Micah 7

The Voice

7 Israel: I am filled with sadness, like one who, after the grapes have been gathered,
        after all the summer fruit has been picked, can find nothing to eat,
    Not a cluster of grapes, not even one of those early figs I love.
²     The faithful have disappeared from the land, and no one honest remains;
        they are all alert for blood, hunting their neighbors with a net.
³     The hands of those who should know better are good at doing evil:
        the ruler and the judge ask for bribes;
    The people in power merely mention their deepest desires,
        and the ruler and judge make sure they happen.
⁴     The best of them is as painful to deal with as a briar,
        the most honest of them like a hedge heavy with thorns.
    So the day your watchmen have awaited—
        the day of your punishment—has come.
    Now you will be confused and confounded.
⁵     Do not trust your neighbor or rely on a friend.
        Do not tell your secrets even to the spouse who shares your bed,
⁶     For the son insults the father, the daughter rebels against the mother,
        and the daughter-in-law rises up against the mother-in-law.
    Your enemies can be found within your own household.

⁷     But as for me, I will look to the Eternal One, and my hope is in the True God
        who will save me. My God will hear me.
⁸     Do not gloat at my fate, my enemy;
        although I am down now, I will rise up.
    Although I am in darkness now, the Eternal One will be my light.
⁹     I must bear His anger because I have sinned against Him
        until He argues on my behalf and rights all my wrongs.
    He will bring me out into the light,
        and then I will see His saving justice.
¹⁰     When my enemy sees that God has rescued me,
        then shame will wash over her
    Because she sneered to me, “Where is the Eternal your God?”
        It will be my turn to watch when she is trampled,
    Walked on like mud in the street.

¹¹ Israel, that will be the day for building your city walls;
    that will be the day to expand your national boundaries.
¹² In that day, people will come to you
    from everywhere: from Assyria to cities in Egypt,
From Egypt to the Euphrates River,
    from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
¹³ The earth will become a desert because those who live on it
    will produce no fruit from their labors.

¹⁴ God, with Your shepherd’s staff lead Your people to pasture;
    lead the flock that belongs to You
And grazes alone in the forest surrounded by garden lands.
    Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as they used to do, long ago.
¹⁵ I will show you^[a] wonders
    as you saw in the days when you came out of Egypt;
¹⁶ The nations will see and be ashamed, despite all their might.
    With their hands over their mouths and ears they will hear nothing.
¹⁷ They will lick dust like the snakes of the earth crawling across the dirt.
    They will creep out of their holes, shivering in terror because of You.
They turn to the Eternal, our True God, filled with dread,
    and they stand in awe of You.

¹⁸ Is there any other God like You, who forgives evil
    and passes over the transgressions done by Yours who remain?
He does not hold onto His anger forever
    because He delights in showing love and kindness.
¹⁹ He will take pity on us again, will tread our wrongdoing underfoot.
    He will cast all our sins down to the bottom of the sea.

²⁰ Show Your faithfulness to Jacob and show Your faithful love to Abraham
    As You swore to our ancestors in the days long ago.