Miquéias 7

Sorrow for Israel’s Sins

1 Woe is me!

For I am like those who gather summer fruits,

Like those who *Is. 17:6glean vintage grapes;

Thereisno cluster to eat

Of the first-ripe fruit which*Is. 28:4; Hos. 9:10my soul desires.

2 The *Ps. 12:1; Is. 57:1faithful man has perished from the earth,

And thereis no one upright among men.

They all lie in wait for blood;

*Hab. 1:15Every man hunts his brother with a net.

3 That they may successfully do evil with both hands—

The prince asks forgifts,

The judge seeks a *Amos 5:12; Mic. 3:11bribe,

And the great man utters his evil desire;

So they scheme together.

4 The best of them is*Is. 55:13; Ezek. 2:6like a brier;

The most upright issharper than a thorn hedge;

The day of your watchman and your punishment comes;

Now shall be their perplexity.

5 *Jer. 9:4Do not trust in a friend;

Do not put your confidence in a companion;

Guard the doors of your mouth

From her who lies in your *Deut. 28:56bosom.

6 For *Matt. 10:36; Mark 3:21; Luke 8:19; John 7:5son dishonors father,

Daughter rises against her mother,

Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.

7 Therefore I will look to the Lord;

I will *Ps. 130:5; Is. 25:9; Lam. 3:24, 25wait for the God of my salvation;

My God will hear me.

Israel’s Confession and Comfort

8 *Prov. 24:17; Obad. 12; (Acts 10:43)Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;

*Ps. 37:24; (Prov. 24:16); 2 Cor. 4:9When I fall, I will arise;

When I sit in darkness,

The Lordwillbe a light to me.

9 *Lam. 3:39, 40; (2 Cor. 5:21)I will bear the indignation of the Lord,

Because I have sinned against Him,

Until He pleads my *Jer. 50:34case

And executes justice for me.

He will bring me forth to the light;

I will see His righteousness.

10 Then shewhois my enemy will see,

And *Ps. 35:26shame will cover her who said to me,

*Ps. 42:3"Where is the Lord your God?"

My eyes will see her;

Now she will be trampled down

Like mud in the streets.

11 In the day when your *Is. 54:11; (Amos 9:11)walls are to be built,

In that day the decree shall go far and wide.

12 In that day *(Is. 11:16; 19:23–25)they shall come to you

From Assyria and the fortified cities,

From the fortress to the River,

From sea to sea,

And mountain to mountain.

13 Yet the land shall be desolate

Because of those who dwell in it,

And *Jer. 21:14for the fruit of their deeds.

God Will Forgive Israel

14 Shepherd Your people with Your staff,

The flock of Your heritage,

Who dwell solitarily in a *Is. 37:24woodland,

In the midst of Carmel;

Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,

As in days of old.

15 "As*Ps. 68:22; 78:12 in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,

I will show them *Ex. 34:10wonders."

16 The nations *Is. 26:11shall see and be ashamed of all their might;

*Job 21:5They shall put their hand over their mouth;

Their ears shall be deaf.

17 They shall lick the *Ps. 72:9; (Is. 49:23)dust like a serpent;

*Ps. 18:45They shall crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth.

*Jer. 33:9They shall be afraid of the Lord our God,

And shall fear because of You.

18 *Ex. 15:11Who is a God like You,

*Ex. 34:6, 7, 9; Is. 43:25; Jer. 50:20Pardoning iniquity

And passing over the transgression of *Mic. 4:7the remnant of His heritage?

*Ps. 103:8, 9, 13; (Is. 57:16)He does not retain His anger forever,

Because He delights in*(Ezek. 33:11)mercy.

19 He will again have compassion on us,

And will subdue our iniquities.

You will cast all our sins

Into the depths of the sea.

20 *Luke 1:72, 73You will give truth to Jacob

And mercy to Abraham,

*Ps. 105:9Which You have sworn to our fathers

From days of old.