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 you now what the LORD says; Arise, contend you 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 you, O mountains, the LORD’s controversy, and you strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

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

O my people, what have I done to you? and wherein have I wearied you? testify against me.

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 out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of servants; and I sent before you Moses, 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.'

O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal; that you may know 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 which shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

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?

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give 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 showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and 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 LORD’s voice cries to the city, and the man of wisdom shall see your name: hear you the rod, and who has appointed it.

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

Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?

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

Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful 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 rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

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

Therefore also will I make you sick in smiting you, in making you desolate 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 shall eat, but not be satisfied; and your casting down shall be in the middle of you; and you shall take hold, but shall not deliver; and that which you deliver will I give up 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 shall sow, but you shall not reap; you shall tread the olives, but you shall not anoint you with oil; and sweet wine, but shall not drink 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!

For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and you walk in their counsels; that I should make you a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore you shall bear the reproach of my people.