Micah 7

1 Woe is me! For I am like one gathering summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster to eat, no early fig that I crave.

2 The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt one another with a net.

3 Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together.

4 The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns. The day for your watchmen has come, the day of your visitation. Now is the time of their confusion.

5 Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.

6 For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies are the members of his own household.

7 But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.

9 Because I have sinned against Him, I must endure the rage of the LORD, until He argues my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me into the light; I will see His righteousness.

10 Then my enemy will see and will be covered with shame—she who said to me, “Where is the LORD your God?” My eyes will see her; at that time she will be trampled like mud in the streets.

11 The day for rebuilding your walls will come—the day for extending your boundary.

12 On that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, even from Egypt to the Euphrates, from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.

13 Then the earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants, as the fruit of their deeds.

14 Shepherd with Your staff Your people, the flock of Your inheritance. They live alone in a woodland, surrounded by pastures. Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

15 As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show My wonders.

16 Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their might. They will put their hands over their mouths, and their ears will become deaf.

17 They will lick the dust like a snake, like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will come trembling from their strongholds in the presence of the LORD our God; they will tremble in fear of You.

18 Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?

19 He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea.

20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob and loving devotion to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from the days of old.

1 ¶ Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: [there is] no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.

2 The good [man] is perished out of the earth: and [there is] none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.

3 That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge [asketh] for a reward; and the great [man], he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.

4 The best of them [is] as a brier: the most upright [is sharper] than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen [and] thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.

5 Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.

6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies [are] the men of his own house.

7 ¶ Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD [shall be] a light unto me.

9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, [and] I shall behold his righteousness.

10 Then [she that is] mine enemy shall see [it], and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

11 [In] the day that thy walls are to be built, [in] that day shall the decree be far removed.

12 [In] that day [also] he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and [from] the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and [from] mountain to mountain.

13 Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.

14 ¶ Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily [in] the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed [in] Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

15 According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous [things].

16 The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay [their] hand upon [their] mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

17 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.

18 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.

19 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.

20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, [and] the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

1 Alas, I am as one that lieth down in the vineyard, when there are no grapes to eat, and yet would gladly have the best of the fruit.

2 The righteous are gone out of this land, and the just are no more among the people. They all lie in wait for blood: every one hunteth after another to destroy him,

3 And think they do well when they do evil. What the prince wills, the judge saith, that he may do him service again. The mighty counsel according to their wantonness to do harm, and turn it as they will.

4 The best of them is as a thorn, and the most upright as a hedge. But when the day of thy preachers shall come, when thou shalt be visited, then shall they not know from whence.

5 No one believes his neighbor, no one relies on princes! Keep the door of your mouth from her who sleeps in your arms!

6 For the son despiseth his father, the daughter setteth herself against her mother, the cord is against her husband's wife: and a man's enemies are his own household.

7 But I will look unto the LORD, and wait upon the God of my salvation: my God shall hear me.

8 Rejoice not, O mine enemy, that I am fallen down. I shall arise again. Though I sit in darkness, yet the LORD is my light.

9 I will bear the LORD'S wrath, because I have sinned against him, until he execute my cause, and do me justice. He shall bring me to the light, that I may see my delight in his mercy.

10 My enemy shall see it, and shall stand in all her shame, which saith unto me now, Where is the LORD thy God? My eyes shall see, and she shall be trodden down as dung in the street.

11 In that day thy walls shall be built, and the word of God shall go forth far.

12 And in that day shall they come unto thee from Assyria, and from strong cities, from strong cities unto the sea, from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

13 For the land shall be desolate for the inhabitants thereof, for the fruit of their works.

14 And thou shalt feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine inheritance, which dwell in the forest by themselves, and in the field: let them feed in Bashan and in Gilead, as of old.

15 I will make them see wonders, as when they came out of the land of Egypt,

16 That the heathen may see, and all their mighty men be ashamed, and lay their hand upon their mouth, and stop their ears.

17 They shall lick dust like serpents, and tremble in their holes like the creeping things of the earth. They shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall be terrified of thee.

18 Where is such a God as thou art? who forgiveth sin, and remitteth iniquity unto the remnant of his inheritance; who keepeth not his wrath for ever: for he is merciful.

19 he will have mercy on us again, and will subdue our iniquity, and cast all our sins into the depth of the sea.

20 Thou wilt keep faith with Jacob, and grace with Abraham, as thou swarest unto our fathers before.