Micah 6

1 Now hear that which YHWH is saying: “Rise—strive with the mountains, And cause the hills to hear your voice.

Listen to what the Lord is saying. Stand up and plead your case. Let the mountains and the hills hear your voice.

2 Hear, O mountains, the strife of YHWH, You strong ones—foundations of earth! For a strife [is] to YHWH, with His people, And with Israel He reasons.

And now, mountains, hear the Lord's argument. Listen, everlasting foundations of the earth, for the Lord has a case against his people. He will bring charges against Israel.

3 O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me.

My people, what have I done to you? What is it that I have done to make you tired of me?

4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, And I have ransomed you from the house of servants, And I send Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before you.

For I brought you out of the land of Egypt and rescued you from slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you.

5 O My people, please remember What Balak king of Moab counseled, What Balaam son of Beor answered him (From Shittim to Gilgal), In order to know the righteous acts of YHWH.”

My people, remember what Balak, king of Moab, planned to do, and what Balaam, son of Beor, told him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, so you could know all the good things the Lord does.

6 With what do I come before YHWH? Do I bow to God Most High? Do I come before Him with burnt-offerings? With calves—sons of a year?

What should I take with me when I approach the Lord, when I bow down before the God of heaven? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

7 Is YHWH pleased with thousands of rams? With myriads of streams of oil? Do I give my firstborn [for] my transgression? The fruit of my body [for] the sin of my soul?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I sacrifice my firstborn child for my rebellion, my own flesh and blood for the sins I have committed?

8 He has declared to you, O man, what [is] good; Indeed, what is YHWH requiring of you, Except—to do judgment, and love kindness, And to walk lowly with your God?

The Lord has told you what is good, and what the Lord asks from you: to do what is right, to love kindness, and to walk in humility with your God.

9 A voice of YHWH calls to the city, And wisdom fears Your Name, “Hear the rod, and Him who appointed it.

The voice of the Lord calls to the city—to respect your name is to be wise—pay attention to the rod and who summoned it.

10 Are there yet [in] the house of the wicked Treasures of wickedness, And the abhorred meager ephah?

Are there still ill-gotten gains in the houses of the wicked? Are they still using dishonest measures in selling grain?

11 Do I reckon [it] pure with balances of wickedness? And with a bag of deceitful stones?

How can I accept those who use unfair scales and dishonest weights?

12 Whose rich ones have been full of violence, And its inhabitants have spoken falsehood, And their tongue [is] deceitful in their mouth.

Your rich people make money by using violence; they tell lies and practice deceit.

13 And I also, I have begun to strike you, To make desolate, because of your sins.

So I will strike you to make you ill; I will ruin you because of your sins.

14 You eat, and you are not satisfied, And your pit [is] in your midst, And you remove, and do not deliver, And that which you deliver, I give to a sword.

You will eat, but never be satisfied; inside you will still feel hungry. Even though you try to save money, what you save won't be worth anything because I will give it to the sword.

15 You sow, and you do not reap, You tread the olive, And you do not pour out oil, And new wine—and you do not drink wine.

You will sow, but you won't reap; you will press your olives, but not use the oil; you will make your wine, but drink none of it.

16 And the statutes of Omri are kept habitually, And all the work of the house of Ahab, And you walk in their counsels, For My giving you for a desolation, And its inhabitants for a hissing, And you bear the reproach of My people!”

You have kept the laws of Omri, and adopted all the practices of the house of Ahab, you have followed their ways. So I will make your country desolate and the people who live there an object of scorn; you will bear the shame of my people.