1 H ear now what the Lord says: Arise, contend and plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.

¶ Hear ye now what the LORD saith: Arise, contend thou with the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

2 H ear, O mountains, the Lord’s controversy, and you strong and enduring foundations of the earth, for the Lord has a controversy (a pleading contention) with His people, and He will contend with Israel.

Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will reprove Israel.

3 O My people, what have I done to you? And in what have I wearied you? Testify against Me!

O my people, what have I done unto thee? and in what have I wearied thee? testify against me.

4 F or I brought you up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house where you were bond servants, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

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

5 O 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 and saving acts of the Lord.

O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal: that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.

6 W ith what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

¶ With what shall I present myself before the LORD, and how shall I worship the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

7 W ill the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my rebellion, the fruit of my bowels for the sin of my soul?

8 H e has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?

He has declared unto thee, O man, what is good and what the LORD requires of thee: only to do right judgment, and to love mercy, and to humble thyself to walk with thy God.

9 T he voice of the Lord calls to the city —and it is sound wisdom to hear and fear Your name—Hear (heed) the rod and Him Who has appointed it.

¶ The LORD’s voice cries out unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and he who has established it.

10 A re there not still treasures gained by wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a scant measure that is abominable and accursed?

Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked and the scant measure that is abominable?

11 C an I be pure with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights?

Can I be pure with false balances and with a bag of deceitful weights?

12 F or rich men are full of violence; her inhabitants have spoken lies and their tongues are deceitful in their mouths.

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

13 T herefore I have also smitten you with a deadly wound and made you sick, laying you desolate, waste, and deserted because of your sins.

Therefore I have also made thee weak in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.

14 Y ou shall eat but not be satisfied, and your emptiness and hunger shall remain in you; you shall carry away but fail to save them, and those you do deliver I will give to the sword.

Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take, but shalt not be saved; and that which thou dost save, I will give it up to the sword.

15 Y ou shall sow but not reap; you shall tread olives but not anoint yourselves with oil, and the grapes but not drink the wine.

Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with the oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink the wine.

16 F or the statutes of Omri you have kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and you walk in their counsels. Therefore I will make you a desolation and an astonishment and your inhabitants a hissing, and you shall bear the reproach and scorn of My people.

For the statutes of Omri have been kept and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye have walked in their counsels that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.