Micah

¹ 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 that I crave.

² not one upright man remains. All men lie in wait to shed blood; each hunts his brother with a net.

³ the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire— they all conspire together.

⁴ the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen has come, the day God visits you. Now is the time of their confusion.

⁵ put no confidence in a friend. Even with her who lies in your embrace be careful of your words.

⁶ a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.

⁷ I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

⁸ Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.

⁹ I will bear the Lord’s wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness.

¹⁰ and will be covered with shame, she who said to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will see her downfall; even now she will be trampled underfoot like mire in the streets.

¹¹ the day for extending your boundaries.

¹² from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, even from Egypt to the Euphrates and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.

¹³ as the result of their deeds.

¹⁴ Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, which lives by itself in a forest, in fertile pasturelands. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in days long ago.

¹⁵ I will show them my wonders.”

¹⁶ deprived of all their power. They will lay their hands on their mouths and their ears will become deaf.

¹⁷ like creatures that crawl on the ground. They will come trembling out of their dens; they will turn in fear to the Lord our God and will be afraid of you.

¹⁸ who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.

¹⁹ you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

²⁰ and show mercy to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our fathers in days long ago.