Monday
Micah 1
How miserable I am!
I feel like the fruit picker after the harvest
who can find nothing to eat.
Not a cluster of grapes or a single early fig
can be found to satisfy my hunger.
2
The godly people have all disappeared;
not one honest person is left on the earth.
They are all murderers,
setting traps even for their own brothers.
3
Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil!
Officials and judges alike demand bribes.
The people with influence get what they want,
and together they scheme to twist justice.
4
Even the best of them is like a brier;
the most honest is as dangerous as a hedge of thorns.
But your judgment day is coming swiftly now.
Your time of punishment is here, a time of confusion.
5
Don’t trust anyone—
not your best friend or even your wife!
6
For the son despises his father.
The daughter defies her mother.
The daughter-in-law defies her mother-in-law.
Your enemies are right in your own household!
7
As for me, I look to the Lord for help.
I wait confidently for God to save me,
and my God will certainly hear me.
8
Do not gloat over me, my enemies!
For though I fall, I will rise again.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
9
I will be patient as the Lord punishes me,
for I have sinned against him.
But after that, he will take up my case
and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies.
The Lord will bring me into the light,
and I will see his righteousness.
10
Then my enemies will see that the Lord is on my side.
They will be ashamed that they taunted me, saying,
“So where is the Lord—
that God of yours?”
With my own eyes I will see their downfall;
they will be trampled like mud in the streets.
Tuesday
Micah 1
In that day, Israel, your cities will be rebuilt,
and your borders will be extended.
12
People from many lands will come and honor you—
from Assyria all the way to the towns of Egypt,
from Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River,[
a
]
and from distant seas and mountains.
13
But the land will become empty and desolate
because of the wickedness of those who live there.
14
O Lord, protect your people with your shepherd’s staff;
lead your flock, your special possession.
Though they live alone in a thicket
on the heights of Mount Carmel,[
c
]
let them graze in the fertile pastures of Bashan and Gilead
as they did long ago.
15
“Yes,” says the Lord,
“I will do mighty miracles for you,
like those I did when I rescued you
from slavery in Egypt.”
16
All the nations of the world will stand amazed
at what the Lord will do for you.
They will be embarrassed
at their feeble power.
They will cover their mouths in silent awe,
deaf to everything around them.
17
Like snakes crawling from their holes,
they will come out to meet the Lord our God.
They will fear him greatly,
trembling in terror at his presence.
18
Where is another God like you,
who pardons the guilt of the remnant,
overlooking the sins of his special people?
You will not stay angry with your people forever,
because you delight in showing unfailing love.
19
Once again you will have compassion on us.
You will trample our sins under your feet
and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
20
You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love
as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.
Wednesday
Nahum 1
This message concerning Nineveh came as a vision to Nahum, who lived in Elkosh.
2
The Lord is a jealous God,
filled with vengeance and rage.
He takes revenge on all who oppose him
and continues to rage against his enemies!
3
The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great,
and he never lets the guilty go unpunished.
He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm.
The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet.
4
At his command the oceans dry up,
and the rivers disappear.
The lush pastures of Bashan and Carmel fade,
and the green forests of Lebanon wither.
5
In his presence the mountains quake,
and the hills melt away;
the earth trembles,
and its people are destroyed.
6
Who can stand before his fierce anger?
Who can survive his burning fury?
His rage blazes forth like fire,
and the mountains crumble to dust in his presence.
Thursday
Nahum 1
The Lord is good,
a strong refuge when trouble comes.
He is close to those who trust in him.
8
But he will sweep away his enemies[
a
]
in an overwhelming flood.
He will pursue his foes
into the darkness of night.
9
Why are you scheming against the Lord?
He will destroy you with one blow;
he won’t need to strike twice!
10
His enemies, tangled like thornbushes
and staggering like drunks,
will be burned up like dry stubble in a field.
11
Who is this wicked counselor of yours
who plots evil against the Lord?
Friday
Nahum 1
This is what the Lord says:
“Though the Assyrians have many allies,
they will be destroyed and disappear.
O my people, I have punished you before,
but I will not punish you again.
13
Now I will break the yoke of bondage from your neck
and tear off the chains of Assyrian oppression.”
14
And this is what the Lord says concerning the Assyrians in Nineveh:
“You will have no more children to carry on your name.
I will destroy all the idols in the temples of your gods.
I am preparing a grave for you
because you are despicable!”
15
]Look! A messenger is coming over the mountains with good news!
He is bringing a message of peace.
Celebrate your festivals, O people of Judah,
and fulfill all your vows,
for your wicked enemies will never invade your land again.
They will be completely destroyed!
