Miquéias 6

God Pleads with Israel

1 Hear now what the Lord says:

"Arise, plead your case before the mountains,

And let the hills hear your voice.

2 *Ps. 50:1, 4Hear, O you mountains, *(Is. 1:18); Hos. 12:2the Lord’s complaint,

And you strong foundations of the earth;

For *(Is. 1:18)the Lord has a complaint against His people,

And He will contend with Israel.

3 "O My people, what *Is. 5:4; Jer. 2:5, 31have I done to you?

And how have I *Is. 43:22, 23; Mal. 1:13wearied you?

Testify against Me.

4 *(Deut. 4:20)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 *Num. 22:5, 6; Josh. 24:9Balak king of Moab counseled,

And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,

From Acacia Grove to Gilgal,

That you may know *Judg. 5:11the 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 *Ps. 50:9; Is. 1:11Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

Ten thousand *Job 29:6rivers of oil?

*Lev. 18:21; 20:1–5; 2 Kin. 16:3; Jer. 7:31; Ezek. 23:37Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,

The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He has *(Deut. 10:12; 1 Sam. 15:22); Hos. 6:6; 12:6shown you, O man, what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But *Gen. 18:19; Is. 1:17to do justly,

To love 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 thatis an abomination?

11 Shall I count pure those with *Lev. 19:36; Hos. 12:7the wicked scales,

And with the bag of deceitful weights?

12 For her rich men are full of *Is. 1:23; 5:7; Amos 6:3, 4; Mic. 2:1, 2violence,

Her inhabitants have spoken lies,

And *Jer. 9:2–6, 8; Hos. 7:13; Amos 2:4their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

13 "Therefore I will also *Lev. 26:16; Ps. 107:17make you sick by striking you,

By making you desolate because of your sins.

14 *Lev. 26:26You shall eat, but not be satisfied;

Hunger shallbe in your midst.

You may carry some away, but shall not save them;

And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword.

15 "You shall *Deut. 28:38–40; Amos 5:11; Zeph. 1:13; Hag. 1:6sow, 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 *1 Kin. 16:25, 26Omri are *1 Kin. 16:30; 21:25, 26; 2 Kin. 21:3; Hos. 5:11kept;

All the works of Ahab’s house aredone;

And you walk in their counsels,

That I may make you a desolation,

And your inhabitants a hissing.

Therefore you shall bear the *Is. 25:8reproach of My people."