מִיכָה 6

1 שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֕א אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֖ה אֹמֵ֑ר ק֚וּם רִ֣יב אֶת־הֶהָרִ֔ים וְתִשְׁמַ֥עְנָה הַגְּבָעֹ֖ות קֹולֶֽךָ׃

Pay attention to what Yahweh says [to you Israeli people]: “Stand up [in court] and state what you are accusing [me] about. And allow the hills and mountains to hear what you will say.

2 שִׁמְע֤וּ הָרִים֙ אֶת־רִ֣יב יְהוָ֔ה וְהָאֵתָנִ֖ים מֹ֣סְדֵי אָ֑רֶץ כִּ֣י רִ֤יב לַֽיהוָה֙ עִם־עַמֹּ֔ו וְעִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִתְוַכָּֽח׃

[But then] you mountains must [also] listen [carefully] [DOU] to what I, Yahweh, am complaining [about my people]. I have something to say about what [DOU] my Israeli people are doing that displeases me.

3 עַמִּ֛י מֶה־עָשִׂ֥יתִי לְךָ֖ וּמָ֣ה הֶלְאֵתִ֑יךָ עֲנֵ֥ה בִֽי׃

My people, what have I done to [cause trouble for] you [RHQ]? What have I done to cause you to experience difficulties? Answer me!

4 כִּ֤י הֶעֱלִתִ֙יךָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וּמִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִ֖ים פְּדִיתִ֑יךָ וָאֶשְׁלַ֣ח לְפָנֶ֔יךָ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֖ה אַהֲרֹ֥ן וּמִרְיָֽם׃

I [did great things for your ancestors]; I brought them out of Egypt; I rescued them from that land where they were slaves. I sent Moses to [lead] them, and [his older brother] Aaron and [his older sister] Miriam.

5 עַמִּ֗י זְכָר־נָא֙ מַה־יָּעַ֗ץ בָּלָק֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מֹואָ֔ב וּמֶה־עָנָ֥ה אֹתֹ֖ו בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּעֹ֑ור מִן־הַשִּׁטִּים֙ עַד־הַגִּלְגָּ֔ל לְמַ֕עַן דַּ֖עַת צִדְקֹ֥ות יְהוָֽה׃

My people, think about when Balak, the king of Moab, requested Beor’s son Balaam [to curse your ancestors], and think about what Balaam replied. Think about [how your ancestors crossed the Jordan River miraculously while] they were traveling from Acacia to Gilgal. [Think about those things in order] that you may know that [I], Yahweh, do what is right.”

6 בַּמָּה֙ אֲקַדֵּ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה אִכַּ֖ף לֵאלֹהֵ֣י מָרֹ֑ום הַאֲקַדְּמֶ֣נּוּ בְעֹולֹ֔ות בַּעֲגָלִ֖ים בְּנֵ֥י שָׁנָֽה׃

[The Israeli people ask, ] “What shall we bring to Yahweh [who lives in] heaven when we come to him and bow down before him? Should we bring calves that are a year-old that will be offerings that will be [killed and] completely burned [on the altar]?

7 הֲיִרְצֶ֤ה יְהוָה֙ בְּאַלְפֵ֣י אֵילִ֔ים בְּרִֽבְבֹ֖ות נַֽחֲלֵי־שָׁ֑מֶן הַאֶתֵּ֤ן בְּכֹורִי֙ פִּשְׁעִ֔י פְּרִ֥י בִטְנִ֖י חַטַּ֥את נַפְשִֽׁי׃

Will Yahweh be pleased [if we offer to him] 1,000 rams and 10,000 streams of [olive] oil? Should we offer our firstborn children [to be sacrifices] to pay for the sins that we have committed [DOU]?”

8 הִגִּ֥יד לְךָ֛ אָדָ֖ם מַה־טֹּ֑וב וּמָֽה־יְהוָ֞ה דֹּורֵ֣שׁ מִמְּךָ֗ כִּ֣י אִם־עֲשֹׂ֤ות מִשְׁפָּט֙ וְאַ֣הֲבַת חֶ֔סֶד וְהַצְנֵ֥עַ לֶ֖כֶת עִם־אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ פ

[No, because] he has shown each of us what is good [to do]; he has shown [RHQ] us what he requires each of us [to do]: He wants us to do what is just/fair and to love and to be merciful [to others], and [he wants us] to live humbly [while we fellowship] with him, our God.

