God’s Lawsuit against Judah
6 Now listen to what the Lord is saying:
Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your complaint.[a]
2 Listen to the Lord’s lawsuit,(A)
you mountains and enduring foundations of the earth,(B)
because the Lord has a case against his people,(C)
and he will argue it against Israel.
3 My people,(D) what have I done to you,(E)
or how have I wearied you?(F)
Testify against me!
4 Indeed, I brought you up(G) from the land of Egypt
and redeemed you(H) from that place of slavery.(I)
I sent Moses,(J) Aaron, and Miriam(K) ahead of you.
5 My people,
remember what King Balak of Moab(L) proposed,
what Balaam son of Beor answered him,(M)
and what happened from the Acacia Grove[b](N) to Gilgal(O)
so that you may acknowledge
the Lord’s righteous acts.(P)
6 What should I bring before the Lord(Q)
when I come to bow before God on high?
Should I come before him with burnt offerings,(R)
with year-old calves?
7 Would the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams(S)
or with ten thousand streams of oil?
Should I give my firstborn for my transgression,(T)
the offspring of my body for my own sin?
8 Mankind, he has told each of you what is good(U)
and what it is the Lord requires of you:(V)
to act justly,(W)
to love faithfulness,(X)
and to walk humbly with your God.(Y)
Verdict of Judgment
9 The voice of the Lord calls out to the city[c]
(and it is wise to fear your name):
“Pay attention to the rod
and the one who ordained it.[d]
10 Are there still[e] the treasures of wickedness(Z)
and the accursed short measure(AA)
in the house of the wicked?
11 Can I excuse wicked scales
or bags of deceptive weights?(AB)
12 For the wealthy of the city are full of violence,(AC)
and its residents speak lies;(AD)
the tongues in their mouths are deceitful.(AE)
13 “As a result, I have begun to strike you severely,[f](AF)
bringing desolation because of your sins.(AG)
14 You will eat but not be satisfied,(AH)
for there will be hunger within you.
What you acquire, you cannot save,(AI)
and what you do save,
I will give to the sword.[g]
15 You will sow but not reap;(AJ)
you will press olives
but not anoint yourself with oil;
and you will tread grapes
but not drink the wine.(AK)
16 The statutes of Omri
and all the practices of Ahab’s house
have been observed;
you have followed their policies.(AL)
Therefore, I will make you a desolate place(AM)
and the city’s[h] residents an object of contempt;[i](AN)
you will bear the scorn of my people.”[j](AO)
Footnotes
- 6:1 Lit voice
- 6:5 Or from Shittim
- 6:9 = Jerusalem
- 6:9 Or attention, you tribe. Who has ordained it?; Hb obscure
- 6:10 Hb obscure
- 6:13 LXX, Aq, Theod, Syr, Vg; MT reads I have made you sick by striking you down
- 6:14 Hb obscure
- 6:16 Lit and its
- 6:16 Lit residents a hissing
- 6:16 LXX reads of the peoples
Cross references
- 6:2 : Is 3:13; Jr 2:9
- 6:2 : 2Sm 22:16; Ps 104:5
- 6:2 : Is 1:18; Hs 4:1; 12:2
- 6:3 : Ps 50:7
- 6:3 : Jr 2:5
- 6:3 : Is 43:22–23
- 6:4 : Ex 12:51; 20:2
- 6:4 : Dt 7:8
- 6:4 : Ex 20:2
- 6:4 : Ps 77:20
- 6:4 : Ex 15:20
- 6:5 : Nm 22:5–6
- 6:5 : Nm 22–24
- 6:5 : Nm 25:1; Jos 2:1; 3:1
- 6:5 : Jos 4:19; 5:9–10
- 6:5 : 1Sm 12:7; Ps 103:6; Is 1:27
- 6:6 : Ps 40:6–8
- 6:6 : Ps 51:16–17
- 6:7 : Ps 50:9; Is 40:16
- 6:7 : Lv 18:21; 20:1–5; Jr 7:31
- 6:8 : Dt 30:15
- 6:8 : Dt 10:12
- 6:8 : Is 56:1; Jr 22:3; Mt 23:23
- 6:8 : Hs 6:6
- 6:8 : Is 57:15; 66:2
- 6:10 : Jr 5:26–27; Am 3:10
- 6:10 : Ezk 45:9–10; Am 8:5
- 6:11 : Lv 19:36; Hs 12:7
- 6:12 : Is 1:23; 5:7; Am 6:3–4; Mc 2:1–2
- 6:12 : Jr 9:2–6,8; Hs 7:13; Am 2:4
- 6:12 : Is 3:8
- 6:13 : Mc 1:9
- 6:13 : Is 1:7; 6:11
- 6:14 : Is 9:20
- 6:14 : Is 30:6
- 6:15 : Dt 28:38–40; Jr 12:13
- 6:15 : Am 5:11; Zph 1:13
- 6:16 : 1Kg 16:25–34; 2Kg 21:3; 2Ch 21:6,13; Jr 7:24
- 6:16 : Jr 18:16
- 6:16 : Jr 19:8; 25:9,18; 29:18
- 6:16 : Ps 44:13; Jr 51:51; Hs 12:14