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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.

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