Micah, 7

¹ Too bad for me, for I have become like the gatherings of summer fruit, like the gleaning of a grape gathering! There is no grape cluster to eat, no early fig, that my soul would desire!

² The loyal one^*1 has perished from the earth,^*2 and among mankind^*3 there is no upright one. All of them, for bloodshed they lie in wait. They hunt, everyone his own brother, with a dragnet.

³ [Their] hands are upon what is bad, to do [it] well; the prince is asking [for something], and the one who is judging [does so] for the reward, and the great one is speaking forth the craving of his soul, his very own; and they interweave it.

⁴ Their best one is like a brier, [their] most upright one is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, [of] your being given attention, must come. Now will occur the confounding of them.

⁵ Do not put YOUR faith in a companion. Do not put YOUR trust in a confidential friend. From her who is lying in your bosom guard the openings of your mouth.

⁶ For a son is despising a father; a daughter is rising up against her mother; a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men^*1 of his household.

⁷ But as for me, it is for Jehovah that I shall keep on the lookout. I will show a waiting attitude for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

⁸ Do not rejoice over me, O you woman enemy of mine. Although I have fallen, I shall certainly rise up; although I dwell in the darkness, Jehovah will be a light to me.

⁹ The raging of Jehovah I shall bear—for I have sinned against him—until he conducts my legal case and actually executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I shall look upon his righteousness.

¹⁰ And my enemy will see, and shame will cover her, who was saying to me: “Where is he, Jehovah your God?” My own eyes will look upon her. Now she will become a place of trampling, like the mire of streets.

¹¹ The day for building your^*1 stone walls, at that day [the] decree^*2 will be far away.

¹² At that day even all the way to you they^*1 will come from As·syrʹi·a and the cities of Egypt,^*2 and from Egypt even all the way to [the] River; and from sea to sea, and [from] mountain to the mountain.

¹³ And the land must become a desolate waste on account of its inhabitants, because of the fruit of their dealings.

¹⁴ Shepherd your^*1 people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, the one who was residing alone in a forest—in the midst of an orchard. Let them feed on Baʹshan and Gilʹe·ad as in the days of a long time ago.

¹⁵ “As in the days of your coming forth from the land of Egypt I shall show him wonderful things.

¹⁶ Nations will see and become ashamed of all their mightiness. They will put [their] hand upon [their] mouth; their very ears will become deaf.

¹⁷ They will lick up dust like the serpents; like reptiles of [the] earth they will come in agitation out of their bulwarks. To Jehovah our God^*1 they will come quivering, and they will be afraid of you.”

¹⁸ Who is a God^*1 like you, one pardoning error and passing over transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? He will certainly not hold onto his anger forever, for he is delighting in loving-kindness.^*2

¹⁹ He will again show us mercy; he will subject our errors. And you will throw into the depths of [the] sea all their^*1 sins.

²⁰ You will give [the] trueness [given] to Jacob, [the] loving-kindness [given] to Abraham, which you swore to our forefathers from the days of long ago.