Micah 6

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

Give ear now to the words of the Lord: Up! put forward your cause before the mountains, let your voice be sounding among the hills.

2 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.

Give ear, O you mountains, to the Lord's cause, and take note, you bases of the earth: for the Lord has a cause against his people, and he will take it up with Israel.

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

O my people, what have I done to you? how have I been a weariness to you? give answer against me.

4 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.

For I took you up out of the land of Egypt and made you free from the prison-house; I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

5 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."

O my people, keep in mind now what was designed by Balak, king of Moab, and the answer which Balaam, son of Beor, gave him; the events, from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may be certain of the upright acts of the Lord.

6 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?

With what am I to come before the Lord and go with bent head before the high God? am I to come before him with burned offerings, with young oxen a year old?

7 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?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of sheep or with ten thousand rivers of oil? am I to give my first child for my wrongdoing, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 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?

He has made clear to you, O man, what is good; and what is desired from you by the Lord; only doing what is right, and loving mercy, and walking without pride before your God.

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

The voice of the Lord is crying out to the town: Give ear, you tribes and the meeting of the town.

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

Am I to let the stores of the evil-doer go out of my memory, and the short measure, which is cursed?

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

Is it possible for me to let wrong scales and the bag of false weights go without punishment?

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

For its men of wealth are cruel, and its people have said what is not true, and their tongue is false in their mouth.

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

So I have made a start with your punishment; I have made you waste because of your sins.

14 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.

You will have food, but not enough; your shame will be ever with you: you will get your goods moved, but you will not take them away safely; and what you do take away I will give to the sword.

15 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.

You will put in seed, but you will not get in the grain; you will be crushing olives, but your bodies will not be rubbed with the oil; and you will get in the grapes, but you will have no wine.

16 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."

For you have kept the laws of Omri and all the works of the family of Ahab, and you have been guided by their designs: so that I might make you a cause of wonder and your people a cause of hisses; and the shame of my people will be on you.