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Woe is me! For I am become like a gathering of kayitz (summer fruit), like a gleaning of the vintage; there is no grape cluster to eat, none of the early figs my nefesh desired.

The chasid has disappeared from ha’aretz; and there is none yashar (upright, straight) among men; they all lie in wait for dahm; they hunt every man his brother with a net.

That they may do evil with both hands skillfully, the sar and the shofet asketh for a bribe; and hagadol uttereth the evil of his nefesh (soul); so they weave it.

The best of them is like a brier; the yashar ([most] upright) is sharper than a thorn hedge; the yom of thy watchmen and thy pekuddah (visitation) cometh; now shall their confusion follow.

Trust ye not in a re’a, put ye not confidence in an alluf (confidant); keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy kheyk (bosom).

For the ben dishonoureth the av, the bat riseth up against her em, the kallah against her chamot; a man’s enemies are the men of his own bais.

Therefore I will look [in hope] for Hashem; I will wait for Elohei Yishi (the G-d of my Salvation); Elohai (my G-d) will hear me.

Don’t joyously gloat over me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in choshech, Hashem shall be ohr unto me.

I will bear the wrath of Hashem, because I have sinned against Him, until He plead my case, and execute mishpat for me; He will bring me forth into the ohr, and I shall behold His tzedakah.

10 Then mine enemy shall see it, and bushah (shame) shall cover her which said unto me, Where is Hashem thy G-d? Mine eyes shall behold her; now shall she be trodden down like the mire of the streets.

11 In the yom that thy fences are to be built, in Yom HaHu (that Day) shall the chok (prescribed limit, boundary) be far away.

12 In that yom also it shall come into your possession from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, even from Egypt to the Euphrates, from yam to yam, and from har to har.

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

14 Tend as a shepherd Thy people with Thy staff, the tzon of Thine nachalah, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel; let them feed in Bashan and Gil‘ad, as in days of old.

15 According to the days of thy coming out of Eretz Mitzrayim will I show unto it marvellous things.

16 The Goyim shall see and be ashamed at all their might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

17 They shall lick the aphar (dust) like the nachash, like crawlers that crawl on eretz (ground) they will come trembling out of their dens; they shall be afraid of Hashem Eloheinu, and shall turn in fear because of Thee.

18 Mee El kamocha (Who is a G-d like unto Thee), removing avon, and passing over peysha of the She’erit of His Nechalah? Hashem retaineth not His anger forever, because He delighteth in chesed.

19 He will turn again; He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue avonoteinu (our iniquities); and tashlich (thou wilt cast, throw) all their sins into the depths of the yam.

20 Thou wilt give emes to Ya’akov, and chesed to Avraham, as Thou hast sworn unto avoteinu from days of long ago.

Israel’s Misery

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(A) that I crave.
The faithful have been swept from the land;(B)
    not one(C) upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait(D) to shed blood;(E)
    they hunt each other(F) with nets.(G)
Both hands are skilled in doing evil;(H)
    the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,(I)
    the powerful dictate what they desire—
    they all conspire together.
The best of them is like a brier,(J)
    the most upright worse than a thorn(K) hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
    the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
    Now is the time of your confusion.(L)
Do not trust a neighbor;
    put no confidence in a friend.(M)
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
    guard the words of your lips.
For a son dishonors his father,
    a daughter rises up against her mother,(N)
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
    a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.(O)

But as for me, I watch(P) in hope(Q) for the Lord,
    I wait for God my Savior;
    my God will hear(R) me.

Israel Will Rise

Do not gloat over me,(S) my enemy!
    Though I have fallen, I will rise.(T)
Though I sit in darkness,
    the Lord will be my light.(U)
Because I have sinned against him,
    I will bear the Lord’s wrath,(V)
until he pleads my case(W)
    and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;(X)
    I will see his righteousness.(Y)
10 Then my enemy will see it
    and will be covered with shame,(Z)
she who said to me,
    “Where is the Lord your God?”(AA)
My eyes will see her downfall;(AB)
    even now she will be trampled(AC) underfoot
    like mire in the streets.

11 The day for building your walls(AD) will come,
    the day for extending your boundaries.
12 In that day people will come to you
    from Assyria(AE) and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
    and from sea to sea
    and from mountain to mountain.(AF)
13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
    as the result of their deeds.(AG)

Prayer and Praise

14 Shepherd(AH) your people with your staff,(AI)
    the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
    in fertile pasturelands.[a](AJ)
Let them feed in Bashan(AK) and Gilead(AL)
    as in days long ago.(AM)

15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
    I will show them my wonders.(AN)

16 Nations will see and be ashamed,(AO)
    deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths(AP)
    and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust(AQ) like a snake,
    like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling(AR) out of their dens;
    they will turn in fear(AS) to the Lord our God
    and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God(AT) like you,
    who pardons sin(AU) and forgives(AV) the transgression
    of the remnant(AW) of his inheritance?(AX)
You do not stay angry(AY) forever
    but delight to show mercy.(AZ)
19 You will again have compassion on us;
    you will tread our sins underfoot
    and hurl all our iniquities(BA) into the depths of the sea.(BB)
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
    and show love to Abraham,(BC)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors(BD)
    in days long ago.(BE)

Footnotes

  1. Micah 7:14 Or in the middle of Carmel