Micah 6

1 Hear, I pray you, that which Jehovah is saying: 'Rise — strive thou with the mountains, And cause thou the hills to hear thy voice.'

Hear now what the LORD says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.

2 Hear, O mountains, the strife of Jehovah, Ye strong ones — foundations of earth! For a strife [is] to Jehovah, with His people, And with Israel He doth reason.

Hear, O mountains, the LORD’s indictment, you enduring foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against His people, and He will argue it against Israel:

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

‘My people, what have I done to you? Testify against Me how I have wearied you!

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

For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery. I sent Moses before you, as well as Aaron and Miriam.

5 O My people, remember, I pray you, What counsel did Balak king of Moab, What answer him did Balaam son of Beor, (From Shittim unto Gilgal, ) In order to know the righteous acts of Jehovah.'

My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may acknowledge the righteousness of the LORD.’”

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

With what shall I come before the LORD when I bow before the God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves?

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

Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He hath declared to thee, O man, what [is] good; Yea, what is Jehovah requiring of thee, Except — to do judgment, and love kindness, And lowly to walk with thy God?

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

9 A voice of Jehovah to the city calleth, And wisdom doth fear Thy name, Hear ye the rod, and Him who appointed it.

The voice of the LORD calls out to the city (and it is sound wisdom to fear Your name): “Heed the rod and the One who ordained it.

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

Can I forget any longer, O house of the wicked, the treasures of wickedness and the short ephah, which is accursed?

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

Can I excuse dishonest scales or bags of false weights?

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

For the wealthy of the city are full of violence, and its residents speak lies; their tongues are deceitful in their mouths.

13 And I also, I have begun to smite thee, To make desolate, because of thy sins.

Therefore I am striking you severely, to ruin you because of your sins.

14 Thou — thou eatest, and thou art not satisfied, And thy pit [is] in thy midst, And thou removest, and dost not deliver, And that which thou deliverest, to a sword I give.

You will eat but not be satisfied, and your hunger will remain with you. What you acquire, you will not preserve; and what you save, I will give to the sword.

15 Thou — thou sowest, and thou dost not reap, Thou — thou treadest the olive, And thou pourest not out oil, And new wine — and thou drinkest not wine.

You will sow but not reap; you will press olives but not anoint yourselves with oil; you will tread grapes but not drink the wine.

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

You have kept the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house; you have followed their counsel. Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of contempt; you will bear the scorn of the nations.”