耶和华谴责以色列

以色列人啊,
你们要听耶和华的话:
“起来,你们要在高山面前申辩,
让丘陵听你们诉说。
群山啊,大地永固的根基啊,
你们要听耶和华的控告!
因为耶和华要控告祂的子民,
责备以色列人。

“我的子民啊,
我做了什么对不起你们的事?
我哪里令你们厌烦?
回答我!
我曾带领你们离开埃及,
把你们从受奴役之地救赎出来,
又差遣摩西、亚伦和米利暗引领你们。
我的子民啊,
你们要回想摩押王巴勒的阴谋以及比珥之子巴兰给他的回答,
要回想你们从什亭到吉甲途中的遭遇,
以便认识耶和华公义的作为。”

我要拿什么朝见耶和华,
在天上的上帝面前叩拜呢?
要献上一岁的牛犊作燔祭吗?
耶和华会喜爱成千的公羊和万条油河吗?
我要因过犯而献上自己的长子,
因心中的罪恶而献上亲生的骨肉吗?
世人啊,
耶和华已经指示你们何为良善。
祂向你们所要的是什么呢?
是要你们行公义,好怜悯,
谦卑地与你们的上帝同行。

耶和华在向耶路撒冷呼喊,
智者必敬畏祂的名。祂说:
“聚在城里的众人啊,你们要听!
10 我岂会忘记恶人家中的不义之财和可恶的小升斗?
11 我岂会放过使用不公道的秤和砝码的人?
12 城中的富人残暴成性,
居民谎话连篇,
满口诡诈之言。
13 所以,我要重重地击打你,
因你的罪恶而毁灭你。
14 你吃,却吃不饱,仍然腹中空空。
你聚敛钱财,却保不住。
你保住的,我要交给拿刀的。
15 你撒种,却不得收割;
你榨橄榄,却无油抹身;
你踩葡萄,却无酒可喝。
16 因为你遵守暗利的恶规,
效法亚哈家的恶行,
随从他们的计谋,
所以我要使你荒凉,
让你的居民成为笑柄。
你们要蒙受列国的羞辱。”

責以色列人忘恩犯罪

你們當聽耶和華所說的話:

“你要起來,向大山爭辯,

讓小山可以聽見你的聲音。

大山啊!你們要聽耶和華的爭辯。

大地永久的根基啊!你們要聽,

因為耶和華與他的子民爭辯,

和以色列爭論。

我的子民啊,我向你作了甚麼呢?

我在甚麼事上叫你厭煩呢?

你可以回答我。

我曾經把你從埃及地領上來,

把你從為奴之家贖出來;

我也差派了摩西、亞倫和米利暗在你前面行。

我的民哪!你們要追念,

摩押王巴勒圖謀過甚麼,

比珥的兒子巴蘭又答應了他甚麼,

以及你們從什亭到吉甲所發生的事,

好使你們知道耶和華公義的作為。”

 神要求的不是外表的獻祭

我朝見耶和華,

在至高的 神面前叩拜,當獻上甚麼呢?

我朝見他的時候,當獻上燔祭,

當獻上一歲的牛犢嗎?

耶和華喜悅千千的公羊,

或是萬萬的油河嗎?

為我的過犯,我可以獻上我的長子嗎?

為我的罪惡,獻上我親生的孩子嗎?

世人哪!耶和華已經指示你甚麼是善,

他向你所要的又是甚麼;

無非是要你行公義,好憐憫,

謙虛謹慎與你的 神同行。

詭詐的行為必受懲罰

聽啊!耶和華向這城呼叫,

敬畏你的名就是智慧;

支派和城裡的會眾啊!你們要聽。

10 我怎能忘記惡人家中的不義之財,

和那些可咒詛的小升斗呢?

11 用不義的天平,

和袋中詐騙的法碼的人,

我怎能算他為清潔呢?

12 城裡的財主充滿了強暴,

其中的居民也說假話;

他們口中的舌頭是詭詐的。

13 因此我擊打你,使你生病(“我擊打你,使你生病”或參照《七十士譯本》和其他古譯本作“我開始擊打你”),

因你的罪惡,使你荒涼。

14 你要吃,卻吃不飽;

因你的腹中常有疾病。

你要懷孕,卻不能生下來;

你生下來的,

我都要交給刀劍。

15 你要撒種,卻不得收割,

你要榨橄欖油,卻不得油抹身;

你要榨葡萄汁,卻不得酒喝。

16 你跟隨了暗利的規例

和亞哈家一切所行的,

順從了他們的計謀;

因此,我必使你荒涼,

使你(“你”原文作“她”)的居民被嗤笑;

你們也必擔當我民的羞辱。

Hear ye now what the Lord saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

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

For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.

Wherewith 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?

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?

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

The Lord's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

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

11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?

12 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 Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.

14 Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.

15 Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.

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