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Yahweh’s Case Against His People

[a](A)Listen now to what Yahweh is saying,

“Arise, plead your case [b]before the mountains,
And let the hills [c](B)listen to your voice.
[d](C)Listen, you mountains, to the case of Yahweh,
And you enduring (D)foundations of the earth,
Because (E)Yahweh has a case against His people;
Even with Israel He will reprove.
(F)My people, (G)what have I done to you,
And (H)how have I wearied you? Answer Me.
Indeed, I (I)brought you up from the land of Egypt
And (J)ransomed you from the house of slavery,
And I sent before you (K)Moses, Aaron, and (L)Miriam.
My people, remember now
What (M)Balak king of Moab counseled
And what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
And from (N)Shittim to (O)Gilgal,
So [e]that you might know the (P)righteous acts of Yahweh.”

What Yahweh Requires

(Q)With what shall I come before Yahweh
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come before Him with (R)burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
Is Yahweh pleased with (S)thousands of rams,
With ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my (T)firstborn for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has (U)told you, O man, what is good;
And (V)what does Yahweh require of you
But to (W)do justice, to (X)love lovingkindness,
And to walk [f](Y)humbly with your God?

The voice of Yahweh will call to the city—
And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name:
“Hear, O tribe. Who even has appointed [g]its time?
10 Is there yet a man in the wicked house,
Along with treasures of (Z)wickedness,
And a [h](AA)short measure which is cursed?
11 Can I purify wicked (AB)scales
And a bag of deceptive weights?
12 For the rich men of [i]the city are full of (AC)violence,
And her inhabitants speak (AD)lies,
And their (AE)tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 So also I will make you (AF)sick, striking you down,
(AG)Desolating you because of your sins.
14 You will eat, but you will (AH)not be satisfied,
And your [j]vileness will be in your midst.
And you will try to remove something for safekeeping,
But you will (AI)not cause anything to escape,
And that which you do have escape, I will give to the sword.
15 You will sow but you will (AJ)not reap.
You will tread the olive but will not anoint yourself with oil;
And the grapes, but you will (AK)not drink wine.
16 The statutes of (AL)Omri
And all the works of the house of (AM)Ahab are kept;
And in their counsels you (AN)walk.
Therefore I will give you up as (AO)an object of horror
And [k]your inhabitants as an (AP)object of hissing,
And you will bear the (AQ)reproach of My people.”

Footnotes

  1. Micah 6:1 Or hear
  2. Micah 6:1 Lit with
  3. Micah 6:1 Or hear
  4. Micah 6:2 Or hear
  5. Micah 6:5 Lit to know
  6. Micah 6:8 Or circumspectly
  7. Micah 6:9 Lit it
  8. Micah 6:10 Lit shrunken ephah
  9. Micah 6:12 Lit her
  10. Micah 6:14 Or possibly garbage, excreta
  11. Micah 6:16 Lit her

The Lord’s Case Against Israel

Listen to what the Lord says:

“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;(A)
    let the hills hear what you have to say.

“Hear,(B) you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;(C)
    listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case(D) against his people;
    he is lodging a charge(E) against Israel.

“My people, what have I done to you?
    How have I burdened(F) you?(G) Answer me.
I brought you up out of Egypt(H)
    and redeemed you from the land of slavery.(I)
I sent Moses(J) to lead you,
    also Aaron(K) and Miriam.(L)
My people, remember
    what Balak(M) king of Moab plotted
    and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim(N) to Gilgal,(O)
    that you may know the righteous acts(P) of the Lord.”

With what shall I come before(Q) the Lord
    and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?(R)
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,(S)
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(T)
Shall I offer my firstborn(U) for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(V)
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(W) and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly[a](X) with your God.(Y)

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
    and to fear your name is wisdom—
    “Heed the rod(Z) and the One who appointed it.[b]
10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
    and the short ephah,[c] which is accursed?(AA)
11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,(AB)
    with a bag of false weights?(AC)
12 Your rich people are violent;(AD)
    your inhabitants are liars(AE)
    and their tongues speak deceitfully.(AF)
13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy(AG) you,
    to ruin[d] you because of your sins.
14 You will eat but not be satisfied;(AH)
    your stomach will still be empty.[e]
You will store up but save nothing,(AI)
    because what you save[f] I will give to the sword.
15 You will plant but not harvest;(AJ)
    you will press olives but not use the oil,
    you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.(AK)
16 You have observed the statutes of Omri(AL)
    and all the practices of Ahab’s(AM) house;
    you have followed their traditions.(AN)
Therefore I will give you over to ruin(AO)
    and your people to derision;
    you will bear the scorn(AP) of the nations.[g]

Footnotes

  1. Micah 6:8 Or prudently
  2. Micah 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
  3. Micah 6:10 An ephah was a dry measure.
  4. Micah 6:13 Or Therefore, I will make you ill and destroy you; / I will ruin
  5. Micah 6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  6. Micah 6:14 Or You will press toward birth but not give birth, / and what you bring to birth
  7. Micah 6:16 Septuagint; Hebrew scorn due my people