Micah 7:1–20

Sorrow for Israel’s Sins

7 Woe is me!

For I am like those who gather summer fruits,

Like those who aglean vintage grapes;

There is no cluster to eat

Of the first-ripe fruit which bmy soul desires.

2 The cfaithful 1man has perished from the earth,

And there is no one upright among men.

They all lie in wait for blood;

dEvery man hunts his brother with a net.

3 That they may successfully do evil with both hands—

The prince asks for gifts,

The judge seeks a ebribe,

And the great man utters his evil desire;

So they scheme together.

4 The best of them is flike a brier;

The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge;

The day of your watchman and your punishment comes;

Now shall be their perplexity.

5 gDo not trust in a friend;

Do not put your confidence in a companion;

Guard the doors of your mouth

From her who lies in your hbosom.

6 For ison dishonors father,

Daughter rises against her mother,

Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

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

7 Therefore I will look to the Lord;

I will jwait for the God of my salvation;

My God will hear me.

Israel’s Confession and Comfort

8 kDo not rejoice over me, my enemy;

lWhen I fall, I will arise;

When I sit in darkness,

The Lord will be a light to me.

9 mI will bear the indignation of the Lord,

Because I have sinned against Him,

Until He pleads my ncase

And executes justice for me.

He will bring me forth to the light;

I will see His righteousness.

10 Then she who is my enemy will see,

And oshame will cover her who said to me,

p“Where is the Lord your God?”

My eyes will see her;

Now she will be trampled down

Like mud in the streets.

11 In the day when your qwalls are to be built,

In that day 2the decree shall go far and wide.

12 In that day rthey 3shall come to you

From Assyria and the 4fortified cities,

From the 5fortress to 6the River,

From sea to sea,

And mountain to mountain.

13 Yet the land shall be desolate

Because of those who dwell in it,

And sfor the fruit of their deeds.

God Will Forgive Israel

14 Shepherd Your people with Your staff,

The flock of Your heritage,

Who dwell 7solitarily in a twoodland,

In the midst of Carmel;

Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,

As in days of old.

15 “As uin the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,

I will show 8them vwonders.”

16 The nations wshall see and be ashamed of all their might;

xThey shall put their hand over their mouth;

Their ears shall be deaf.

17 They shall lick the ydust like a serpent;

zThey shall crawl from their holes like 9snakes of the earth.

aThey shall be afraid of the Lord our God,

And shall fear because of You.

18 bWho is a God like You,

cPardoning iniquity

And passing over the transgression of dthe remnant of His heritage?

eHe does not retain His anger forever,

Because He delights in fmercy. 1

19 He will again have compassion on us,

And will subdue our iniquities.

You will cast all 2our sins

Into the depths of the sea.

20 gYou will give truth to Jacob

And 3mercy to Abraham,

hWhich You have sworn to our fathers

From days of old.