6:1 Listen to what the Lord says:
“Get up! Defend yourself 1 before the mountains! 2
Present your case before the hills!” 3
6:2 Hear the Lord’s accusation, you mountains,
you enduring foundations of the earth!
For the Lord has a case against his people;
he has a dispute with Israel! 4
6:3 “My people, how have I wronged you? 5
How have I wearied you? Answer me!
6:4 In fact, I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I delivered you from that place of slavery.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you. 6
6:5 My people, recall how King Balak of Moab planned to harm you, 7
how Balaam son of Beor responded to him.
Recall how you journeyed from Shittim to Gilgal,
so you might acknowledge that the Lord has treated you fairly.” 8
6:6 With what should I 9 enter the Lord’s presence?
With what 10 should I bow before the sovereign God? 11
Should I enter his presence with burnt offerings,
with year-old calves?
6:7 Will the Lord accept a thousand rams,
or ten thousand streams of olive oil?
Should I give him my firstborn child as payment for my rebellion,
my offspring – my own flesh and blood – for my sin? 12
6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good,
and what the Lord really wants from you: 13
He wants you to 14 promote 15 justice, to be faithful, 16
and to live obediently before 17 your God.
6:9 Listen! The Lord is calling 18 to the city!
It is wise to respect your authority, O Lord! 19
Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city! 20
6:10 “I will not overlook, 21 O sinful house, the dishonest gain you have hoarded away, 22
or the smaller-than-standard measure I hate so much. 23
6:11 I do not condone the use of rigged scales,
or a bag of deceptive weights. 24
6:12 The city’s rich men think nothing of resorting to violence; 25
her inhabitants lie, 26
their tongues speak deceptive words. 27
6:13 I will strike you brutally 28
and destroy you because of your sin.
6:14 You will eat, but not be satisfied.
Even if you have the strength 29 to overtake some prey, 30
you will not be able to carry it away; 31
if you do happen to carry away something,
I will deliver it over to the sword.
6:15 You will plant crops, but will not harvest them;
you will squeeze oil from the olives, 32 but you will have no oil to rub on your bodies; 33
you will squeeze juice from the grapes, but you will have no wine to drink. 34
6:16 You implement the regulations of Omri,
and all the practices of Ahab’s dynasty; 35
you follow their policies. 36
Therefore I will make you an appalling sight, 37
the city’s 38 inhabitants will be taunted derisively, 39
and nations will mock all of you.” 40