)Put no trust in a neighbor;
have no confidence in a friend;
guard (N)the doors of your mouth
from her who lies in your arms;[a]
6 for (O)the son treats the father with contempt,
the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
(P)a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
(Q)I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.
8 (R)Rejoice not over me, O (S)my enemy;
(T)when I fall, I shall rise;
(U)when I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be a light to me.
9 (V)I will bear the indignation of the Lord
because I have sinned against him,
until (W)he pleads my cause
and executes judgment for me.
(X)He will bring me out to the light;
I shall look upon his vindication.
10 Then (Y)my enemy will see,
and shame will cover her who (Z)said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
(AA)My eyes will look upon her;
now she will be trampled down
(AB)like the mire of the streets.
11 (AC)A day for the building of your walls!
In that day the boundary shall be far extended.
12 In that day they[b] will come to you,
(AD)from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
and from Egypt to (AE)the River,[c]
(AF)from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
13 But (AG)the earth will be desolate
because of its inhabitants,
for the fruit of their deeds.
14 (AH)Shepherd your people (AI)with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
who dwell alone in a forest
(AJ)in the midst of (AK)a garden land;[d]
let them graze in Bashan and Gilead
as in the days of old.
15 (AL)As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
I will show them[e] marvelous things.
16 (AM)The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might;
(AN)they shall lay their hands on their mouths;
their ears shall be deaf;
17 (AO)they shall lick the dust like a serpent,
like the crawling things of the earth;
(AP)they shall come trembling out of their strongholds;
(AQ)they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God,
and they shall be in fear of you.
God's Steadfast Love and Compassion
18 (AR)Who is a God like you, (AS)pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
(AT)for the remnant of his inheritance?
(AU)He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
19 He will (AV)again have compassion on us;
(AW)he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
(AX)You will cast all our[f] sins
into the depths of the sea.
20 (AY)You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
(AZ)as you have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old.
Footnotes
- Micah 7:5 Hebrew bosom
- Micah 7:12 Hebrew he
- Micah 7:12 That is, the Euphrates
- Micah 7:14 Hebrew of Carmel
- Micah 7:15 Hebrew him
- Micah 7:19 Hebrew their
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.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.