⁷ “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
    I will testify^(Q) against you, Israel:
    I am God, your God.^(R)
8 I bring no charges^(S) against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings,^(T) which are ever before me.
⁹ I have no need of a bull^(U) from your stall
    or of goats^(V) from your pens,^(W)
10 for every animal of the forest^(X) is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.^(Y)
11 I know every bird^(Z) in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields^(AA) are mine.
¹² If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world^(AB) is mine, and all that is in it.^(AC)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴ “Sacrifice thank offerings^(AD) to God,
    fulfill your vows^(AE) to the Most High,^(AF)
15 and call^(AG) on me in the day of trouble;^(AH)
    I will deliver^(AI) you, and you will honor^(AJ) me.”

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant^(AK) on your lips?^(AL)
17 You hate^(AM) my instruction
    and cast my words behind^(AN) you.
¹⁸ When you see a thief, you join^(AO) with him;
    you throw in your lot with adulterers.^(AP)
19 You use your mouth for evil
    and harness your tongue to deceit.^(AQ)
20 You sit and testify against your brother^(AR)
    and slander your own mother’s son.
²¹ When you did these things and I kept silent,^(AS)
    you thought I was exactly^[c] like you.
But I now arraign^(AT) you
    and set my accusations^(AU) before you.

²² “Consider this, you who forget God,^(AV)
    or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:^(AW)
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
    and to the blameless^[d] I will show my salvation.^(AX)”

²¹ “I hate,^(A) I despise your religious festivals;^(B)
    your assemblies^(C) are a stench to me.
²² Even though you bring me burnt offerings^(D) and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them.^(E)
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
    I will have no regard for them.^(F)
23 Away with the noise of your songs!
    I will not listen to the music of your harps.^(G)
24 But let justice^(H) roll on like a river,
    righteousness^(I) like a never-failing stream!^(J)

²⁵ “Did you bring me sacrifices^(K) and offerings
    forty years^(L) in the wilderness, people of Israel?
²⁶ You have lifted up the shrine of your king,
    the pedestal of your idols,^(M)
    the star of your god^[a]—
    which you made for yourselves.
²⁷ Therefore I will send you into exile^(N) beyond Damascus,”
    says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty.^(O)

“Heaven is my throne,^(A)
    and the earth is my footstool.^(B)
Where is the house^(C) you will build for me?
    Where will my resting place be?
² Has not my hand made all these things,^(D)
    and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
    those who are humble and contrite in spirit,^(E)
    and who tremble at my word.^(F)
3 But whoever sacrifices a bull^(G)
    is like one who kills a person,
and whoever offers a lamb
    is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
    is like one who presents pig’s^(H) blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense^(I)
    is like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,^(J)
    and they delight in their abominations;^(K)
4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
    and will bring on them what they dread.^(L)
For when I called, no one answered,^(M)
    when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil^(N) in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”^(O)