Micah 6

1 Hear, I pray you, what, Yahweh, is saying, —arise thou, maintain thy controversy before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice: —

Now listen to what Yahweh says, “Arise and state your case before the mountains; let the hills hear your voice.

2 Hear, ye mountains, the controversy of Yahweh, and ye lasting rocks, the foundations of the earth, —for, a controversy, hath Yahweh, with his people, and, with Israel, will he dispute.

Listen to Yahweh's lawsuit, you mountains, and you enduring foundations of the earth. For Yahweh has a lawsuit with his people, and he will fight in court against Israel.”

3 O my people! what have I done to thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify thou against me!

“My people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Testify against me!

4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and, out of the house of slaves, I ransomed thee, —and I sent before thee, Moses, Aaron and Miriam.

For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt and rescued you out of the house of bondage. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to you.

5 O my people! remember, I pray you, what Balak king of Moab, counseled, and what Balaam son of Beor, answered him, —from the Acacias as far as Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousness of Yahweh.

My people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and how Balaam son of Beor answered him as you went from Shittim to Gilgal, so you may know the righteous acts of Yahweh.”

6 Wherewith, shall I come before Yahweh? bow myself to God on high? Shall I come before him with ascending-sacrifice? with calves of a year old?

What should I bring to Yahweh, as I bow down to the high God? Should I come to him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

7 Will Yahweh, be pleased, with thousands of rams? with myriads of torrents of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression? the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Should I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for my own sin?

8 He hath told thee, O son of earth, what is good, —what then is, Yahweh, seeking of thee, but, to do justice, to delight in lovingkindness, and humbly to walk with thy God?

He has told you, man, what is good, and what Yahweh requires from you: Act justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.

9 The voice of Yahweh, to the city, crieth out, With safety for him who regardeth his name, —Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

The voice of Yahweh is making a proclamation to the city— even now wisdom acknowledges your name: “Pay attention to the rod, and to the one who has put it in place.

10 Even yet, are there, in the house of the lawless one, the treasures of lawlessness, —and the scant measure—accurst?

There is wealth in the houses of the wicked that is dishonest, and false measures that are abominable.

11 Shall I be pure with lawless balances? or with bag of deceitful weights?

Should I consider a person to be innocent if he uses fraudulent scales, with a bag of deceptive weights?

12 For, her rich men, are full of violence, and, her inhabitants, have spoken falsehood, —and, their tongue, is deceitful in their mouth.

The rich men are full of violence, the inhabitants have spoken lies, and their tongue in their mouth is deceitful.

13 Moreover also, I, have made thee sick with smiting thee, —laying thee waste because of thy sins.

Therefore I will strike you with a terrible blow, and I will make you desolate because of your sins.

14 Thou, shalt eat—and not be satisfied, but be shrunk with hunger within thee, —Though thou remove, yet shalt thou not set in safety, and, what thou dost set in safety, to the sword, will I deliver.

You will eat but not be satisfied; your emptiness will remain inside you. You will store goods away but not save, and what you do save I will give to the sword.

15 Thou, shalt sow, but shalt not reap, —thou, shalt tread the olive, but shalt not anoint thee with oil, also the grape, but shalt not drink the wine.

You will sow but not reap; you will tread the olives but not anoint yourselves with oil; you will press grapes but drink no wine.

16 For strictly observed are the statutes of Omri, and every doing of the house of Ahab, and ye have walked in their counsels, —to the end I may give thee up to desolation, and her inhabitants to hissing, that, the reproach of peoples, ye may bear.

The regulations made by Omri have been kept, and all the deeds of the house of Ahab. You walk by their advice. So I will make you, city, a ruin, and you inhabitants an object of hissing, and you will bear the reproach of my people.”