Micah 6:1-16

  • God’s legal case against Israel (1-5)

  • What does Jehovah require? (6-8)

    • Justice, loyalty, modesty (8)

  • Israel’s guilt and punishment (9-16)

6  Hear, please, what Jehovah is saying. Get up, present a legal case before the mountains,And may the hills hear your voice.+   Hear, O mountains, the legal case of Jehovah,You firm foundations of the earth,+For Jehovah has a legal case with his people;It is against Israel that he will argue:+   “My people, what have I done to you? How have I tired you out?+ Testify against me.   For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt,+From the house of slavery I redeemed you;+I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Mirʹi·am.+   My people, remember, please, what King Baʹlak of Moʹab proposed,+And what Baʹlaam the son of Beʹor answered him+—What took place from Shitʹtim+ to Gilʹgal+So that you may know the righteous acts of Jehovah.”   With what will I come before Jehovah? With what will I bow before God on high? Will I come before him with whole burnt offerings,With year-old calves?+   Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams,With tens of thousands of torrents of oil?+ Will I give my firstborn son for my revolt,The fruit of my body for my sin?*+   He has told you, O man, what is good. And what is Jehovah requiring* of you? Only to exercise justice,*+ to cherish loyalty,*+And to walk in modesty+ with your God!+   The voice of Jehovah calls out to the city;Those with practical wisdom will fear your name. Pay attention to the rod and to the one who appointed it.+ 10  Are there still the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wickedAnd the incomplete eʹphah measure* that is detestable? 11  Can I be morally clean* with wicked scales,With a bag of fraudulent stone weights?+ 12  For her rich men are full of violence,And her inhabitants speak lies;+Their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.+ 13  “Therefore, I will wound you by striking you,+Making you desolate because of your sins. 14  You will eat but not be satisfied;You will be empty inside.+ What you remove, you will not carry off safely,And what you do carry off, I will give to the sword. 15  You will sow seed, but you will not reap. You will tread olives, but you will not use the oil;And you will make new wine, but you will drink no wine.+ 16  For you observe the statutes of Omʹri and all the work of the house of Aʹhab,+And you walk in accord with their advice. That is why I will make you an object of horrorAnd her inhabitants something to be whistled at;+And you will bear the scorn of the peoples.”+

Footnotes

Or “for the sin of my soul?”
Or “to be kind and loyal in your love.” Lit., “to love loyal love.”
Or “to be just; to be fair.”
Or “asking back.”
Or “be innocent.”