Micah 6

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

Now listen to what Yahweh says, “Arise and state your case before the mountains; let 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.

Listen to Yahweh's lawsuit, you mountains, and you enduring foundations of the earth. For Yahweh has a lawsuit with his people, and he will fight in court 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? How have I wearied you? Testify against 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 up out of the land of Egypt and rescued you out of the house of bondage. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to 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 devised, and how Balaam son of Beor answered him as you went from Shittim to Gilgal, so you may know the righteous acts of Yahweh.”

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 bring to Yahweh, as I bow down to the high God? Should I come to 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 Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Should I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for my own sin?

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?

He has told you, man, what is good, and what Yahweh requires from you: Act justly, love kindness, and walk humbly 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 Yahweh is making a proclamation to the city— even now wisdom acknowledges your name: “Pay attention to the rod, and to the one who has put it in place.

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

There is wealth in the houses of the wicked that is dishonest, and false measures that are abominable.

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

Should I consider a person to be innocent if he uses fraudulent scales, with a bag of deceptive weights?

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

The rich men are full of violence, the inhabitants have spoken lies, and their tongue in their mouth is deceitful.

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

Therefore I will strike you with a terrible blow, and I will make you desolate 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 not be satisfied; your emptiness will remain inside you. You will store goods away but not save, and what you do save I will give 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 not reap; you will tread the olives but not anoint yourselves with oil; you will press grapes but drink no wine.

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!”

The regulations made by Omri have been kept, and all the deeds of the house of Ahab. You walk by their advice. So I will make you, city, a ruin, and you inhabitants an object of hissing, and you will bear the reproach of my people.”