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Micah 7

Israel's people are very bad, but Micah still believes God

7 I am very sad!
I am like someone who comes to trees with no fruit on them.
Other people have picked the fruit already.
So I am like those people who can only pick the last grapes.
Those are the grapes that other people leave behind.
Really, there are no grapes there to eat.
There are none of the first figs that I like so much.
² There are no longer any people here who obey God.
There are no good, honest people.
Everyone is waiting to kill someone else.
They are all like hunters, who try to catch each other.
³ They know very well how to work together to do bad things.
Rulers demand gifts and judges ask for money. ^{[ a ]}
Powerful bad people always get what they want.
All these people work together to do what is bad.
⁴ The best of them are dangerous like wild plants with thorns. ^{[ b ]}
The most honest of them are worse than thorn bushes.
The bad time that your prophets told you about is coming.
Soon God will punish you,
and you will be confused.
⁵ Do not believe anyone, even somebody that you know well.
You cannot be sure that your friend will always be honest with you.
Be careful what you say to your wife.
Be careful even when you are hugging her.
⁶ Sons think that their fathers are fools.
And daughters refuse to obey their mothers.
Wives quarrel with their husbands' mothers.
A man's enemies are the people who live in his own house now.
⁷ But as for me, I will watch for what the Lord will do.
I will wait for God, who saves me.
I know that he hears me.

Israel's enemies will be ashamed

⁸ My enemy, do not be happy because I am in trouble. ^{[ c ]}
I have fallen down, but I will get up.
I am in the dark, but the Lord will be a light to me.
⁹ I have not obeyed the Lord ,
so he is angry with me.
He will continue to punish me,
until the time when he speaks for me.
Then he will make things right for me.
He will bring me out into the light.
He always does what is really right.
And I will see that then.
¹⁰ ‘Why does the Lord your God not help you?’ my enemies say to me.
They will see what God does for me.
Then they will be very ashamed.
And I will see the bad things that happen to them.
Soon other people will crush them and beat them.
Then they will be like wet ground in the streets under people's feet.

Jerusalem will be great again

¹¹ But the time will come for you to build the walls of your cities again.
You will make the borders of your country much wider then.
¹² At that time many of Assyria's people and Egypt's people will come to you.
People will come to you from the countries between Egypt and the River Euphrates.
They will come to you from all over the earth,
from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
¹³ The other parts of the earth will become sad places where nobody lives.
God will destroy them because of the people who live there.
Those people have done what is bad.

Micah talks to God

¹⁴ Rule us and lead us, Lord .
You are like a man who leads his sheep.
He uses a strong stick to lead them.
We are your own special people.
We are like a group of sheep that lives by itself in a forest.
There is good grass all round them.
Let your sheep eat grass in Bashan and Gilead,
as they did a long time ago. ^{[ d ]}
¹⁵ Lord , you did great things long ago,
when you brought us out of the land of Egypt.
Do great things like that again.
¹⁶ The people in other countries will see what you do.
They will understand that they are not really powerful.
So then they will be ashamed.
They will be like deaf people and dumb people.
¹⁷ They will be like snakes that move along the ground.
They will be afraid and they will eat dust like snakes. ^{[ e ]}
They will come carefully out of their safe places,
because they are afraid of you, the Lord our God.
¹⁸ No other god is like you.
You chose us to be your people.
And you decide not to remember what we have done wrong.
Not many of your people remain and we have done bad things.
But you choose to forget those bad things.
You will not always be angry,
because you want very much to be kind.
¹⁹ You like to be kind because you love us.
You will remove everything that we have done wrong.
You will crush those bad things.
You will throw all of them into the deep sea.
²⁰ You will continue to be kind to us,
because we are Jacob's and Abraham's people. ^{[ f ]}
That is what you promised to our grandfathers a long time ago.

Footnotes

7:3 A judge is someone with authority to decide what is right or fair.
7:4 Micah says that the bad people are like plants with thorns. He means that they are always ready to cause trouble for other people.
7:8 Verses 8-10 Here Micah speaks on behalf of Zion's people, as if they were one person.
7:14 Bashan and Gilead were east of the Jordan River. They were good places for sheep because lots of grass grew there. They had been parts of Israel's land many years before, but Assyria's people had taken them. In this verse, Micah is saying that Israel's people can live there again.
7:17 ‘Eat dust’ means ‘show that they will obey you’.
7:20 Abraham was the man that God chose. God chose him a long time before Micah lived. Abraham was Jacob's (Israel's) grandfather. All his people after that time have the name: ‘Israel's people’. Abraham believed God and obeyed him. He believed even when it was very difficult. (See Genesis 12—25 .)

Micah Is Upset at the Evil People Do

7 I am upset because I am like fruit that has been gathered,
like grapes that have already been picked.
There are no grapes left to eat.
There are none of the early figs that I love.
² By this I mean that all the faithful people are gone.
There are no good people left.
Everyone is planning to kill someone.
Everyone is trying to trap their brother.
³ People are good at doing bad things with both hands.
Officials ask for bribes.
Judges take money to change their decisions in court.
“Important leaders” do whatever they want to do.
⁴ Even the best of them is as crooked
as a tangled thornbush.

