Micah 6

Christian Standard Bible

God’s Lawsuit against Judah

6 Now listen to what the Lord is saying:

Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your complaint.^[a]
²Listen to the Lord’s lawsuit,^(A)
you mountains and enduring foundations of the earth,^(B)
because the Lord has a case against his people,^(C)
and he will argue it against Israel.
³My people,^(D) what have I done to you,^(E)
or how have I wearied you?^(F)
Testify against me!
⁴Indeed, I brought you up^(G) from the land of Egypt
and redeemed you^(H) from that place of slavery.^(I)
I sent Moses,^(J) Aaron, and Miriam^(K) ahead of you.
⁵My people,
remember what King Balak of Moab^(L) proposed,
what Balaam son of Beor answered him,^(M)
and what happened from the Acacia Grove^[b]^(N) to Gilgal^(O)
so that you may acknowledge
the Lord’s righteous acts.^(P)

⁶What should I bring before the Lord^(Q)
when I come to bow before God on high?
Should I come before him with burnt offerings,^(R)
with year-old calves?
⁷Would the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams^(S)
or with ten thousand streams of oil?
Should I give my firstborn for my transgression,^(T)
the offspring of my body for my own sin?

⁸Mankind, he has told each of you what is good^(U)
and what it is the Lord requires of you:^(V)
to act justly,^(W)
to love faithfulness,^(X)
and to walk humbly with your God.^(Y)

Verdict of Judgment

⁹The voice of the Lord calls out to the city^[c]
(and it is wise to fear your name):
“Pay attention to the rod
and the one who ordained it.^[d]
¹⁰Are there still^[e] the treasures of wickedness^(Z)
and the accursed short measure^(AA)
in the house of the wicked?
¹¹Can I excuse wicked scales
or bags of deceptive weights?^(AB)
¹²For the wealthy of the city are full of violence,^(AC)
and its residents speak lies;^(AD)
the tongues in their mouths are deceitful.^(AE)

¹³“As a result, I have begun to strike you severely,^[f]^(AF)
bringing desolation because of your sins.^(AG)
¹⁴You will eat but not be satisfied,^(AH)
for there will be hunger within you.
What you acquire, you cannot save,^(AI)
and what you do save,
I will give to the sword.^[g]
¹⁵You will sow but not reap;^(AJ)
you will press olives
but not anoint yourself with oil;
and you will tread grapes
but not drink the wine.^(AK)
¹⁶The statutes of Omri
and all the practices of Ahab’s house
have been observed;
you have followed their policies.^(AL)
Therefore, I will make you a desolate place^(AM)
and the city’s^[h] residents an object of contempt;^[i]^(AN)
you will bear the scorn of my people.”^[j]^(AO)

Footnotes

6:1 Lit voice
6:5 Or from Shittim
6:9 = Jerusalem
6:9 Or attention, you tribe. Who has ordained it?; Hb obscure
6:10 Hb obscure
6:13 LXX, Aq, Theod, Syr, Vg; MT reads I have made you sick by striking you down
6:14 Hb obscure
6:16 Lit and its
6:16 Lit residents a hissing
6:16 LXX reads of the peoples

Micah 6

The Message

What God Is Looking For

6 ^1-2Listen now, listen to God:

“Take your stand in court.
    If you have a complaint, tell the mountains;
    make your case to the hills.
And now, Mountains, hear God’s case;
    listen, Jury Earth—
For I am bringing charges against my people.
    I am building a case against Israel.

^3-5“Dear people, how have I done you wrong?
    Have I burdened you, worn you out? Answer!
I delivered you from a bad life in Egypt;
    I paid a good price to get you out of slavery.
I sent Moses to lead you—
    and Aaron and Miriam to boot!
Remember what Balak king of Moab tried to pull,
    and how Balaam son of Beor turned the tables on him.
Remember all those stories about Shittim and Gilgal.
    Keep all God’s salvation stories fresh and present.”

^6-7How can I stand up before God
    and show proper respect to the high God?
Should I bring an armload of offerings
    topped off with yearling calves?
Would God be impressed with thousands of rams,
    with buckets and barrels of olive oil?
Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child,
    my precious baby, to cancel my sin?

* * *

⁸But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
    what God is looking for in men and women.
It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
    be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously—
    take God seriously.

⁹Attention! God calls out to the city!
If you know what’s good for you, you’ll listen.
So listen, all of you!
This is serious business.

* * *

^10-16“Do you expect me to overlook obscene wealth
    you’ve piled up by cheating and fraud?
Do you think I’ll tolerate shady deals
    and shifty scheming?
I’m tired of the violent rich
    bullying their way with bluffs and lies.
I’m fed up. Beginning now, you’re finished.
    You’ll pay for your sins down to your last cent.
No matter how much you get, it will never be enough—
    hollow stomachs, empty hearts.
No matter how hard you work, you’ll have nothing to show for it—
    bankrupt lives, wasted souls.
You’ll plant grass
    but never get a lawn.
You’ll make jelly
    but never spread it on your bread.
You’ll press apples
    but never drink the cider.
You have lived by the standards of your king, Omri,
    the decadent lifestyle of the family of Ahab.
Because you’ve slavishly followed their fashions,
    I’m forcing you into bankruptcy.
Your way of life will be laughed at, a tasteless joke.
    Your lives will be derided as futile and fake.”

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)

Micah 6 Christian Standard Bible