Israel’s Moral Decline
Micah 7
1How sad for me!
For I am like one who—
when the summer fruit has been gathered
after the gleaning of the grape harvest a—
finds no grape cluster to eat,
no early fig, which I crave. b
2 Faithful people have vanished from the land; c
there is no one upright among the people. d
All of them wait in ambush to shed blood; e
they hunt each other with a net. f
3 Both hands are good g at accomplishing evil:
the official and the judge demand a bribe; h
when the powerful man communicates his evil desire,
they plot it together.
4 The best of them is like a brier; i
the most upright is worse than a hedge of thorns. j
The day of your watchmen,
the day of your punishment, is coming; k
at this time their panic is here. l
5 Do not rely on a friend; m
don’t trust in a close companion.
Seal your mouth
from the woman who lies in your arms.
6 Surely a son considers his father a fool, n
a daughter opposes her mother,
and a daughter-in-law is against her mother-in-law;
a man’s enemies are the men of his own household.
7 But I will look to the LORD; o
I will wait for the God of my salvation. p
My God will hear me. q
Zion’s Vindication
8 Do not rejoice over me, r my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will stand up; s
though I sit in darkness,
the LORD will be my light. t
9 Because I have sinned against him,
I must endure the LORD’S rage
until he champions my cause u
and establishes justice for me. v
He will bring me into the light; w
and she will be covered with shame,
the one who said to me,
“Where is the LORD your God? ” y
My eyes will look at her in triumph;
at that time she will be trampled
like mud in the streets. z
11 A day will come for rebuilding your walls; a
on that day your boundary will be extended. b
12 On that day people will come to you c
from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates River
and from sea to sea
and mountain to mountain.
13 Then the earth will become a wasteland d
because of its inhabitants
and as a result of their actions. e
Micah’s Prayer Answered
14 Shepherd your people f with your staff, g
the flock that is your possession.
They live alone h in a woodland
surrounded by pastures.
Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead i
as in ancient times. j
15 I will perform miracles for them B
as in the days of your exodus
from the land of Egypt. k
16 Nations will see and be ashamed
of C all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths, l
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick the dust like a snake; m
they will come trembling out of their hiding places n
like reptiles slithering on the ground. o
They will tremble in the presence of the LORD our God; p
they will stand in awe of you.
18 Who is a God like you, q
forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion r
for the remnant of his inheritance? s
He does not hold on to his anger forever t
because he delights in faithful love. u
19 He will again have compassion on us;
he will vanquish our iniquities. v
You will cast all our D sins
into the depths of the sea. w
20 You will show loyalty to Jacob x
and faithful love to Abraham,
as you swore to our fathers y
from days long ago.