Micah 7:1–7

ISRAEL’S MORAL DECLINE

7 How sad for me!

For I am like one who—

when the summer fruit has been gathered

after the gleaning of the grape harvestao—

finds no grape cluster to eat,

no early fig, which I crave.ap

2 Faithful people have vanished from the land;aq

there is no one upright among the people.ar

All of them wait in ambush to shed blood;as

they hunt each other with a net.at

3 Both hands are goodau at accomplishing evil:

the official and the judge demand a bribe;a

when the powerful man communicates his evil desire,

they plot it together.

4 The best of them is like a brier;b

the most upright is worse than a hedge of thorns.c

The day of your watchmen,

the day of your punishment, is coming;d

at this time their panic is here.e

5 Do not rely on a friend;f

don’t trust in a close companion.

Seal your mouth

from the woman who lies in your arms.

6 Surely a son considers his father a fool,g

a daughter opposes her mother,

and a daughter-in-law is against her mother-in-law;

a man’s enemies are the men of his own household.

7 But I will look to the Lord;h

I will wait for the God of my salvation.i

My God will hear me.j