< Micah 6 >

1 Here ye whiche thingis the Lord spekith. Rise thou, stryue thou bi doom ayens mounteyns, and litle hillis here thi vois.
Listen now to what the LORD says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear what you have to say.
2 Mounteyns, and the stronge foundementis of erthe, here the doom of the Lord; for the doom of the Lord with his puple, and he schal be demyd with Israel.
Hear, you mountains, the LORD’s indictment, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a case against his people, and he will contend with Israel.
3 Mi puple, what haue Y don to thee, ether what was Y greuouse to thee? Answere thou to me.
My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me!
4 For Y ledde thee out of the lond of Egipt, and of the hous of seruage Y delyuerede thee; and Y sente bifore thi face Moises, and Aaron, and Marye.
For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage. I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 My puple, bithenke, Y preie, what Balaac, kyng of Moab, thouyte, and what Balaam, sone of Beor, of Sethym, answeride to hym til to Galgala, that thou schuldist knowe the riytwisnesse of the Lord.
My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD.”
6 What worthi thing schal Y offre to the Lord? schal Y bowe the knee to the hiye God? Whether Y schal offre to hym brent sacrifices, and calues of o yeer?
How shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Whether God mai be paid in thousyndis of wetheris, ether in many thousyndis of fatte geet buckis? Whether Y schal yyue my firste bigetun for my greet trespas, the fruyt of my wombe for synne of my soule?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 Y schal schewe to thee, thou man, what is good, and what the Lord axith of thee; forsothe for to do doom, and for to loue merci, and be bisi for to walke with thi God.
He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
9 The vois of the Lord crieth to the citee, and heelthe schal be to alle men dredynge thi name. Ye lynagis, here; and who schal approue it?
The LORD’s voice calls to the city— and wisdom fears your name— “Listen to the rod, and he who appointed it.
10 Yit fier is in the hous of the vnpitouse man, the tresouris of wickidnesse, and a lesse mesure ful of wraththe.
Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a short ephah that is accursed?
11 Whether Y schal iustifie the wickid balaunce, and the gileful weiytis of litil sak,
Shall I tolerate dishonest scales, and a bag of deceitful weights?
12 in whiche riche men therof ben fillid with wickidnesse? And men dwellynge ther ynne spaken leesyng, and the tunge of hem was gileful in the mouth of hem.
Her rich men are full of violence, her inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their speech.
13 And Y therfor bigan for to smyte thee, in perdicioun on thi synnes.
Therefore I also have struck you with a grievous wound. I have made you desolate because of your sins.
14 Thou schalt ete, and schalt not be fillid, and thi mekyng is in the middil of thee; and thou schalt take, and schalt not saue; and which thou schalt saue, Y schal yyue in to swerd.
You shall eat, but not be satisfied. Your hunger will be within you. You will store up, but not save, and that which you save I will give up to the sword.
15 Thou schalt sowe, and schal not repe; thou schalt trede the `frut of oliue, and schalt not be anoyntid with oile; and must, and schalt not drynke wyn.
You will sow, but will not reap. You will tread the olives, but will not anoint yourself with oil; and crush grapes, but will not drink the wine.
16 And thou keptist the heestis of Amry, and al the werk of the hous of Acab, and hast walkid in the lustis of hem, that Y schulde yyue thee in to perdicioun, and men dwellynge in it in to scornyng, and ye schulen bere the schenschipe of my puple.
For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of Ahab’s house. You walk in their counsels, that I may make you a ruin, and your inhabitants a hissing. You will bear the reproach of my people.”

< Micah 6 >