Micah 7

Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.

1Oh, how sad I am! I feel like a person picking fruit after the harvest is over. All the grapes are gone. There is not one bunch left to eat. I really wanted an early ripe fig.

Note"Grapegleanings" means the few grapes left after the pickers have gone through the vineyard. Micah is saying there is almost nothing good left.

2The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.

2Good people are gone from the land. Not one honest person is left. They all wait quietly to hurt and to kill. Each one hunts his own brother, like trapping an animal in a net.

3That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.

3Their hands are busy doing wrong, and they are good at it. The ruler and the judge both ask for bribes, money paid in secret. The powerful man says what he wants, and they all plan it together.

4The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.

4Even the best of them is like a thorny plant. The most honest one is sharper than a hedge of thorns. The day your watchmen warned about has come. It is the day God comes to deal with you. Now they do not know what to do.

5Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.

5Do not trust a friend. Do not lean on a close companion. Watch what you say, even to the wife who lies close to you.

6For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.

6A son shows no respect to his father. A daughter turns against her mother. A young wife turns against her husband's mother. A man's enemies are the people in his own house.

7Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

7But I will look to the LORD. I will wait for God, the one who saves me. My God will hear me.

8Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.

8Do not laugh at me, you who hate me. I have fallen, but I will get up again. I sit in the dark, but the LORD will be my light.

9I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.

9I sinned against the LORD, so I must bear his anger. I will wait until he speaks up for me and shows that I am right. He will bring me out into the light. I will see that he does what is good and fair.

10Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

10Then the enemy who hates me will see it. She will be covered with shame. She asked me, "Where is the LORD your God?" I will see her with my own eyes. She will be walked on like mud in the street.

11In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed.

11The day is coming when your walls will be built again. On that day your land will be made larger.

Note"The decree be far removed" is old wording. It means the edge of the land will be pushed out, so the land will be bigger.

12In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

12On that day people will come to you from far away. They will come from Assyria and from the cities of Egypt. They will come from Egypt all the way to the great Euphrates River. They will come from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.

13Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.

13But the land will be left empty and bare. This will happen because of the people living in it. It is what their own actions have earned.

14Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

14Take care of your people, like a shepherd with his staff. They are the flock that belongs to you. They live alone in the woods, with good grass all around. Let them eat in Bashan and Gilead, as they did long ago.

Note"Feed thy people with thy rod" is about a shepherd's staff, the stick used to guide and guard sheep. It is not about hitting anyone.

15According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things.

15God says, "I will show you wonderful things. It will be like the days when you came out of Egypt."

16The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

16Other nations will see it and feel ashamed. All their strength will not help them. They will put their hands over their mouths. Their ears will hear nothing.

17They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.

17They will lick the dust like a snake. They will crawl out of their holes like bugs on the ground. They will come out shaking before the LORD our God. They will be afraid of you.

18Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

18Who is a God like you? You forgive people when they do wrong. You let the sin go for the few of your people who are left. You do not stay angry forever. You are glad to show love.

19He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

19You will feel kindly toward us again. You will beat down the wrong things in us. You will throw all our sins into the deep sea.

20Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

20You will keep your promise to Jacob. You will show faithful love to Abraham. You promised this to our fathers long ago.