Micah 6

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Now listen to what Yahweh says: 'Stand up, state your case to the mountains and let the hills hear whatyou have to say!'	1 Hear, then, what the LORD says: Arise, present your plea before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice!
2 Listen, mountains, to the case as Yahweh puts it, give ear, you foundations of the earth, for Yahweh hasa case against his people and he wil argue it with Israel.	2 Hear, O mountains, the plea of the LORD, pay attention, O foundations of the earth! For the LORD has a plea against his people, and he enters into trial with Israel.
3 'My people, what have I done to you, how have I made you tired of me? Answer me!	3 O my people, what have I done to you, or how have I wearied you? Answer me!
4 For I brought you up from Egypt, I ransomed you from the place of slave-labour and sent Moses, Aaronand Miriam to lead you.	4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery I released you; And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 My people, please remember: what was Balak king of Moab's plan and how did Balaam son of Beoranswer him? . . . from Shittim to Gilgal, for you to know Yahweh's saving justice.	5 My people, remember what Moab's King Balak planned, and how Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him . . . from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the just deeds of the LORD.
6 'With what shal I enter Yahweh's presence and bow down before God All-high? Shall I enter with burntofferings, with calves one year old?	6 With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow before God most high? Shall I come before him with holocausts, with calves a year old?
7 Wil he be pleased with rams by the thousand, with ten thousand streams of oil? Shal I offer my eldestson for my wrong-doing, the child of my own body for my sin?	7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 'You have already been told what is right and what Yahweh wants of you. Only this, to do what is right,to love loyalty and to walk humbly with your God.'	8 You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.
9 Yahweh's voice! He thunders to the city, 'Listen, tribe of assembled citizens!	9 Hark! the LORD cries to the city. (It is wisdom to fear your name!) Hear, O tribe and city council,
10 Can I overlook the false measure, that abomination, the short bushel?	10 Am I to bear any longer criminal hoarding and the meager ephah that is accursed?
11 Can I connive at rigged scales and at the bag of fraudulent weights?	11 Shall I acquit criminal balances, bags of false weights?
12 For the rich there are steeped in violence, and the citizens there are habitual liars.	12 You whose rich men are full of violence, whose inhabitants speak falsehood with deceitful tongues in their heads!
13 'I myself have therefore begun to strike you down, to bring you to ruin for your sins.	13 Rather I will begin to strike you with devastation because of your sins.
14 You wil eat but not be satisfied; you wil store up but never keep safe; what you do keep safe I shalhand over to the sword;	14 You shall eat, without being satisfied, food that will leave you empty; What you acquire, you cannot save; what you do save, I will deliver up to the sword.
15 you wil sow but wil not reap, press the olive but wil not rub yourself with oil, tread the grape but wilnot drink the wine.	15 You shall sow, yet not reap, tread out the olive, yet pour no oil, and the grapes, yet drink no wine.
16 'For you keep the laws of Omri; what the House of Ahab did, you have done; by model ing yourselveson their standards, you force me to make an appal ing example of you and reduce your citizens to a laughing-stock; hence you wil endure the scorn of other peoples.'	16 You have kept the decrees of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and you have walked in their counsels; Therefore I will deliver you up to ruin, and your citizens to derision; and you shall bear the reproach of the nations.