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Guds anklage imod Israels folk

Hør, hvad Herren siger til Israels folk:
„Kom og forsvar jer med bjergene som vidner,
    lad højene høre, hvad I har at sige.”
Ja, lad bjergene høre Herrens anklage,
    jordens grundvold skal lytte med,
for han vil anklage sit folk,
    han kræver Israel til regnskab.
„Mit folk, hvad har jeg gjort jer?
    Hvorfor er I blevet trætte af mig? Svar mig!
Det var jo mig, der førte jer ud af Egypten
    og befriede jer fra slaveriet.
        Jeg gav jer både Moses, Aron og Mirjam som ledere.
Mit folk, husk på, at kong Balak af Moab ville forbande jer,
    men jeg fik Bileam, Beors søn, til at velsigne jer.
Husk alle miraklerne på vejen mellem Shittim og Gilgal,
    hvordan jeg i min nåde gav jer sejr.”
„Hvilke ofre ønsker Gud, vi skal bringe ham?” spørger I.
    „Hvad kan vi give til den højhellige Gud?
Måske kan vi give ham et brændoffer,
    de bedste kalve vi ejer?
Vil han tage imod 1000 væddere,
    eller måske et hav af olivenolie?
Skal vi ofre vores førstefødte sønner,
    som bod for alle vores synder?”
Nej, menneske, du har fået at vide, hvad der er godt,
    hvad Herren forlanger af dig:
Du skal gøre det rette i trofast kærlighed,
    og altid være villig til at vandre med Herren.

Dommen over den sociale uret

Herren råber til Jerusalem,
    og den, der er vis, lytter til hans ord.
Hør på dommen
    og tænk over, hvem der afsiger den:
10 „I snyder stadig, når I sælger jeres varer,
    I bliver rige ved at bedrage andre.
11 I ændrer på vægten med god samvittighed
    og bruger falske lodder uden at blinke.
12 Byens rigmænd er voldelige,
    alle indbyggerne er fulde af løgn, snyd og bedrag.
13 Derfor vil jeg sende en hær imod jer,
    så I kan forstå konsekvensen af jeres synd.
14 Der bliver mangel på mad,
    så sulten gnaver i maven.
I vil prøve at redde jeres ejendele,
    men det skal ikke lykkes jer.
Og skulle det lykkes jer at redde noget,
    bliver det taget af fjenden.
15 I skal så, men I når ikke at høste.
    I presser jeres oliven, men når ikke at bruge olien.
        I presser saften af druerne, men når ikke at drikke vinen.
16 I fulgte jo kong Omris gudløse skikke,
    efterlignede kong Ahabs ondskab.
Byens ødelæggelse bliver frygtelig at se på.
    Indbyggerne bliver udsat for spot,
        ja, hele folket vil blive hånet.”

Yahweh Brings a Charge against Israel

Hear now what Yahweh says:
“Arise! Plead your case with the mountains,
    and let the hills hear your voice.”
Hear, O mountains, the indictment of Yahweh,
    and you eternal foundations of the earth,
for Yahweh has an indictment against his people,
    and against Israel he contends.
“O my people, what have I done to you,
    and how have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
    and from the house of slavery I redeemed you.
    And I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before you.
O my people, remember what Balak the king of Moab devised,
    and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
    so that you might know the righteous acts of Yahweh.”

What Does Yahweh Require?

With what shall I approach Yahweh,
    and bow down to God on high?
Shall I approach him with burnt offerings,
    with bull calves a year old?
Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with myriads of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has told you, O mortal, what is good,
    and what does Yahweh ask from you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

The Destruction of the Wicked

The voice of Yahweh calls to the city
    (it is sound judgment to fear your name):
    “Hear, O staff![a] Now who has appointed it?
10 Is there any longer a man in the house of the wicked
    treasures of wickedness,
    and the ephah of scarcity which is accursed?[b]
11 Shall I regard as pure the one with scales of wickedness,
    and with a bag of deceitful weights?
12 Because her rich are full of violence,
    and her inhabitants speak lies,
    and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 And I also have made you sick by striking you down,[c]
    making you desolate because of your sins.
14 You yourself will eat but not be satisfied;
    your hunger will be in your midst,
and you will put away, but you will not save,
    and what you save I will hand over to the sword.
15 You yourself will sow, but you will not reap;
    you will tread olives, but you will not anoint yourself with oil;
    you will tread grapes, but you will not drink wine.
16 For you have observed the regulations of Omri
    and all the works of the house of Ahab.
And you have walked in their counsels,
    so that I am making you a desolation
and your inhabitants an object of scorn.
    So you will bear the scorn of my people.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 6:9 Or “tribe”
  2. Micah 6:10 The meaning of the Hebrew text is uncertain
  3. Micah 6:13 Literally “I have made sick to strike you down”

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