⁶ With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
^7 (A)Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand ^(B)rivers of oil?
^(C)Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
^[a]The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

⁸ He has ^(D)shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But ^(E)to do justly,
To love ^[b]mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?

¹² “When you come ^(B)to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
¹³ Bring no more ^(C)futile^[a] sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and ^(D)the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
¹⁴ Your ^(E)New Moons and your ^(F)appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
^15 (G)When you ^[b]spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
^(H)Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of ^[c]blood.

¹⁶ “Wash^(I) yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
^(J)Cease to do evil,
¹⁷ Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke ^[d]the oppressor;
^[e]Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.

¹⁸ “Come now, and let us ^(K)reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
^(L)They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
¹⁹ If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;