Miquéias 7

Israel’s Moral Decline

1 How sad for me!

For I am like one who —

when the summer fruit has been gathered

after the gleaning of the grape harvest  * 7:1 Is 24:13  —

finds no grape cluster to eat,

no early fig, which I crave.  * 7:1 Is 28:4; Hs 9:10

2 Faithful people have vanished from the land;  * 7:2 Is 57:1

there is no one upright among the people.  * 7:2 1Kg 19:10

All of them wait in ambush to shed blood;  * 7:2 Is 59:7; Mc 3:10

they hunt each other with a net.  * 7:2 Jr 5:26; Hs 5:1

3 Both hands are good  * 7:3 Pr 4:16–17 at accomplishing evil:

the official and the judge demand a bribe;  * 7:3 Am 5:12; Mc 3:11

when the powerful man communicates his evil desire,

they plot it together.

4 The best of them is like a brier;  * 7:4 Ezk 2:6; 28:24

the most upright is worse than a hedge of thorns.  * 7:4 Nah 1:10

The day of your watchmen,

the day of your punishment, is coming;  * 7:4 Is 10:3; Hs 9:7

at this time their panic is here.  * 7:4 Is 22:5

5 Do not rely on a friend;  * 7:5 Jr 9:4

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,  * 7:6 Mt 10:21,35–36; Lk 12:53

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;  * 7:7 Hab 2:1

I will wait for the God of my salvation.  * 7:7 Ps 130:5; Is 25:9

My God will hear me.  * 7:7 Ps 4:3

Zion’s Vindication

8 Do not rejoice over me,  * 7:8 Ob 12 my enemy!

Though I have fallen, I will stand up;  * 7:8 Am 9:11

though I sit in darkness,

the Lord will be my light.  * 7:8 Ps 27:1; Is 9:2

9 Because I have sinned against him,

I must endure the  Lord’s fury

until he champions my cause  * 7:9 Jr 50:34

and establishes justice for me.  * 7:9 Jb 23:3–7; Lm 3:58

He will bring me into the light;  * 7:9 Ps 37:6; Is 42:7,16

I will see his salvation.  * 7:9 Or righteousness,* 7:9 Is 46:13; 56:1

10 Then my enemy will see,

and she will be covered with shame,

the one who said to me,

"Where is the Lord your God? "  * 7:10 Ps 42:3,10; 79:10; 115:2; Jl 2:17

My eyes will look at her in triumph;

at that time she will be trampled

like mud in the streets.  * 7:10 Ps 18:42; Zch 10:5

11 A day will come for rebuilding your walls;  * 7:11 Is 54:11; Am 9:11

on that day your boundary will be extended.  * 7:11 Zph 2:2

12 On that day people will come to you  * 7:12 Is 19:23–25; 60:4,9

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  * 7:13 Jr 25:11; Mc 6:13

because of its inhabitants

and as a result of their actions.  * 7:13 Is 3:10–11; Mc 3:4

Micah’s Prayer Answered

14 Shepherd your people  * 7:14 Ps 95:7; Is 40:11; 49:10; Mc 5:4 with your staff,  * 7:14 Lv 27:32; Ps 23:4

the flock that is your possession.

They live alone  * 7:14 Nm 23:9; Dt 33:28 in a woodland

surrounded by pastures.

Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead  * 7:14 Jr 50:19

as in ancient times.  * 7:14 Am 9:11

15 I will perform miracles for them  * 7:15 = Israel

as in the days of your exodus

from the land of Egypt.  * 7:15 Ex 3:20; 34:10; Ps 78:11–16

16 Nations will see and be ashamed

of  * 7:16 Or ashamed in spite of all their power.

They will put their hands over their mouths,  * 7:16 Mc 3:7

and their ears will become deaf.

17 They will lick the dust like a snake;  * 7:17 Ps 72:9; Is 49:23

they will come trembling out of their hiding places  * 7:17 Ps 18:45

like reptiles slithering on the ground.  * 7:17 Dt 32:24

They will tremble in the presence of the Lord our God;  * 7:17 Is 25:3; 59:19

they will stand in awe of you.

18 Who is a God like you,  * 7:18 Ex 15:11; Ps 71:19; Is 40:18

forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion  * 7:18 Ex 34:7,9; Is 43:25; Rm 3:25

for the remnant of his inheritance?  * 7:18 Mc 2:12; 4:7; 5:7–8

He does not hold on to his anger forever  * 7:18 Ps 103:8–9,13

because he delights in faithful love.  * 7:18 Jr 32:41

19 He will again have compassion on us;

he will vanquish our iniquities.  * 7:19 Jr 50:20

You will cast all our  * 7:19 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read their  sins

into the depths of the sea.  * 7:18–19 Ps 103:9–12; Is 38:17; 43:25; Jr 31:34

20 You will show loyalty to Jacob  * 7:20 Gn 24:27; 32:10

and faithful love to Abraham,

as you swore to our ancestors  * 7:20 Dt 7:8,12

from days long ago.