Micah 7:1–13

Israel’s Misery

7 What misery is mine!

I am like one who gathers summer fruit

at the gleaning of the vineyard;

there is no cluster of grapes to eat,

none of the early figsc that I crave.

2 The faithful have been swept from the land;d

not onee upright person remains.

Everyone lies in waitf to shed blood;g

they hunt each otherh with nets.i

3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil;j

the ruler demands gifts,

the judge accepts bribes,k

the powerful dictate what they desire—

they all conspire together.

4 The best of them is like a brier,l

the most upright worse than a thornm hedge.

The day God visits you has come,

the day your watchmen sound the alarm.

Now is the time of your confusion.n

5 Do not trust a neighbor;

put no confidence in a friend.o

Even with the woman who lies in your embrace

guard the words of your lips.

6 For a son dishonors his father,

a daughter rises up against her mother,p

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—

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

7 But as for me, I watchr in hopes for the Lord,

I wait for God my Savior;

my God will heart me.

Israel Will Rise

8 Do not gloat over me,u my enemy!

Though I have fallen, I will rise.v

Though I sit in darkness,

the Lord will be my light.w

9 Because I have sinned against him,

I will bear the Lord’s wrath,x

until he pleads my casey

and upholds my cause.

He will bring me out into the light;z

I will see his righteousness.a

10 Then my enemy will see it

and will be covered with shame,b

she who said to me,

“Where is the Lord your God?”c

My eyes will see her downfall;d

even now she will be tramplede underfoot

like mire in the streets.

11 The day for building your wallsf will come,

the day for extending your boundaries.

12 In that day people will come to you

from Assyriag and the cities of Egypt,

even from Egypt to the Euphrates

and from sea to sea

and from mountain to mountain.h

13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,

as the result of their deeds.i