Micah 7:17–20
The NET BibleOther versions
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- GW GOD’S WORD Translation
- GNB Good News Translation
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- LEB The Lexham English Bible
- MSG The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language
- NASB95 New American Standard Bible (1995)
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- YLT Young’s Literal Translation
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7:17They will lick the dust like a snake,
like serpents crawling on the ground.48
They will come trembling from their strongholds
to the Lord our God;49
they will be terrified50 of you.51
7:18There is no other God like you!52
You53 forgive sin
and pardon54 the rebellion
of those who remain among your people.55
You do not remain angry forever,56
but delight in showing loyal love.
7:19You will once again57 have mercy on us;
you will conquer58 our evil deeds;
you will hurl our59 sins into the depths of the sea.60
7:20You will be loyal to Jacob
and extend your loyal love to Abraham,61
which you promised on oath to our ancestors62
in ancient times.63
Footnotes
- 48 Heb “like crawling things on the ground.” The parallelism suggests snakes are in view.
- 49 The translation assumes that the phrase אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ (’el-yéhvah ’elohenu, “to the Lord our God”) goes with what precedes. Another option is to take the phrase with the following verb, in which case one could translate, “to the Lord our God they will turn in dread.”
- 50 Heb “they will be in dread and afraid.”
- 51 The Lord is addressed directly using the second person.
- 52 Heb “Who is a God like you?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one!”
- 53 Heb “one who.” The prayer moves from direct address (second person) in v. 18a to a descriptive (third person) style in vv. 18b–19a and then back to direct address (second person) in vv. 19b–20. Due to considerations of English style and the unfamiliarity of the modern reader with alternation of persons in Hebrew poetry, the entire section has been rendered as direct address (second person) in the translation.
- 54 Heb “pass over.”
- 55 Heb “of the remnant of his inheritance.”
- 56 Heb “he does not keep hold of his anger forever.”
- 57 The verb יָשׁוּב (yashuv, “he will return”) is here used adverbially in relation to the following verb, indicating that the Lord will again show mercy.
- 58 Some prefer to read יִכְבֹּס (yikhbos, “he will cleanse”; see כבס pi). If the is taken as it stands, sin is personified as an enemy that the Lord subdues.
- 59 Heb “their sins,” but the final mem (ם) may be enclitic rather than a pronominal suffix. In this case the suffix from the preceding line (“our”) may be understood as doing double duty.
- 60 In this metaphor the Lord disposes of Israel’s sins by throwing them into the waters of the sea (here symbolic of chaos).
- 61 More literally, “You will extend loyalty to Jacob, and loyal love to Abraham.
- 62 Heb “our fathers.” The Hebrew term refers here to more distant ancestors, not immediate parents.
- 63 Heb “which you swore [or, “pledged”] to our fathers from days of old.”
The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press
In other versions
ESVEnglish Standard Version
they shall lick the dust like a serpent,
like the crawling things of the earth;
they shall come trembling out of their strongholds;
they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God,
and they shall be in fear of you.
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.
You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old.
Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles
NIVNew International Version (2011)
They will lick dust like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling out of their dens;
they will turn in fear to the Lord our God
and will be afraid of you.
Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
You will be faithful to Jacob,
and show love to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors
in days long ago.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.
CSBChristian Standard Bible
They will lick the dust like a snake;
they will come trembling out of their hiding places
like reptiles slithering on the ground.
They will tremble in the presence of the Lord our God;
they will stand in awe of you.
Who is a God like you,
forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not hold on to his anger forever
because he delights in faithful love.
He will again have compassion on us;
he will vanquish our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.
You will show loyalty to Jacob
and faithful love to Abraham,
as you swore to our ancestors
from days long ago.
Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
NLTNew Living Translation
Like snakes crawling from their holes,
they will come out to meet the Lord our God.
They will fear him greatly,
trembling in terror at his presence.
Where is another God like you,
who pardons the guilt of the remnant,
overlooking the sins of his special people?
You will not stay angry with your people forever,
because you delight in showing unfailing love.
Once again you will have compassion on us.
You will trample our sins under your feet
and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love
as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
LEBThe Lexham English Bible
They will lick the dust like the serpent,
like the crawling things of the earth.
They will come trembling from their strongholds
to Yahweh our God.
Let them fear and be afraid of you.
Who is a God like you, forgiving sin
and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
for he delights in loyal love.
He will again have compassion on us;
he will trample our iniquities.
And you will hurl all their sins
in the depths of the sea.
You will show faithfulness to Jacob,
and loyal love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our ancestors
from the days of old.
Copyright 2012 Lexham Press
KJV 1900King James Version
They shall lick the dust like a serpent,
They shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth:
They shall be afraid of the Lord our God,
And shall fear because of thee.
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity,
And passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?
He retaineth not his anger for ever,
Because he delighteth in mercy.
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us;
He will subdue our iniquities;
And thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham,
Which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
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