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.

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

2 Hear, you mountains, the LORD’s indictment, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a case against his people, and he will contend with Israel.

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.

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? And how have I wearied you? Testify 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 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.

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, 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.”

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 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?

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?

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?

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 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?

9 The LORD’s voice calls to the city— and wisdom fears your name— “Listen to the rod, and he who appointed it.

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

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

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

11 Shall I tolerate dishonest scales, and a bag of deceitful weights?

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

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

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

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

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

14 You shall eat, but not be satisfied. Your hunger will be within you. You will store up, but not save, and that which you save I will give up to the sword.

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.

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 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.

16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of Ahab’s house. You walk in their counsels, that I may make you a ruin, and your inhabitants a hissing. You will bear the reproach of my people.”

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!”