Michaeas 6

1 Hear now a word: the Lord God has said; Arise, plead with the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

Listen now to what the LORD says: "Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear what you have to say.

2 Hear ye, O mountains, the controversy of the Lord, and [ye] valleys [even] the foundations of the earth: for the Lord [has] a controversy with his people, and will plead with Israel.

Hear, you mountains, the LORD's controversy, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel.

3 O my people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I grieved thee? or wherein have I troubled thee? answer me.

My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me.

4 For I brought tee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage, and sent before thee Moses, and Aaron, and Mariam.

For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage. I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

5 O my people, remember now, what counsel Balac king of Moab took against thee, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, from the reeds to Galgal; that the righteousness of the Lord might be known.

My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD."

6 Wherewithal shall I reach the Lord, [and] lay hold of my God most high? shall I reach him by whole-burnt-offerings, by calves of a year old?

How shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

7 Will the Lord accept thousands of rams, or ten thousands of fat goats? should I give my first-born for ungodliness, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 Has it [not] been told thee, O man, what [is] good? or what does the Lord require of thee, but to do justice, and love mercy, and be ready to walk with the Lord thy God?

He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

9 The Lord's voice shall be proclaimed in the city, and he shall save those that fear his name: hear, O tribe; and who shall order the city?

The LORD's voice calls to the city, and wisdom sees your name: "Listen to the rod, and he who appointed it.

10 [Is there] not fire, and the house of the wicked heaping up wicked treasures, and [that] with the pride of unrighteousness?

Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a short ephah that is accursed?

11 Shall the wicked be justified by the balanced, or deceitful weights in the bag,

Shall I be pure with dishonest scales, and with a bag of deceitful weights?

12 whereby they have accumulated their ungodly wealth, and they that dwell in the city have uttered falsehoods, and their tongue has been exalted in their mouth?

Her rich men are full of violence, her inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their speech.

13 Therefore will I begin to smite thee; I will destroy thee in thy sins.

Therefore I also have struck you with a grievous wound. I have made you desolate because of your sins.

14 Thou shalt eat, and shalt not be satisfied; and there shall be darkness upon thee; and he shall depart from [thee], and thou shalt not escape; and all that shall escape shall be delivered over to the sword.

You shall eat, but not be satisfied. Your humiliation will be in your midst. You will store up, but not save; and that which you save I will give up to the sword.

15 Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt press the olive, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with oil; and [shalt make] wine, but ye shall drink no wine: and the ordinances of my people shall be utterly abolished.

You will sow, but won't reap. You will tread the olives, but won't anoint yourself with oil; and crush grapes, but won't drink the wine.

16 For thou hast kept the statues of Zambri, and [done] all the works of the house of Achaab; and ye have walked in their ways, that I might deliver thee to utter destruction, and those that inhabit the city to hissing: and ye shall bear the reproach of nations.

For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab; and you walk in their counsels. Therefore I will make you a desolation, and her inhabitants an object of contempt; and you will bear the scorn of the nations."