Micah 6

Modern

Literal

The Case against Israel

¹Hear now what the LORD says:

“Arise, plead your case before the mountains,

and let the hills hear your voice.

¹Hear now what YHWH is saying: “Arise, dispute with the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.

²Hear, 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:

²Hear, O mountains, the dispute of YHWH, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for a dispute is unto YHWH against His people, and He will argue against Israel.

³‘My people, what have I done to you?

Testify against Me how I have wearied you!

³‘My people, what have I done to you, and how have I wearied you? Answer Me!

⁴For 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.

⁴For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery; I redeemed you and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

⁵My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled

and what Balaam son of Beor answered.

Remember your journey from Shittim^a to Gilgal,

so that you may acknowledge the righteousness of the LORD.’”

⁵My people, remember, please, what Balak king of Moab counseled, and what Balaam son of Beor answered him—from Shittim unto Gilgal, so that you may know the righteous acts of YHWH!’”

⁶With 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?

⁶With what will I come before YHWH and bow myself before God Most High? Will I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves, sons of a year?

⁷Would 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?

⁷Will YHWH be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad rivers of oil? Will I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

⁸He 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?

⁸He has shown to you, O man, what is good. And what does YHWH seek from you, but to do justice and to love kindness, and to be humble to walk with your God?

The Punishment of Israel

⁹The 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.

⁹The voice of YHWH calls to the city, and wisdom fears Your name: “Heed the rod, and the One who has appointed it!

¹⁰Can I forget any longer,

O house of the wicked,

the treasures of wickedness

and the short ephah, which is accursed?

¹⁰Are there Yet, O house of the wicked, the treasures of wickedness, and the ephah of leanness, which is accursed?

¹¹Can I excuse dishonest scales

or bags of false weights?

¹¹Shall I count pure one with scales of wickedness, and with a bag of weights of deceit?

¹²For the wealthy of the city

are full of violence,

and its residents speak lies;

their tongues are deceitful in their mouths.

¹²How her rich men are full of violence, and her dwellers have spoken deception, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth!

¹³Therefore I am striking you severely,

to ruin you because of your sins.

¹³So also I will be severe in striking you, to make you desolate over your sins!

¹⁴You 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.

¹⁴You will eat, and you will not be satisfied, your emptiness is in your entrails; you will put away, and you will not save, and what you save, I will give to the sword.

¹⁵You will sow but not reap;

you will press olives but not anoint yourselves with oil;

you will tread grapes but not drink the wine.

¹⁵You will sow, and you will not reap; you will tread the olives, and you will not anoint yourselves with oil, and new wine, and you will not drink the wine.

¹⁶You 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.”^a

¹⁶And the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and you walk by their counsels. Therefore I will give you to desolation, and your dwellers to hissing, and you will bear the scorn of the nations.”