^2 (A)Hear, you peoples, all of you;^{[a]
    (B)}pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it,
and ^(C)let the Lord God be a witness against you,
    ^(D)the Lord from his holy temple.
³ For behold, ^(E)the Lord is coming out of ^(F)his place,
    and will come down and ^(G)tread upon the high places of the earth.
⁴ And ^(H)the mountains will melt under him,
    and the valleys will split open,
like wax before the fire,
    like waters poured down a steep place.
⁵ All this is for ^(I)the transgression of Jacob
    and for the sins of the house of Israel.
^(J)What is the transgression of Jacob?
    Is it not ^(K)Samaria?
And what is ^(L)the high place of Judah?
    Is it not Jerusalem?

^{2 [a] (A)}But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of ^(B)Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ^(C)ruler in Israel,
^(D)whose coming forth is ^(E)from of old,
    from ancient days.
³ Therefore he shall give them up ^(F)until the time
    when she who is in labor has given birth;
then ^(G)the rest of his brothers shall return
    to the people of Israel.
⁴ And he shall stand ^(H)and shepherd his flock ^(I)in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now ^(J)he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth.
⁵ And he shall be ^(K)their peace.

^6 (A)“With what shall I come before the Lord,
    and bow myself before ^(B)God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
^7 (C)Will the Lord be pleased with^[a] thousands of rams,
    with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
^(D)Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
⁸ He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and ^(E)what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,^[b]
    and to ^(F)walk humbly with your God?