Prayer and Praise

14 Shepherd(A) your people with your staff,(B)
    the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
    in fertile pasturelands.[a](C)
Let them feed in Bashan(D) and Gilead(E)
    as in days long ago.(F)

15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
    I will show them my wonders.(G)

16 Nations will see and be ashamed,(H)
    deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths(I)
    and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust(J) like a snake,
    like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling(K) out of their dens;
    they will turn in fear(L) to the Lord our God
    and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God(M) like you,
    who pardons sin(N) and forgives(O) the transgression
    of the remnant(P) of his inheritance?(Q)
You do not stay angry(R) forever
    but delight to show mercy.(S)
19 You will again have compassion on us;
    you will tread our sins underfoot
    and hurl all our iniquities(T) into the depths of the sea.(U)
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
    and show love to Abraham,(V)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors(W)
    in days long ago.(X)

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 7:14 Or in the middle of Carmel

Micah’s Prayer Answered

14 Shepherd Your people(A) with Your staff,(B)
the flock that is Your possession.
They live alone(C) in a woodland
surrounded by pastures.
Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead(D)
as in ancient times.(E)

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

18 Who is a God like You,(L)
removing iniquity and passing over rebellion(M)
for the remnant of His inheritance?(N)
He does not hold on to His anger forever,(O)
because He delights in faithful love.(P)
19 He will again have compassion on us;
He will vanquish our iniquities.(Q)
You will cast all our[c] sins
into the depths of the sea.(R)
20 You will show loyalty to Jacob(S)
and faithful love to Abraham,
as You swore to our fathers(T)
from days long ago.

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Footnotes

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