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The Evil That People Do

·Poor [Woe to] me! I am like a hungry man,
    and all the summer fruit has been picked—
there are no grapes left to eat,
    none of the early figs I ·love [crave].
All of the faithful people ·are gone [L have perished from the land/earth];
    there is not one ·good [upright] person left in this country.
Everyone ·is waiting to kill someone [L lies in wait for blood];
    everyone ·is trying to trap someone else [L hunts his brother with a net].
With both hands they are doing evil.
    Rulers ask for ·money [gifts],
    and judges’ decisions are bought for a ·price [bribe].
·Rich [Influential; Great] people ·tell what they want [make demands],
    and they get it.
Even the best of them is like a ·thornbush [brier];
    the most ·honest [upright] of them is worse than a ·prickly plant [thorn hedge].
The day ·that your watchmen warned you about [L of your watchmen; C the coming exile predicted by the prophets] has come.
    Now they will be confused [C without the guidance of the prophets].
Don’t ·believe [trust] your neighbor
    or ·trust [put confidence in] a friend.
·Don’t say anything [L Guard the doors of your mouth],
    even to ·your wife [L the one who lies on your bosom].
A son will not honor his father,
    a daughter will ·turn against [defy; rise up against] her mother,
and a daughter-in-law will be against her mother-in-law;
    a person’s enemies will be ·members of his own family [or the servants of his household; L the men/people of his house; Matt. 10:36].

The Lord’s Kindness

Israel says, “I will look to the Lord for help.
    I will wait for God ·to save me [my savior];
    my God will hear me.
Enemy, don’t ·laugh at [gloat over] me.
    I have fallen, but I will get up again.
I sit in ·the shadow of trouble now [L darkness],
    but the Lord will be a light for me.
I sinned against the Lord,
    so ·he was angry with me [L I will bear the wrath of the Lord],
but he will ·defend my case in court [plead my case].
    He will ·bring about what is right [accomplish justice] for me.
Then he will bring me out into the light,
    and I will see ·him set things right [his righteousness/justice/vindication].
10 Then my enemies will see this,
    and they will be ·ashamed [L covered wth shame],
those who said to me,
    ‘Where is the Lord your God?’
I will ·look down on [gloat over] them.
    They will ·get walked on [be trampled down], like mud in the street.”

Israel Will Return

11 The ·time [L day] will come when your walls will be built again,
    when your ·country will grow [borders will be extended].
12 ·At that time [L In that day] your people will come back to you
    from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
and from Egypt to the ·Euphrates River [L River],
    and from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.
13 The earth will be ·ruined [desolate] ·for [or because of] the people who live in it
    ·because [L for the fruit] of their deeds.

A Prayer to God

14 So shepherd your people with your ·stick [shepherd’s staff];
    tend the flock of ·people who belong to you [L your inheritance/possession].
That flock now lives alone in the forest
    in the middle of ·a garden land [pasturelands; or Carmel].
Let them ·feed [graze] in Bashan and Gilead
    as in days long ago.

15 “As in the days when I brought you out of Egypt,
I will show them ·miracles [wonders].”

16 When the nations see those miracles,
    they will ·no longer brag [be ashamed/disappointed] about their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths,
    ·refusing to listen [and their ears will be deaf].
17 They will ·crawl in the [L lick] dust like a snake,
    like ·insects crawling [or serpents; L crawling things] on the ground.
They will come trembling from their ·holes [or strongholds] to the Lord our God
    and will turn in fear before you.
18 There is no God like you.
    You forgive those who are guilty of sin;
you ·don’t look at the sins [pass over the transgressions] of ·your people
    who are left alive [L the remnant of your inheritance].
You will not stay angry forever,
    because you ·enjoy [delight in] ·being kind [mercy; lovingkindness].
19 You will have ·mercy [compassion] on us again;
    you will conquer our sins.
You will ·throw away [hurl; cast] all our sins
    into the ·deepest part [depths] of the sea.
20 You will be ·true [faithful] to ·the people of Jacob [L Jacob],
    and you will ·be kind [show mercy/lovingkindness] to ·the people of Abraham [L Abraham]
as you promised to our ·ancestors [fathers] long ago.

Israel’s Misery

What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
    at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
    none of the early figs(A) that I crave.
The faithful have been swept from the land;(B)
    not one(C) upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait(D) to shed blood;(E)
    they hunt each other(F) with nets.(G)
Both hands are skilled in doing evil;(H)
    the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,(I)
    the powerful dictate what they desire—
    they all conspire together.
The best of them is like a brier,(J)
    the most upright worse than a thorn(K) hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
    the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
    Now is the time of your confusion.(L)
Do not trust a neighbor;
    put no confidence in a friend.(M)
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
    guard the words of your lips.
For a son dishonors his father,
    a daughter rises up against her mother,(N)
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
    a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.(O)

But as for me, I watch(P) in hope(Q) for the Lord,
    I wait for God my Savior;
    my God will hear(R) me.

Israel Will Rise

Do not gloat over me,(S) my enemy!
    Though I have fallen, I will rise.(T)
Though I sit in darkness,
    the Lord will be my light.(U)
Because I have sinned against him,
    I will bear the Lord’s wrath,(V)
until he pleads my case(W)
    and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;(X)
    I will see his righteousness.(Y)
10 Then my enemy will see it
    and will be covered with shame,(Z)
she who said to me,
    “Where is the Lord your God?”(AA)
My eyes will see her downfall;(AB)
    even now she will be trampled(AC) underfoot
    like mire in the streets.

11 The day for building your walls(AD) will come,
    the day for extending your boundaries.
12 In that day people will come to you
    from Assyria(AE) and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
    and from sea to sea
    and from mountain to mountain.(AF)
13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
    as the result of their deeds.(AG)

Prayer and Praise

14 Shepherd(AH) your people with your staff,(AI)
    the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
    in fertile pasturelands.[a](AJ)
Let them feed in Bashan(AK) and Gilead(AL)
    as in days long ago.(AM)

15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
    I will show them my wonders.(AN)

16 Nations will see and be ashamed,(AO)
    deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths(AP)
    and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust(AQ) like a snake,
    like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling(AR) out of their dens;
    they will turn in fear(AS) to the Lord our God
    and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God(AT) like you,
    who pardons sin(AU) and forgives(AV) the transgression
    of the remnant(AW) of his inheritance?(AX)
You do not stay angry(AY) forever
    but delight to show mercy.(AZ)
19 You will again have compassion on us;
    you will tread our sins underfoot
    and hurl all our iniquities(BA) into the depths of the sea.(BB)
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
    and show love to Abraham,(BC)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors(BD)
    in days long ago.(BE)

Footnotes

  1. Micah 7:14 Or in the middle of Carmel