Micah, 6

1. Hear, then, what the LORD says: Arise, present your plea before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice!

1. Now listen to what Yahweh says: 'Stand up, state your case to the mountains and let the hills hear what you have to say!'

2. Hear, O mountains, the plea of the LORD, pay attention, O foundations of the earth! For the LORD has a plea against his people, and he enters into trial with Israel.

2. Listen, mountains, to the case as Yahweh puts it, give ear, you foundations of the earth, for Yahweh has a case against his people and he will argue it with Israel.

3. O my people, what have I done to you, or how have I wearied you? Answer me!

3. 'My people, what have I done to you, how have I made you tired of me? Answer me!

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

4. For I brought you up from Egypt, I ransomed you from the place of slave-labour and sent Moses, Aaron and Miriam to lead you.

5. My people, remember what Moab's King Balak planned, and how Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him . . . from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the just deeds of the LORD.

5. My people, please remember: what was Balak king of Moab's plan and how did Balaam son of Beor answer him? . . . from Shittim to Gilgal, for you to know Yahweh's saving justice.

6. With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow before God most high? Shall I come before him with holocausts, with calves a year old?

6. 'With what shall I enter Yahweh's presence and bow down before God All-high? Shall I enter with burnt offerings, with calves one year old?

7. Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

7. Will he be pleased with rams by the thousand, with ten thousand streams of oil? Shall I offer my eldest son for my wrong-doing, the child of my own body for my sin?

8. You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.

8. 'You have already been told what is right and what Yahweh wants of you. Only this, to do what is right, to love loyalty and to walk humbly with your God.'

9. Hark! the LORD cries to the city. (It is wisdom to fear your name!) Hear, O tribe and city council,

9. Yahweh's voice! He thunders to the city, 'Listen, tribe of assembled citizens!

10. Am I to bear any longer criminal hoarding and the meager ephah that is accursed?

10. Can I overlook the false measure, that abomination, the short bushel?

11. Shall I acquit criminal balances, bags of false weights?

11. Can I connive at rigged scales and at the bag of fraudulent weights?

12. You whose rich men are full of violence, whose inhabitants speak falsehood with deceitful tongues in their heads!

12. For the rich there are steeped in violence, and the citizens there are habitual liars.

13. Rather I will begin to strike you with devastation because of your sins.

13. 'I myself have therefore begun to strike you down, to bring you to ruin for your sins.

14. You shall eat, without being satisfied, food that will leave you empty; What you acquire, you cannot save; what you do save, I will deliver up to the sword.

14. You will eat but not be satisfied; you will store up but never keep safe; what you do keep safe I shall hand over to the sword;

15. You shall sow, yet not reap, tread out the olive, yet pour no oil, and the grapes, yet drink no wine.

15. you will sow but will not reap, press the olive but will not rub yourself with oil, tread the grape but will not drink the wine.

16. You have kept the decrees of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and you have walked in their counsels; Therefore I will deliver you up to ruin, and your citizens to derision; and you shall bear the reproach of the nations.

16. 'For you keep the laws of Omri; what the House of Ahab did, you have done; by modelling yourselves on their standards, you force me to make an appalling example of you and reduce your citizens to a laughing-stock; hence you will endure the scorn of other people.'