1 H ear, I pray you, that which Jehovah is saying: `Rise -- strive thou with the mountains, And cause thou the hills to hear thy voice.'

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

2 H ear, O mountains, the strife of Jehovah, Ye strong ones -- foundations of earth! For a strife to Jehovah, with His people, And with Israel He doth reason.

Hear, O you mountains, the Lord ’s complaint, And you strong foundations of the earth; For the Lord has a complaint against His people, And He will contend with Israel.

3 O My people, what have I done to thee? And what -- have I wearied thee? Testify against Me.

“O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me.

4 F or I brought thee up from the land of Egypt, And from the house of servants I have ransomed thee, And I send before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

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, I pray you, What counsel did Balak king of Moab, What answer him did Balaam son of Beor, (From Shittim unto Gilgal,) In order to know the righteous acts of Jehovah.'

O My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled, And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, From Acacia Grove to Gilgal, That you may know the righteousness of the Lord.”

6 W ith what do I come before Jehovah? Do I bow to God Most High? Do I come before Him with burnt-offerings? With calves -- sons of a year?

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 I s Jehovah pleased with thousands of rams? With myriads of streams of oil? Do I give my first-born my transgression? The fruit of my body the sin of my soul?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand 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 hath declared to thee, O man, what good; Yea, what is Jehovah requiring of thee, Except -- to do judgment, and love kindness, And lowly to walk with thy God?

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? Punishment of Israel’s Injustice

9 A voice of Jehovah to the city calleth, And wisdom doth fear Thy name, Hear ye the rod, and Him who appointed it.

The Lord ’s voice cries to the city— Wisdom shall see Your name: “Hear the rod! Who has appointed it?

10 A re there yet the house of the wicked Treasures of wickedness, And the abhorred scanty ephah?

Are there yet the treasures of wickedness In the house of the wicked, And the short measure that is an abomination?

11 D o I reckon pure with balances of wickedness? And with a bag of deceitful stones?

Shall I count pure those with the wicked scales, And with the bag of deceitful weights?

12 W hose rich ones have been full of violence, And its inhabitants have spoken falsehood, And their tongue deceitful in their mouth.

For her rich men are full of violence, Her inhabitants have spoken lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

13 A nd I also, I have begun to smite thee, To make desolate, because of thy sins.

“Therefore I will also make you sick by striking you, By making you desolate because of your sins.

14 T hou -- thou eatest, and thou art not satisfied, And thy pit in thy midst, And thou removest, and dost not deliver, And that which thou deliverest, to a sword I give.

You shall eat, but not be satisfied; Hunger shall be 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 T hou -- thou sowest, and thou dost not reap, Thou -- thou treadest the olive, And thou pourest not out oil, And new wine -- and thou drinkest not wine.

“You shall sow, but not reap; You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; And make sweet wine, but not drink wine.

16 A nd kept habitually are the statutes of Omri, And all the work of the house of Ahab, And ye do walk in their counsels, For My giving thee for a desolation, And its inhabitants for a hissing, And the reproach of My people ye do bear!

For the statutes of Omri are kept; All the works of Ahab’s house are done; And you walk in their counsels, That I may make you a desolation, And your inhabitants a hissing. Therefore you shall bear the reproach of My people.”