The Day of Punishment Is Coming

Your prophets said this day would come,
and the day of your watchmen ^{[ a ]} has come.
Now you will be punished.
Now you will be confused!
⁵ Don’t trust your neighbor
or trust a friend!
Don’t even speak freely
with your wife.
⁶ Your enemies will be the people in your own house.
A son will not honor his father.
A daughter will turn against her mother.
A daughter-in-law will turn against her mother-in-law.

The Lord Is the Savior

⁷ So I will look to the Lord for help.
I will wait for God to save me.
My God will hear me.
⁸ I have fallen, but enemy, don’t laugh at me!
I will get up again.
I sit in darkness now,
but the Lord will be a light for me.

The Lord Forgives

⁹ I sinned against the Lord ,
so he was angry with me.
But he will argue my case for me in court.
He will do what is right for me.
Then he will bring me out into the light,
and I will see that he is right.
¹⁰ My enemy said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
But my enemy will see this,
and she will be ashamed.
At that time I will laugh at her. ^{[ b ]}
People will walk over her, ^{[ c ]} like mud in the streets.

The Jews to Return

¹¹ The time will come when your walls will be rebuilt.
At that time the country will grow.
¹² Your people will come back to your land.
They will come back from Assyria and from the cities of Egypt.
They will come from Egypt
and from the other side of the Euphrates River.
They will come from the sea in the west
and from the mountains in the east.

¹³ The land was ruined by the people
who lived there and by what they did.
¹⁴ So rule your people with your rod.
Rule the flock of people who belong to you.
That flock lives alone in the woods
and up on Mount Carmel.
That flock lives in Bashan and Gilead
as they did in the past.

Israel Will Defeat Its Enemies

¹⁵ I did many miracles when I took you out of Egypt.
I will let you see more miracles like that.
¹⁶ The nations will see those miracles,
and they will be ashamed.
They will see that their “power”
is nothing compared to mine.
They will be amazed
and put their hands over their mouths.
They will cover their ears
and refuse to listen.
¹⁷ They will crawl in the dust like a snake.
They will shake with fear.
They will be like insects crawling
from their holes in the ground
and coming to the Lord our God.
God, they will fear and respect you!

Praise for the Lord

¹⁸ There is no God like you.
You take away people’s guilt.
God will forgive his people who survive.
He will not stay angry with them forever,
because he enjoys being kind.
¹⁹ He will come back and comfort us again.
He will throw all our sins into the deep sea.
²⁰ God, please be true to Jacob.
Be kind and loyal to Abraham, ^{[ d ]} as you promised our ancestors long ago.

Footnotes

Micah 7:4 watchmen Another name for prophets. This shows that the prophets were like guards who stood on a city’s wall and watched for trouble coming from far away.
Micah 7:10 laugh at her Literally, “my eyes will stare at her.”
Micah 7:10 enemy, laugh at her, walk over her This probably refers to an enemy city, such as the capital of Edom.
Micah 7:20 Abraham Here, Abraham is used to mean all the people of Israel. See “ Abraham ” in the Word List.

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.

² The 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.

³ That 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.

⁴ The 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.

⁵ Trust 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.

⁶ For 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.

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

⁸ Rejoice 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.

⁹ I 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.

¹⁰ Then 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.

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

¹² In 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.

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

¹⁴ Feed 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.

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

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

¹⁷ They 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.

¹⁸ Who 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.

¹⁹ He 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.

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

The Prophet Acknowledges Injustice

7 Woe to me! For I am
Like harvests of summer fruit, like gleanings of ^{( A )} grapes.
There is not a cluster of grapes left to eat,
Nor an ^{( B )} early fig, which ^{[ a ]} I crave.
² The ^{[ b ]} godly person has ^{( C )} perished from the land,
And there is no upright person among mankind.
All of them lie in wait for ^{( D )} bloodshed;
Each of them hunts the other with a ^{( E )} net.
³ As for evil, both hands do it ^{( F )} well.
The leader asks for a ^{( G )} bribe, also the judge,
And the great one speaks the capricious desire of his soul;
So they plot it together.
⁴ The best of them is like a ^{( H )} thorn bush,
The most upright like a ^{( I )} thorn hedge.
The day ^{[ c ]} when you post your watchmen,
Your ^{( J )} punishment is coming.
Then their ^{( K )} confusion will occur.
⁵ Do not ^{( L )} trust in a neighbor;
Do not have confidence in a close friend.
Guard ^{[ d ]} your lips
From her who lies ^{[ e ]} in your arms.
⁶ For ^{( M )} son disavows father,
Daughter rises up against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
^{( N )} A person’s enemies are the people of his own household.

