Micah 7

¹ Alas! I am as when the fruit is gathered, as when the vines have been gleaned; There is no cluster to eat, no early fig that I crave.

² The faithful are gone from the earth, among men the upright are no more! They all lie in wait to shed blood, each one ensnares the other.

³ Their hands succeed at evil; the prince makes demands, The judge is had for a price, The great man speaks as he pleases,

⁴ The best of them is like a brier, the most upright like a thorn hedge. The day announced by your watchmen! your punishment has come; now is the time of your confusion.

⁵ Put no trust in a friend, have no confidence in a companion; Against her who lies in your bosom guard the portals of your mouth.

⁶ For the son dishonors his father, 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 household.

⁷ But as for me, I will look to the LORD, I will put my trust in God my savior; my God will hear me!

⁸ Rejoice not over me, O my enemy! though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD is my light.

⁹ The wrath of the LORD I will endure because I have sinned against him, Until he takes up my cause, and establishes my right. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see his justice.

¹⁰ When my enemy sees this, shame shall cover her: She who said to me, "Where is the LORD, thy God?" My eyes shall see her downfall; now shall she be trampled underfoot, like the mire in the streets.

¹¹ It is the day for building your walls; on that day the boundary shall be taken away.

¹² It is the day; and they shall come to you from Assyria and from Egypt, From Tyre even to the River, from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain;

¹³ And the land shall be a waste because of its citizens, as a result of their deeds.

¹⁴ Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, That dwells apart in a woodland, in the midst of Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old;

¹⁵ As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt, show us wonderful signs.

¹⁶ The nations shall behold and be put to shame, in spite of all their strength; They shall put their hands over their mouths; their ears shall become deaf.

¹⁷ They shall lick the dust like the serpent, like reptiles on the ground; They shall come quaking from their fastnesses, trembling in fear of you (the LORD, our God).

¹⁸ Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency,

¹⁹ And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;

²⁰ You will show faithfulness to Jacob, and grace to Abraham, As you have sworn to our fathers from days of old.