Micah 7

Israel’s Moral Decline

7How sad for me!

For I am like one who—

when the summer fruit has been gathered

after the gleaning of the grape harvest ^d—

finds no grape cluster to eat,

no early fig, which I crave. ^e

²Godly people have vanished from the land; ^f

there is no one upright among the people. ^g

All of them wait in ambush to shed blood; ^h

they hunt each other with a net. ⁱ

³Both hands are good ^jat accomplishing evil:

the official and the judge demand a bribe; ^k

when the powerful man communicates his evil desire,

they plot it together.

⁴The best of them is like a brier; ^l

the most upright is worse than a hedge of thorns. ^m

The day of your watchmen,

the day of your punishment, is coming; ⁿ

at this time their panic is here. ^o

⁵Do not rely on a friend; ^p

don’t trust in a close companion.

Seal your mouth

from the woman who lies in your arms.

⁶Surely a son considers his father a fool, ^q

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.

⁷But I will look to the Lord; ^r

I will wait for the God of my salvation. ^s

My God will hear me. ^t

Zion’s Vindication

⁸Do not rejoice over me, ^umy enemy!

Though I have fallen, I will stand up; ^v

though I sit in darkness,

the Lord will be my light. ^w

⁹Because I have sinned against Him,

I must endure the Lord’s rage

until He argues my case ^x

and establishes justice for me. ^y

He will bring me into the light; ^z

I will see His salvation. ^ab

¹⁰Then my enemy will see,

and she will be covered with shame,

the one who said to me,

“Where is the Lord your God?” ^c

My eyes will look at her in triumph;

at that time she will be trampled

like mud in the streets. ^d

¹¹A day will come for rebuilding your walls; ^e

on that day your boundary will be extended. ^f

¹²On that day people will come to you ^g

from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,

even from Egypt to the Euphrates River

and from sea to sea

and mountain to mountain.

¹³Then the earth will become a wasteland ^h

because of its inhabitants

and as a result of their actions. ⁱ

Micah’s Prayer Answered

¹⁴Shepherd Your people ^jwith Your staff, ^k

the flock that is Your possession.

They live alone ^lin a woodland

surrounded by pastures.

Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead ^m

as in ancient times. ⁿ

¹⁵I will perform miracles for them ^o

as in the days of your exodus

from the land of Egypt. ^p

¹⁶Nations will see and be ashamed

of ^qall their power.

They will put their hands over their mouths, ^r

and their ears will become deaf.

¹⁷They will lick the dust like a snake; ^s

they will come trembling out of their hiding places ^t

like reptiles slithering on the ground. ^u

They will tremble in the presence of Yahweh our God; ^v

they will stand in awe of You.

¹⁸Who is a God like You, ^w

removing iniquity and passing over rebellion ^x

for the remnant of His inheritance? ^y

He does not hold on to His anger forever, ^z

because He delights in faithful love. ^a

¹⁹He will again have compassion on us;

He will vanquish our iniquities. ^b

You will cast all our ^csins

into the depths of the sea. ^d

²⁰You will show loyalty to Jacob ^e

and faithful love to Abraham,

as You swore to our fathers ^f

from days long ago.