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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.

Israel’s Moral Decline

How sad for me!
For I am like one who—
when the summer fruit has been gathered
after the gleaning of the grape harvest(A)
finds no grape cluster to eat,
no early fig, which I crave.(B)
Godly people have vanished from the land;(C)
there is no one upright among the people.(D)
All of them wait in ambush to shed blood;(E)
they hunt each other with a net.(F)
Both hands are good(G) at accomplishing evil:
the official and the judge demand a bribe;(H)
when the powerful man communicates his evil desire,
they plot it together.
The best of them is like a brier;(I)
the most upright is worse than a hedge of thorns.(J)
The day of your watchmen,
the day of your punishment, is coming;(K)
at this time their panic is here.(L)
Do not rely on a friend;(M)
don’t trust in a close companion.
Seal your mouth
from the woman who lies in your arms.
Surely a son considers his father a fool,(N)
a daughter opposes her mother,
and a daughter-in-law is against her mother-in-law;
a man’s enemies are the men of his own household.
But I will look to the Lord;(O)
I will wait for the God of my salvation.(P)
My God will hear me.(Q)

Zion’s Vindication

Do not rejoice over me,(R) my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will stand up;(S)
though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.(T)
Because I have sinned against Him,
I must endure the Lord’s rage
until He argues my case(U)
and establishes justice for me.(V)
He will bring me into the light;(W)
I will see His salvation.[a](X)
10 Then my enemy will see,
and she will be covered with shame,
the one who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”(Y)
My eyes will look at her in triumph;
at that time she will be trampled
like mud in the streets.(Z)

11 A day will come for rebuilding your walls;(AA)
on that day your boundary will be extended.(AB)
12 On that day people will come to you(AC)
from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates River
and from sea to sea
and mountain to mountain.
13 Then the earth will become a wasteland(AD)
because of its inhabitants
and as a result of their actions.(AE)

Micah’s Prayer Answered

14 Shepherd Your people(AF) with Your staff,(AG)
the flock that is Your possession.
They live alone(AH) in a woodland
surrounded by pastures.
Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead(AI)
as in ancient times.(AJ)

15 I will perform miracles for them[b]
as in the days of your exodus
from the land of Egypt.(AK)
16 Nations will see and be ashamed
of[c] all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths,(AL)
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick the dust like a snake;(AM)
they will come trembling out of their hiding places(AN)
like reptiles slithering on the ground.(AO)
They will tremble in the presence of Yahweh our God;(AP)
they will stand in awe of You.

18 Who is a God like You,(AQ)
removing iniquity and passing over rebellion(AR)
for the remnant of His inheritance?(AS)
He does not hold on to His anger forever,(AT)
because He delights in faithful love.(AU)
19 He will again have compassion on us;
He will vanquish our iniquities.(AV)
You will cast all our[d] sins
into the depths of the sea.(AW)
20 You will show loyalty to Jacob(AX)
and faithful love to Abraham,
as You swore to our fathers(AY)
from days long ago.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 7:9 Or righteousness
  2. Micah 7:15 = Israel
  3. Micah 7:16 Or ashamed in spite of
  4. Micah 7:19 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read their