Micah 7 Too bad for me! For I am like the gathered summer fruit, as the grape gleanings of the vintage. There is no cluster to eat. I desire the first ripe fig.

NSB⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Too bad for me! For I am like the gathered summer fruit, as the grape gleanings of the vintage. There is no cluster to eat. I desire the first ripe fig. ² The godly (loyal) (holy) man has perished from the earth. There is none upright among men! They all lie in wait for blood. Every man hunts his own brother with a net. ³ They diligently seek to do evil with their hands. The prince asks and the judge is ready for a bribe. The great man utters his own evil desire. They weave it together. ⁴ The best of them is as a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge! Your watchmen’s day has come. Your visitation has come. Now you will be perplexed. ⁵ Do not put your faith in your neighbor. Do not trust a friend! Guard your lips from her who lies in your bosom (is your intimate companion). ⁶ The son dishonors the father. The daughter rises up against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies are the men of his own house. ⁷ But as for me, I will look to Jehovah! I will wait for the God of my salvation! My God will hear me. ⁸ Do not rejoice against me, O my enemy! When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, Jehovah will be a light to me. ⁹ I will bear the indignation of Jehovah, because I have sinned against him. He will plead my cause, and execute judgment for me. He will bring me forth to the light and I will see his righteousness. ¹⁰ My enemy will see it and she will be filled with shame. She will ask: »Where is Jehovah your God?« My eyes will look upon her and she will be trampled down like the mire of the streets. ¹¹ A day for building your walls! In that day the decree will be far removed. ¹² Then they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt. They will come from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain. ¹³ The earth will become desolate because of the inhabitants and the fruit of their deeds. ¹⁴ Shepherd your people, the flock of your heritage, with your staff. They dwell alone in the forest in the midst of Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. ¹⁵ »I will show them marvelous things like the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt. ¹⁶ »The nations will see and be ashamed of all their might! They will cover their mouth with their hand and their ears will be deaf. ¹⁷ »They will lick up the dust like a serpent. They will come trembling out of their hole like crawling things of the earth. They will approach Jehovah our God with fear and be afraid because of you.« ¹⁸ Who is a God like you who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? You do not keep your anger forever, because you delight in loving-kindness (unchanging love). ¹⁹ You will again have compassion on us. You will tread our iniquities under foot. You will throw all our sins into the depths of the sea. ²⁰ You will give truth to Jacob, and show loving-kindness (unchanging love) to Abraham. For you have sworn this to our fathers from the days of old.