6:1 Hear now what the LORD is saying,
“Arise, plead your case ①before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
▷ ①Lit with
6:2 Listen, you mountains, to the indictment by the LORD,
And you enduring foundations of the earth,
Because the LORD has a case against His people;
And He will dispute with Israel.
6:3 My people, what have I done to you,
And how have I wearied you? Answer Me.
6:4 Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I redeemed you from the house of slavery,
And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
6:5 My people, remember now
What Balak king of Moab planned
And what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
And what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
①So that you might know the righteous acts of the LORD.”
▷ ①Lit In order to know
6:6 With 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?
6:7 Does the LORD take pleasure in thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of ①oil?
Shall I give Him my firstborn for my wrongdoings,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
▷ ①I.e., olive oil
6:8 He has told you, mortal one, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love ①kindness,
And to walk ②humbly with your God?
▷ ①Or loyalty ②Or circumspectly
6:9 The voice of the LORD will call to the city—
And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name:
“ ①Hear, you tribe. Who has designated ②its time?
▷ ①Or Hear about the rod and who designated it ②Lit it
6:10 Is there still a person in the wicked house,
Along with treasures of wickedness,
And a ①short measure that is cursed?
▷ ①Lit shrunken ephah
6:11 Can I justify dishonest balances,
And a bag of fraudulent weights?
6:12 For the rich people of ①the city are full of violence,
Her residents speak lies,
And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
▷ ①Lit her are
6:13 So also I will make you sick, striking you down,
Making you desolate because of your sins.
6:14 You will eat, but you will not be satisfied,
And your filth will be in your midst.
You will try to remove valuables for safekeeping,
But you will not save it all,
And what you do save I will turn over to the sword.
6:15 You will sow but you will not harvest.
You will tread the olive press but will not anoint yourself with oil;
And tread out sweet wine, but you will not drink any wine.
6:16 The statutes of Omri
And every work of the house of Ahab are maintained,
And you walk by their plans.
Therefore I will give you up for destruction,
And ①your inhabitants for ②derision,
And you will suffer the taunting of My people.”
▷ ①Lit her ②Lit whistling (in mockery)