Micah 7:8-13
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Penitence and Trust in God
8 Do not rejoice over me, my enemies;[a]
when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be a light to me.(A)
9 I must bear the indignation of the Lord
because I have sinned against him,
until he takes my side
and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
I shall see his vindication.(B)
10 Then my enemies[b] will see,
and shame will cover those[c] who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will see their[d] downfall;[e]
now they[f] will be trodden down
like the mire of the streets.(C)
A Prophecy of Restoration
11 A day for the building of your walls!
On that day the boundary shall be far extended.(D)
12 On that day they will come to you
from Assyria to[g] Egypt
and from Egypt to the River,
from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.(E)
13 But the earth will be desolate
because of its inhabitants,
for the fruit of their doings.(F)
Micah 7:8-13
New English Translation
Jerusalem Will Be Vindicated
8 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]
9 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]
Footnotes
- Micah 7:8 tn The singular form is understood as collective.
- Micah 7:8 tn Or “rejoice” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “don’t laugh at me.”
- Micah 7:8 sn Darkness represents judgment; light (also in v. 9) symbolizes deliverance.
- Micah 7:9 tn Heb “bear, carry.”
- Micah 7:9 tn Heb “until.”
- Micah 7:9 tn Or “plead my case” (NASB and NIV both similar); NRSV “until he takes my side.”
- Micah 7:9 tn Or “justice, vindication.”
- Micah 7:10 tn Heb “who say.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Micah 7:10 tn Heb “My eyes will look on them.”
- Micah 7:10 tn Heb “a trampled-down place.”
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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”).
- Micah 7:12 tn Heb “the River,” referring to the Euphrates River (so also NASB, NIV).
- 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”).
- 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”).
- Micah 7:13 tn Heb “on account of its inhabitants, because of the fruit of their deeds.”
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