Micah 7

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 How wretched I am, a harvester in summer time, like a gleaner at the vintage: not a single cluster to eat,none of those early figs I love!	1 Woe is me, for I am become as one that gleaneth in autumn the grapes of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat, my soul desired the firstripe figs.
2 The faithful have vanished from the land: there is no one honest left. Al of them are on the alert forblood, every man hunting his brother with a net.	2 The holy man is perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood, every one hunteth his brother to death.
3 Their hands are adept at wrong-doing: the official makes his demands, the judge gives judgement for abribe, the man in power pronounces as he pleases.	3 The evil of their hands they call good: the prince requireth, and the judge is for giving: and the great man hath uttered the desire of his soul, and they have troubled it.
4 The best of them is like a briar, the most honest of them like a thorn-hedge. Now from the north theirpunishment approaches! That wil be when they are confounded!	4 He that is best among them, is as a brier: and he that is righteous, as the thorn of the hedge. The day of thy inspection, thy visitation cometh: now shall be their destruction.
5 Trust no neighbour, put no confidence in a friend; do not open your mouth to the wife who shares yourbed.	5 Believe not a friend, and trust not in a prince: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that sleepeth in thy bosom.
6 For son insults father, daughter rebels against mother, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law; aperson's enemies come from within the household itself.	6 For the son dishonoureth the father, and the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law: and a man's enemies are they of his own household.
7 But I shall look to Yahweh, my hope is in the God who will save me; my God will hear me.	7 But I will look towards the Lord, I will wait for God my Saviour: my God will hear me.
8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy: though I have fal en, I shal rise; though I live in darkness, Yahweh ismy light.	8 Rejoice not, thou, my enemy, over me, because I am fallen: I shall arise, when I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light.
9 I must endure Yahweh's anger for I have sinned against him, until he takes up my cause and rights mywrongs; he wil bring me out into the light, and then I shal contemplate his saving justice.	9 I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him; until he judge my cause and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth into the light, I shall behold his justice.
10 When my enemy sees this, she wil be covered with shame, having sneered, 'Where is Yahweh yourGod?' This time, I shall be watching as she is trampled underfoot like mud in the streets.	10 And my enemy shall behold, and she shall be covered with shame, who saith to me: Where is the Lord thy God? My eyes shall look down upon her: now shall she be trodden under foot as the mire of the streets.
11 That wil be the day for rebuilding your walls! The day for expanding your frontiers!	11 The day shall come, that thy walls may be built up: in that day shall the law be far removed.
12 The day when others come to you al the way from Assyria, from Egypt, from Tyre and al the way fromthe Euphrates, from sea to sea, from the mountains to the mountains!	12 In that day they shall come even from Assyria to thee, and to the fortified cities: and from the fortified cities even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.
13 The earth wil become a desert by reason of its inhabitants, in return for what they have done.	13 And the land shall be made desolate, because of the inhabitants thereof, and for the fruit of their devices.
14 With shepherd's crook lead your people to pasture, the flock that is your heritage, living confined in aforest with meadow land al round. Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old!	14 Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thy inheritance, them that dwell alone in the forest, in the midst of Carmel: they shall feed in Basan and Galaad according to the days of old.
15 As in the days when you came out of Egypt, grant us to see wonders!	15 According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt I will shew him wonders.
16 The nations wil see and be confounded in spite of al their power; they wil put their hands over theirmouths, their ears wil be deafened.	16 The nations shall see, and shall be confounded at all their strength: they shall put the hand upon the mouth, their ears shall be deaf.
17 They wil lick the dust like snakes, like reptiles that crawl on the earth. They wil creep trembling out oftheir lairs, in terror before you.	17 They shall lick the dust like serpents, as the creeping things of the earth, they shall be disturbed in their houses: they shall dread the Lord our God, and shall fear thee.
18 What god can compare with you for pardoning guilt and for overlooking crime? He does not harbouranger for ever, since he delights in showing faithful love.	18 Who is a God like to thee, who takest away iniquity, and passest by the sin of the remnant of thy inheritance? he will send his fury in no more, because he delighteth in mercy.
19 Once more have pity on us, tread down our faults; throw al our sins to the bottom of the sea.	19 He will turn again, and have mercy on us: he will put away our iniquities: and he will cast all our sins into the bottom of the sea.
20 Grant Jacob your faithfulness, and Abraham your faithful love, as you swore to our ancestors from thedays of long ago.	20 Thou wilt perform the truth of Jacob, the mercy to Abraham: which thou hast sworn to our fathers from the days of old.