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Micah 7
New Living Translation
Micah 7
New Living Translation
Misery Turned to Hope
7 How miserable I am!
I feel like the fruit picker after the harvest
who can find nothing to eat.
Not a cluster of grapes or a single early fig
can be found to satisfy my hunger.
2 The godly people have all disappeared;
not one honest person is left on the earth.
They are all murderers,
setting traps even for their own brothers.
3 Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil!
Officials and judges alike demand bribes.
The people with influence get what they want,
and together they scheme to twist justice.
4 Even the best of them is like a brier;
the most honest is as dangerous as a hedge of thorns.
But your judgment day is coming swiftly now.
Your time of punishment is here, a time of confusion.
5 Don’t trust anyone—
not your best friend or even your wife!
6 For the son despises his father.
The daughter defies her mother.
The daughter-in-law defies her mother-in-law.
Your enemies are right in your own household!
7 As for me, I look to the Lord for help.
I wait confidently for God to save me,
and my God will certainly hear me.
8 Do not gloat over me, my enemies!
For though I fall, I will rise again.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
9 I will be patient as the Lord punishes me,
for I have sinned against him.
But after that, he will take up my case
and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies.
The Lord will bring me into the light,
and I will see his righteousness.
10 Then my enemies will see that the Lord is on my side.
They will be ashamed that they taunted me, saying,
“So where is the Lord—
that God of yours?”
With my own eyes I will see their downfall;
they will be trampled like mud in the streets.
11 In that day, Israel, your cities will be rebuilt,
and your borders will be extended.
12 People from many lands will come and honor you—
from Assyria all the way to the towns of Egypt,
from Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River,[a]
and from distant seas and mountains.
13 But the land[b] will become empty and desolate
because of the wickedness of those who live there.
The Lord’s Compassion on Israel
14 O Lord, protect your people with your shepherd’s staff;
lead your flock, your special possession.
Though they live alone in a thicket
on the heights of Mount Carmel,[c]
let them graze in the fertile pastures of Bashan and Gilead
as they did long ago.
15 “Yes,” says the Lord,
“I will do mighty miracles for you,
like those I did when I rescued you
from slavery in Egypt.”
16 All the nations of the world will stand amazed
at what the Lord will do for you.
They will be embarrassed
at their feeble power.
They will cover their mouths in silent awe,
deaf to everything around them.
17 Like snakes crawling from their holes,
they will come out to meet the Lord our God.
They will fear him greatly,
trembling in terror at his presence.
18 Where is another God like you,
who pardons the guilt of the remnant,
overlooking the sins of his special people?
You will not stay angry with your people forever,
because you delight in showing unfailing love.
19 Once again you will have compassion on us.
You will trample our sins under your feet
and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
20 You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love
as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.
Micah 7
New American Standard Bible
Micah 7
New American Standard Bible
The Prophet Acknowledges Injustice
7 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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.
6 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
7 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.
8 (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.
9 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
- Micah 7:1 Lit my soul desires
- Micah 7:2 Or faithful
- Micah 7:4 Lit of your
- Micah 7:5 Lit the openings of your mouth
- Micah 7:5 Lit on your chest
- Micah 7:9 I.e., right dealing
- Micah 7:10 Lit Now
- Micah 7:10 Lit become a trampled place
- Micah 7:12 Lit he
- Micah 7:14 Or inheritance
- Micah 7:14 Or Carmel
- Micah 7:15 Lit him
- Micah 7:17 Lit crawling things
- Micah 7:17 Or prisons
- Micah 7:18 Or inheritance
- Micah 7:19 Several ancient versions our
- Micah 7:20 Or faithfulness
Micah 7
New International Version
Micah 7
New International Version
Israel’s Misery
7 What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
none of the early figs(A) that I crave.
2 The faithful have been swept from the land;(B)
not one(C) upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait(D) to shed blood;(E)
they hunt each other(F) with nets.(G)
3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil;(H)
the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,(I)
the powerful dictate what they desire—
they all conspire together.
4 The best of them is like a brier,(J)
the most upright worse than a thorn(K) hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
Now is the time of your confusion.(L)
5 Do not trust a neighbor;
put no confidence in a friend.(M)
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
guard the words of your lips.
6 For a son dishonors his father,
a daughter rises up against her mother,(N)
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.(O)
7 But as for me, I watch(P) in hope(Q) for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear(R) me.
Israel Will Rise
8 Do not gloat over me,(S) my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.(T)
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.(U)
9 Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the Lord’s wrath,(V)
until he pleads my case(W)
and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;(X)
I will see his righteousness.(Y)
10 Then my enemy will see it
and will be covered with shame,(Z)
she who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”(AA)
My eyes will see her downfall;(AB)
even now she will be trampled(AC) underfoot
like mire in the streets.
11 The day for building your walls(AD) will come,
the day for extending your boundaries.
12 In that day people will come to you
from Assyria(AE) and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
and from sea to sea
and from mountain to mountain.(AF)
13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
as the result of their deeds.(AG)
Prayer and Praise
14 Shepherd(AH) your people with your staff,(AI)
the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
in fertile pasturelands.[a](AJ)
Let them feed in Bashan(AK) and Gilead(AL)
as in days long ago.(AM)
15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
I will show them my wonders.(AN)”
16 Nations will see and be ashamed,(AO)
deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths(AP)
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust(AQ) like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling(AR) out of their dens;
they will turn in fear(AS) to the Lord our God
and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God(AT) like you,
who pardons sin(AU) and forgives(AV) the transgression
of the remnant(AW) of his inheritance?(AX)
You do not stay angry(AY) forever
but delight to show mercy.(AZ)
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities(BA) into the depths of the sea.(BB)
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
and show love to Abraham,(BC)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors(BD)
in days long ago.(BE)
Footnotes
- Micah 7:14 Or in the middle of Carmel
New Living Translation (NLT)
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.