Micah 7

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 to me, for I have become just like one who gleans the clusters of the vintage in autumn. There is no cluster of grapes to consume; my soul desired figs out of season.
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 ones pass away from the land, and there is no one righteous among men. All wait in ambush for blood; a man hunts 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 leader is demanding, and the judge is yielding, and the great is speaking the desire of his soul, and they have confused 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 Whoever is best among them is like a thorny plant, and he who is righteous is like a thorny hedge. The day of your inspection, your visitation, arrives. Now will be their ruination.
5 Trust no neighbour, put no confidence in a friend; do not open your mouth to the wife who shares yourbed.	5 Do not be willing to believe a friend. And do not be willing to confide in a commander. From her, who sleeps in your bosom, keep the doors of your mouth closed.
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 acts with contempt for the father, and the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man’s enemies are those 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 Savior. 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 You, my enemy, should not rejoice over me because I have fallen. I will rise up, 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 carry the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he may judge my case and execute judgment for me. He will lead me into the light. I will 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 will look, and she will be covered with confusion, she who says to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will look upon her. Now she will be trampled under foot like the mud of the streets.
11 That wil be the day for rebuilding your walls! The day for expanding your frontiers!	11 The day that your walls will be rebuilt, in that day the law will be far away.
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 also, they will come towards you even from Assur, and even 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 will be in desolation, because of its inhabitants and because of the fruit of their intentions.
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 With your rod, pasture your people, the flock of your inheritance, living alone in the narrow forest, in the midst of Carmel. They will graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the ancient days.
15 As in the days when you came out of Egypt, grant us to see wonders!	15 As in the days of your departure from the land of Egypt, I will reveal miracles to him.
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 will look, and they will be confounded at the strength of them all. They will place hand over mouth; their ears will 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 will lick the dust like serpents, and, like the creeping things of the earth, they will be disturbed in their houses. They will dread the Lord our God, and they will fear you.
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 What God is like you, who takes away iniquity and passes over the sin of the remnant of your inheritance? No longer will he send forth his fury, because he is willing to be merciful.
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 back and have mercy on us. He will put away our iniquities, and he will cast all our sins into the depths 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 You will give the truth to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, which you swore to our fathers from the ancient days.