9 קֹ֤ול יְהוָה֙ לָעִ֣יר יִקְרָ֔א וְתוּשִׁיָּ֖ה יִרְאֶ֣ה שְׁמֶ֑ךָ שִׁמְע֥וּ מַטֶּ֖ה וּמִ֥י יְעָדָֽהּ׃

“I am Yahweh, so if you are wise, you should revere me. I am calling out to [you people of] Jerusalem, ‘The armies [MET] that will destroy your city are coming, so pay careful attention to me, the one who is causing them to punish you with my rod.

10 עֹ֗וד הַאִשׁ֙ בֵּ֣ית רָשָׁ֔ע אֹצְרֹ֖ות רֶ֑שַׁע וְאֵיפַ֥ת רָזֹ֖ון זְעוּמָֽה׃

Do you think that [RHQ] I should forget that you wicked people filled your homes with valuable things that you acquired by cheating [others]? Do you think that [RHQ] I should forget that you used false measures [when you bought and sold things]? Those are things that I hate.

11 הַאֶזְכֶּ֖ה בְּמֹ֣אזְנֵי רֶ֑שַׁע וּבְכִ֖יס אַבְנֵ֥י מִרְמָֽה׃

[Do you think] that [RHQ] I should say nothing about people who use scales that do not weigh correctly, and who use weights that are not accurate?

12 אֲשֶׁ֤ר עֲשִׁירֶ֙יהָ֙ מָלְא֣וּ חָמָ֔ס וְיֹשְׁבֶ֖יהָ דִּבְּרוּ־שָׁ֑קֶר וּלְשֹׁונָ֖ם רְמִיָּ֥ה בְּפִיהֶֽם׃

The rich people among you always act violently [to get money from poor people]. All of the people [in Jerusalem] are liars, and they [SYN] always deceive people.

13 וְגַם־אֲנִ֖י הֶחֱלֵ֣יתִי הַכֹּותֶ֑ךָ הַשְׁמֵ֖ם עַל־חַטֹּאתֶֽךָ׃

Therefore, I have [already] begun to get rid of you, to ruin you because of the sins that you have committed.

14 אַתָּ֤ה תֹאכַל֙ וְלֹ֣א תִשְׂבָּ֔ע וְיֶשְׁחֲךָ֖ בְּקִרְבֶּ֑ךָ וְתַסֵּג֙ וְלֹ֣א תַפְלִ֔יט וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּפַלֵּ֖ט לַחֶ֥רֶב אֶתֵּֽן׃

[Soon] you will eat food, but you will not have enough to satisfy you; your stomachs will [still feel as though they are] empty. You will try to save up [money], but you will not be able to save anything, because I will send your enemies to take it from you in wars [MTY].

15 אַתָּ֥ה תִזְרַ֖ע וְלֹ֣א תִקְצֹ֑ור אַתָּ֤ה תִדְרֹֽךְ־זַ֙יִת֙ וְלֹא־תָס֣וּךְ שֶׁ֔מֶן וְתִירֹ֖ושׁ וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁתֶּה־יָּֽיִן׃

You will plant [seeds], but you will not harvest [anything]. You will press olives, but [others], not you, will use the [olive] oil. You will trample on grapes [and make wine from the juice], but [others], not you, will drink the wine.

16 וְיִשְׁתַּמֵּ֞ר חֻקֹּ֣ות עָמְרִ֗י וְכֹל֙ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה בֵית־אַחְאָ֔ב וַתֵּלְכ֖וּ בְּמֹֽעֲצֹותָ֑ם לְמַעַן֩ תִּתִּ֨י אֹתְךָ֜ לְשַׁמָּ֗ה וְיֹשְׁבֶ֙יהָ֙ לִשְׁרֵקָ֔ה וְחֶרְפַּ֥ת עַמִּ֖י תִּשָּֽׂאוּ׃ פ

[Those things will happen to you because] you obey [only] the wicked laws of [King] Omri, and [you do the terrible things that wicked King] Ahab and his descendants commanded. So, I will destroy your [country], and I will cause your people to be despised; people [of other nations] will insult you.’”