Micah 7

New International Version

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 figs^(A) that I crave.
²The faithful have been swept from the land;^(B)
    not one^(C) upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait^(D) to shed blood;^(E)
    they hunt each other^(F) with nets.^(G)
³Both hands are skilled in doing evil;^(H)
    the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,^(I)
    the powerful dictate what they desire—
    they all conspire together.
⁴The best of them is like a brier,^(J)
    the most upright worse than a thorn^(K) hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
    the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
    Now is the time of your confusion.^(L)
⁵Do not trust a neighbor;
    put no confidence in a friend.^(M)
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
    guard the words of your lips.
⁶For a son dishonors his father,
    a daughter rises up against her mother,^(N)
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
    a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.^(O)

⁷But as for me, I watch^(P) in hope^(Q) for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear^(R) me.

Israel Will Rise

⁸Do not gloat over me,^(S) my enemy!
    Though I have fallen, I will rise.^(T)
Though I sit in darkness,
    the Lord will be my light.^(U)
⁹Because I have sinned against him,
    I will bear the Lord’s wrath,^(V)
until he pleads my case^(W)
    and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;^(X)
    I will see his righteousness.^(Y)
¹⁰Then my enemy will see it
    and will be covered with shame,^(Z)
she who said to me,
    “Where is the Lord your God?”^(AA)
My eyes will see her downfall;^(AB)
    even now she will be trampled^(AC) underfoot
    like mire in the streets.

¹¹The day for building your walls^(AD) will come,
    the day for extending your boundaries.
¹²In that day people will come to you
    from Assyria^(AE) and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
    and from sea to sea
    and from mountain to mountain.^(AF)
¹³The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
    as the result of their deeds.^(AG)

Prayer and Praise

¹⁴Shepherd^(AH) your people with your staff,^(AI)
    the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
    in fertile pasturelands.^[a]^(AJ)
Let them feed in Bashan^(AK) and Gilead^(AL)
    as in days long ago.^(AM)

¹⁵“As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
I will show them my wonders.^(AN)”

¹⁶Nations will see and be ashamed,^(AO)
    deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths^(AP)
    and their ears will become deaf.
¹⁷They will lick dust^(AQ) like a snake,
    like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling^(AR) out of their dens;
    they will turn in fear^(AS) to the Lord our God
    and will be afraid of you.
¹⁸Who is a God^(AT) like you,
    who pardons sin^(AU) and forgives^(AV) the transgression
    of the remnant^(AW) of his inheritance?^(AX)
You do not stay angry^(AY) forever
    but delight to show mercy.^(AZ)
¹⁹You will again have compassion on us;
    you will tread our sins underfoot
    and hurl all our iniquities^(BA) into the depths of the sea.^(BB)
²⁰You will be faithful to Jacob,
    and show love to Abraham,^(BC)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors^(BD)
    in days long ago.^(BE)