Add parallel Print Page Options

The Total Corruption of the People

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)
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)
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)
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)
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,
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)
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

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)
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)

Footnotes

  1. 7.3 Cn: Heb they weave it
  2. 7.4 Heb your
  3. 7.4 Heb your
  4. 7.8 Heb enemy
  5. 7.10 Heb enemy
  6. 7.10 Heb she
  7. 7.10 Heb her
  8. 7.10 Heb lacks downfall
  9. 7.10 Heb she
  10. 7.12 Heb ms: MT Assyria and cities of
  11. 7.15 Cn: Heb I will show him
  12. 7.19 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb their

The Prophet Acknowledges Injustice

Woe to me! For I am
Like harvests of summer fruit, like gleanings of (A)grapes.
There is not a cluster of grapes left to eat,
Nor an (B)early fig, which [a]I crave.
The [b]godly person has (C)perished from the land,
And there is no upright person among mankind.
All of them lie in wait for (D)bloodshed;
Each of them hunts the other with a (E)net.
As for evil, both hands do it (F)well.
The leader asks for a (G)bribe, also the judge,
And the great one speaks the capricious desire of his soul;
So they plot it together.
The best of them is like a (H)thorn bush,
The most upright like a (I)thorn hedge.
The day [c]when you post your watchmen,
Your (J)punishment is coming.
Then their (K)confusion will occur.
Do not (L)trust in a neighbor;
Do not have confidence in a close friend.
Guard [d]your lips
From her who lies [e]in your arms.
For (M)son disavows father,
Daughter rises up against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
(N)A person’s enemies are the people of his own household.

God Is the Source of Salvation and Light

But as for me, I will (O)be on the watch for the Lord;
I will (P)wait for the God of my salvation.
My (Q)God will hear me.
(R)Do not rejoice over me, (S)enemy of mine.
Though I fall I will (T)rise;
Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a (U)light for me.

I will endure the rage of the Lord
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He (V)pleads my case and executes justice for me.
He will bring me out to the (W)light,
And I will look at His [f](X)righteousness.
10 Then my enemy will see,
And shame will cover her who (Y)said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will look at her;
[g]At that time she will [h]be (Z)trampled down
Like mud of the streets.
11 It will be a day for (AA)building your walls.
On that day your boundary will be extended.
12 It will be a day when [i]they will (AB)come to you
From Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
From Egypt even to the Euphrates River,
Even from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.
13 And the earth will become a (AC)wasteland because of her inhabitants,
On account of the (AD)fruit of their deeds.

14 (AE)Shepherd Your people with Your (AF)scepter,
The flock of Your [j]possession
Which lives by itself in the woodland,
In the midst of [k]a fruitful field.
Let them feed in (AG)Bashan and Gilead
(AH)As in the days of old.
15 “As in the days when you went out from the land of Egypt,
I will show [l](AI)you miracles.”
16 Nations (AJ)will see and be ashamed
Of all their might.
They will (AK)put their hand on their mouth,
Their ears will be deaf.
17 They will (AL)lick up dust like a snake,
Like [m](AM)reptiles of the earth.
They will come (AN)trembling out of their [n]fortresses;
To the Lord our God they will come in (AO)trepidation,
And they will be afraid of You.
18 Who is a God like You, who (AP)pardons wrongdoing
And passes over a rebellious act of the (AQ)remnant of His [o]possession?
He does not (AR)retain His anger forever,
Because He (AS)delights in mercy.
19 He will again take pity on us;
(AT)He will trample on our wrongdoings.
Yes, You will (AU)cast all [p]their sins
Into the depths of the sea.
20 You will give [q](AV)truth to Jacob
And favor to Abraham,
Which You (AW)swore to our forefathers
From the days of old.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 7:1 Lit my soul desires
  2. Micah 7:2 Or faithful
  3. Micah 7:4 Lit of your
  4. Micah 7:5 Lit the openings of your mouth
  5. Micah 7:5 Lit on your chest
  6. Micah 7:9 I.e., right dealing
  7. Micah 7:10 Lit Now
  8. Micah 7:10 Lit become a trampled place
  9. Micah 7:12 Lit he
  10. Micah 7:14 Or inheritance
  11. Micah 7:14 Or Carmel
  12. Micah 7:15 Lit him
  13. Micah 7:17 Lit crawling things
  14. Micah 7:17 Or prisons
  15. Micah 7:18 Or inheritance
  16. Micah 7:19 Several ancient versions our
  17. Micah 7:20 Or faithfulness