1   Hear now what the Lord is saying:

  Up, state your case to the mountains;
  let the hills hear your plea.

Israel denounced for her people's sins
   2   Hear the Lord's case, you mountains,
    you everlasting pillars that bear up the earth;
  for the Lord has a case against his people,
    and will argue it with Israel.
   3   O my people, what have I done to you?
  Tell me how I have wearied you; answer me this.
     4   I brought you up from Egypt,
    I ransomed you from the land of slavery,
  I sent Moses and Aaron and Miriam to lead you.
     5   Remember, my people,
  what Balak king of Moab schemed against you,
and how Balaam son of Beor answered him;
  consider the journey ^note from Shittim to Gilgal,
  in order that you may know the triumph of the Lord.


   6   What shall I bring when I approach the Lord?
  How shall I stoop before God on high?
Am I to approach him with whole-offerings or yearling calves?
   7   Will the Lord accept thousands of rams
    or ten thousand rivers of oil?
  Shall I offer my eldest son for my own wrongdoing,
    my children for my own sin?


8   God ^note has told you what is good;
  and what is it that the Lord asks of you?
  Only to act justly, to love loyalty,
  to walk wisely before your God.


9   Hark, the Lord, the fear of whose ^note name brings success,
    the Lord calls to the city.
   10   Listen, O tribe of Judah and citizens in assembly, ^note
  can I overlook ^note the infamous false measure, ^note
    the accursed short bushel ^note ?
11   Can I connive at false scales or a bag of light weights?
   12   Your rich men are steeped in violence,
    your townsmen are all liars,
  and their tongues frame deceit.
   13   But now I will inflict a signal punishment on you
    to lay you waste for your sins:
   14   you shall eat but not be satisfied,
    your food shall lie heavy on your stomach;
    you shall come to labour but not bring forth,

Israel denounced for her people's sins
    and even if you bear a child
    I will give it to the sword;
   15   you shall sow but not reap,
you shall press the olives but not use the oil,
  you shall tread the grapes but not drink the wine.
     16   You have ^note kept the precepts of Omri;
    what the house of Ahab did, you have done;
    you have followed all their ways.
  So I will lay you utterly waste;
    the nations ^note shall jeer at your citizens,
    and their insults you shall bear.

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