Micah 6
Good News Translation
The Lord's Case against Israel
6 Listen to the Lord's case against Israel.
Arise, O Lord, and present your case; let the mountains and the hills hear what you say.
2 You mountains, you everlasting foundations of the earth, listen to the Lord's case! The Lord has a case against his people. He is going to bring an accusation against Israel.
3 The Lord says, “My people, what have I done to you? How have I been a burden to you? Answer me. 4 (A)I brought you out of Egypt; I rescued you from slavery; I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you. 5 (B)My people, remember what King Balak of Moab planned to do to you and how Balaam son of Beor answered him. Remember the things that happened on the way from the camp at Acacia to Gilgal. Remember these things and you will realize what I did in order to save you.”
What the Lord Requires
6 What shall I bring to the Lord, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him? Shall I bring the best calves to burn as offerings to him? 7 Will the Lord be pleased if I bring him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive oil? Shall I offer him my first-born child to pay for my sins? 8 No, the Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.
9 It is wise to fear the Lord. He calls to the city, “Listen, you people who assemble in the city![a] 10 In the houses of evil people are treasures which they got dishonestly. They use false measures, a thing that I hate.[b] 11 How can I forgive those who use false scales and weights? 12 Your rich people exploit the poor, and all of you are liars. 13 So I have already begun[c] your ruin and destruction because of your sins. 14 You will eat, but not be satisfied—in fact you will still be hungry. You will carry things off, but you will not be able to save them; anything you do save I will destroy in war. 15 You will sow grain, but not harvest the crop. You will press oil from olives, but never get to use it. You will make wine, but never drink it. 16 (C)This will happen because you have followed the evil practices of King Omri and of his son, King Ahab. You have continued their policies, and so I will bring you to ruin, and everyone will despise you. People[d] everywhere will treat you with contempt.”[e]
Footnotes
- Micah 6:9 Probable text who assemble in the city; Hebrew and who appointed it. Yet.
- Micah 6:10 Verse 10 in Hebrew is unclear.
- Micah 6:13 Some ancient translations begun; Hebrew made sick.
- Micah 6:16 One ancient translation People; Hebrew My people.
- Micah 6:16 People … contempt; or As my people you will everywhere be treated with contempt.
Micah 6
New King James Version
God Pleads with Israel
6 Hear now what the Lord says:
“Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
2 (A)Hear, O you mountains, (B)the Lord’s complaint,
And you strong foundations of the earth;
For (C)the Lord has a complaint against His people,
And He will [a]contend with Israel.
3 “O My people, what (D)have I done to you?
And how have I (E)wearied you?
Testify against Me.
4 (F)For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I redeemed you from the house of bondage;
And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O My people, remember now
What (G)Balak king of Moab counseled,
And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
From [b]Acacia Grove to Gilgal,
That you may know (H)the righteousness of the Lord.”
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 (I)Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand (J)rivers of oil?
(K)Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
[c]The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has (L)shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But (M)to do justly,
To love [d]mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Punishment of Israel’s Injustice
9 The Lord’s voice cries to the city—
Wisdom shall see Your name:
“Hear the rod!
Who has appointed it?
10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness
In the house of the wicked,
And the short measure that is an abomination?
11 Shall I count pure those with (N)the wicked scales,
And with the bag of deceitful weights?
12 For her rich men are full of (O)violence,
Her inhabitants have spoken lies,
And (P)their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 “Therefore I will also (Q)make you sick by striking you,
By making you desolate because of your sins.
14 (R)You shall eat, but not be satisfied;
[e]Hunger shall be in your midst.
You may carry some away,[f] but shall not save them;
And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword.
15 “You shall (S)sow, but not reap;
You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
And make sweet wine, but not drink wine.
16 For the statutes of (T)Omri are (U)kept;
All the works of Ahab’s house are done;
And you walk in their counsels,
That I may make you a [g]desolation,
And your inhabitants a hissing.
Therefore you shall bear the (V)reproach of [h]My people.”
Footnotes
- Micah 6:2 bring charges against
- Micah 6:5 Heb. Shittim, Num. 25:1; Josh. 2:1; 3:1
- Micah 6:7 My own child
- Micah 6:8 Or lovingkindness
- Micah 6:14 Or Emptiness or Humiliation
- Micah 6:14 Tg., Vg. You shall take hold
- Micah 6:16 Or object of horror
- Micah 6:16 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX nations
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
