1 H ear now what the Lord is saying, “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills hear your voice.

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

2 “ Listen, you mountains, to the indictment of the Lord, And you enduring foundations of the earth, Because the Lord has a case against His people; Even with Israel He will dispute.

Hear, 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.

3 “ My people, what have I done to you, And how have I wearied you? Answer Me.

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

4 “ Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt And ransomed you from the house of slavery, And I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam.

For 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.

5 “ My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled And what Balaam son of Beor answered him, And from Shittim to Gilgal, So that you might know the righteous acts of the Lord.” What God Requires of Man

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.

6 W ith what shall I come to the Lord And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves?

With 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?

7 D oes the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, 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 transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 H e has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?

He 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?

9 T he voice of the Lord will call to the city— And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name: “Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed its time?

The 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.

10 “ Is there yet a man in the wicked house, Along with treasures of wickedness And a short measure that is cursed?

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

11 “ Can I justify wicked scales And a bag of deceptive weights?

Can I be pure with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights?

12 “ For the rich men of the city are full of violence, Her residents speak lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

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

13 “ So also I will make you sick, striking you down, Desolating you because of your sins.

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

14 “ You will eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your vileness will be in your midst. You will try to remove for safekeeping, But you will not preserve anything, And what you do preserve I will give to the sword.

You 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.

15 “ You will sow but you will not reap. You will tread the olive but will not anoint yourself with oil; And the grapes, but you will not drink wine.

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

16 “ The statutes of Omri And all the works of the house of Ahab are observed; And in their devices you walk. Therefore I will give you up for destruction And your inhabitants for derision, And you will bear the reproach of My people.”

For 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.