Micah 7

Israel's sin makes Micah very sad

1 I am very sad and upset!

I am like someone who is looking for fruit to eat.

But other people have picked the fruit already.

I would love to find some grapes

or some fresh figs that I could eat.

But none of them remain on the trees.

2 No faithful people now remain in the land.

People who do what is right have completely disappeared.

Everyone is waiting for a chance to murder someone.

They are like hunters who use traps to catch their friends.

3 They have learned how to do wicked things with both hands!

City officers and judges ask people to give them bribes.

Important people always get what they want from others.

They all help one another to do wicked things.

4 Even the best person is as useless as a thorn bush.

The most honest people are worse than thorn bushes.

The time will soon be here

when the Lord will punish you.

The prophets warned you that this time would come.

It will cause you to become confused.

5 Do not trust anyone, even your special friend.

You cannot be sure that your friend will always be honest with you.

Be careful what you say to your wife,

even as she lies beside you.

6 At that time, sons will not respect their fathers.

Daughters will refuse to obey their mothers.

Wives will argue with their husbands' mothers.

People who live in your house will be your enemies!

7 But as for me, I will continue to hope in the Lord.

He is the God who saves me.

I will wait for him to come and help me.

My God will hear my prayer.

Israel's enemies will be ashamed

8 My enemies, do not be happy because I am in trouble.

I have fallen down, but I will get up.

I am in the dark, but the Lord will be a light for me.

9 I have not obeyed the Lord,

so I must be patient while he punishes me.

But after that, he will speak on my behalf.

He will make things right for me.

He will bring me out into the light.

I will see him rescue me.

10 When my enemies see this,

they will be very ashamed.

Now they say to me, ‘The Lord your God has not helped you.’

But then I will laugh at them.

Other people will stamp on them,

as if they are mud in the streets.

Jerusalem will be great again

11 The time will come when you will build again the city's walls.

The borders of your land will grow bigger.

12 At that time, people of other nations will come to you.

They will come from Assyria and from as far as Egypt.

They will come from places between Egypt and the Euphrates River.

They will come from many places across the seas,

and from mountains far away.

13 But the earth will become an empty desert,

because of the wicked things that its people have done.

Micah thanks God for his faithful love

14 Lord, we belong to you as your people.

Please take care of us and protect us,

as a shepherd takes care of his sheep.

We are like sheep that live alone in a forest,

with fields of grass all around us.

Please lead us out to Bashan and Gilead.

We can eat there as we did a long time ago.

15 The Lord says,

‘I will do miracles to help you,

as I did when I rescued you from Egypt.’

16 People of other nations will see the Lord help his people.

They will be ashamed because their power has finished.

They will be very upset.

They will not be able to say anything or hear anything.

17 They will move low along the ground,

like snakes that eat the dust.

They will be very afraid

as they come out of their safe places.

They will see the power of the Lord our God,

and they will shake with fear.

18 Lord, there is no God like you.

You forgive the sins of your people who remain,

the people who belong to you.

You do not continue to be angry for ever.

Instead, you love us with a faithful love.

19 You will be kind and forgive us once again.

You will remove the evil things that we have done.

You will throw our sins into the deep sea!

20 You will be faithful and you will continue to love us,

as you promised our ancestors long ago.

We are descendants of Jacob and Abraham,

and you will be faithful to your promise to them.