God Is the Source of Salvation and Light

⁷ But as for me, I will ^{( O )} be on the watch for the Lord ;
I will ^{( P )} wait for the God of my salvation.
My ^{( Q )} God will hear me.
⁸ ^{( R )} Do not rejoice over me, ^{( S )} enemy of mine.
Though I fall I will ^{( T )} rise;
Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a ^{( U )} light for me.

⁹ I will endure the rage of the Lord
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He ^{( V )} pleads my case and executes justice for me.
He will bring me out to the ^{( W )} light,
And I will look at His ^{[ f ]} ^{( X )} righteousness.
¹⁰ Then my enemy will see,
And shame will cover her who ^{( Y )} said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will look at her;
^{[ g ]} At that time she will ^{[ h ]} be ^{( Z )} trampled down
Like mud of the streets.
¹¹ It will be a day for ^{( AA )} building your walls.
On that day your boundary will be extended.
¹² It will be a day when ^{[ i ]} they will ^{( AB )} come to you
From Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
From Egypt even to the Euphrates River,
Even from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.
¹³ And the earth will become a ^{( AC )} wasteland because of her inhabitants,
On account of the ^{( AD )} fruit of their deeds.

¹⁴ ^{( AE )} Shepherd Your people with Your ^{( AF )} scepter,
The flock of Your ^{[ j ]} possession
Which lives by itself in the woodland,
In the midst of ^{[ k ]} a fruitful field.
Let them feed in ^{( AG )} Bashan and Gilead
^{( AH )} As in the days of old.
¹⁵ “As in the days when you went out from the land of Egypt,
I will show ^{[ l ]} ^{( AI )} you miracles.”
¹⁶ Nations ^{( AJ )} will see and be ashamed
Of all their might.
They will ^{( AK )} put their hand on their mouth,
Their ears will be deaf.
¹⁷ They will ^{( AL )} lick up dust like a snake,
Like ^{[ m ]} ^{( AM )} reptiles of the earth.
They will come ^{( AN )} trembling out of their ^{[ n ]} fortresses;
To the Lord our God they will come in ^{( AO )} trepidation,
And they will be afraid of You.
¹⁸ Who is a God like You, who ^{( AP )} pardons wrongdoing
And passes over a rebellious act of the ^{( AQ )} remnant of His ^{[ o ]} possession?
He does not ^{( AR )} retain His anger forever,
Because He ^{( AS )} delights in mercy.
¹⁹ He will again take pity on us;
^{( AT )} He will trample on our wrongdoings.
Yes, You will ^{( AU )} cast all ^{[ p ]} their sins
Into the depths of the sea.
²⁰ You will give ^{[ q ]} ^{( AV )} truth to Jacob
And favor to Abraham,
Which You ^{( AW )} swore to our forefathers
From the days of old.

Footnotes

Micah 7:1 Lit my soul desires
Micah 7:2 Or faithful
Micah 7:4 Lit of your
Micah 7:5 Lit the openings of your mouth
Micah 7:5 Lit on your chest
Micah 7:9 I.e., right dealing
Micah 7:10 Lit Now
Micah 7:10 Lit become a trampled place
Micah 7:12 Lit he
Micah 7:14 Or inheritance
Micah 7:14 Or Carmel
Micah 7:15 Lit him
Micah 7:17 Lit crawling things
Micah 7:17 Or prisons
Micah 7:18 Or inheritance
Micah 7:19 Several ancient versions our
Micah 7:20 Or faithfulness

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Table of Contents

Micah 7

Israel's people are very bad, but Micah still believes God

Israel's enemies will be ashamed

Jerusalem will be great again

Micah talks to God

Footnotes

Micah Is Upset at the Evil People Do

The Day of Punishment Is Coming

The Lord Is the Savior

The Lord Forgives

The Jews to Return

Israel Will Defeat Its Enemies

Praise for the Lord

Footnotes

The Prophet Acknowledges Injustice

God Is the Source of Salvation and Light

Footnotes

Cross references

Israel’s Misery

Israel Will Rise

Prayer and Praise

Footnotes

Cross references

BibleStudyIt Micah 7

Micah 7's Chapter Tabs Scroll past these tabs to continue or click on one of them to navigate out of this webpage.

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Your Private Notes

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Micah 7

Israel's people are very bad, but Micah still believes God

Israel's enemies will be ashamed

Jerusalem will be great again

Micah talks to God

Footnotes

Micah Is Upset at the Evil People Do

The Day of Punishment Is Coming

The Lord Is the Savior

The Lord Forgives

The Jews to Return

Israel Will Defeat Its Enemies

Praise for the Lord

Footnotes

The Prophet Acknowledges Injustice

God Is the Source of Salvation and Light

Footnotes

Cross references

Israel’s Misery

Israel Will Rise

Prayer and Praise

Footnotes

Cross references

Micah 7's Chapter Tabs
Scroll past these tabs to continue or click on one of them to navigate out of this webpage.