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Jerusalem Will Be Vindicated

My enemies,[a] do not gloat[b] over me!
Though I have fallen, I will get up.
Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.[c]
I must endure[d] the Lord’s fury,
for I have sinned against him.
But then[e] he will defend my cause[f]
and accomplish justice on my behalf.
He will lead me out into the light;
I will witness his deliverance.[g]
10 When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame.
They say[h] to me, “Where is the Lord your God?”
I will gloat over them;[i]
then they will be trampled down[j]
like mud in the streets.
11 It will be a day for rebuilding your walls;
in that day your boundary will be extended.[k]

A Closing Prayer

12 In that day people[l] will come to you[m]
from Assyria as far as[n] Egypt,
from Egypt as far as the Euphrates River,[o]
from the seacoasts[p] and the mountains.[q]
13 The earth will become desolate
because of what its inhabitants have done.[r]

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 7:8 tn The singular form is understood as collective.
  2. Micah 7:8 tn Or “rejoice” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “don’t laugh at me.”
  3. Micah 7:8 sn Darkness represents judgment; light (also in v. 9) symbolizes deliverance.
  4. Micah 7:9 tn Heb “bear, carry.”
  5. Micah 7:9 tn Heb “until.”
  6. Micah 7:9 tn Or “plead my case” (NASB and NIV both similar); NRSV “until he takes my side.”
  7. Micah 7:9 tn Or “justice, vindication.”
  8. Micah 7:10 tn Heb “who say.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  9. Micah 7:10 tn Heb “My eyes will look on them.”
  10. Micah 7:10 tn Heb “a trampled-down place.”
  11. Micah 7:11 sn Personified Jerusalem declares her confidence in vv. 8-10; in this verse she is assured that she will indeed be vindicated.
  12. Micah 7:12 tn Heb “he.” The referent has been specified as “people,” referring either to the nations (coming to God with their tribute) or to the exiles of Israel (returning to the Lord).
  13. Micah 7:12 tn The masculine pronominal suffix suggests the Lord is addressed. Some emend to a feminine form and take Jerusalem as the addressee.
  14. Micah 7:12 tc The MT reads וְעָרֵי (veʿarey, “and the cities [of Egypt]”), but the parallel line indicates this needs emendation to וְעַד (veʿad, “even to”).
  15. Micah 7:12 tn Heb “the River,” referring to the Euphrates River (so also NASB, NIV).
  16. Micah 7:12 tn Heb “and sea from sea.” Many prefer to emend this to מִיָּם עַד יָם (miyyam ʿad yam, “from sea to sea”).
  17. Micah 7:12 tn Heb “and mountain of the mountain.” Many prefer to emend this to וּמֵהַר עַד הַר (umehar ʿad har, “and mountain to mountain”).
  18. Micah 7:13 tn Heb “on account of its inhabitants, because of the fruit of their deeds.”

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.
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.

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Footnotes

  1. 7:12 Hebrew the river.
  2. 7:13 Or earth.