^{1 Ref} Give ear now to the words of the Lord: Up! put forward your cause before the mountains, let your voice be sounding among the hills.

^{2 Ref} Give ear, O you mountains, to the Lord's cause, and take note, you bases of the earth: for the Lord has a cause against his people, and he will take it up with Israel.

^{3 Ref} O my people, what have I done to you? how have I been a weariness to you? give answer against me.

^{4 Ref} For I took you up out of the land of Egypt and made you free from the prison-house; I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

^{5 Ref} O my people, keep in mind now what was designed by Balak, king of Moab, and the answer which Balaam, son of Beor, gave him; the events, from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may be certain of the upright acts of the Lord.

^{6 Ref} With what am I to come before the Lord and go with bent head before the high God? am I to come before him with burned offerings, with young oxen a year old?

^{7 Ref} Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of sheep or with ten thousand rivers of oil? am I to give my first child for my wrongdoing, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

^{8 Ref} He has made clear to you, O man, what is good; and what is desired from you by the Lord; only doing what is right, and loving mercy, and walking without pride before your God.

^{9 Ref} The voice of the Lord is crying out to the town: Give ear, you tribes and the meeting of the town.

^{10 Ref} Am I to let the stores of the evil-doer go out of my memory, and the short measure, which is cursed?

^{11 Ref} Is it possible for me to let wrong scales and the bag of false weights go without punishment?

^{12 Ref} For its men of wealth are cruel, and its people have said what is not true, and their tongue is false in their mouth.

^{13 Ref} So I have made a start with your punishment; I have made you waste because of your sins.

^{14 Ref} You will have food, but not enough; your shame will be ever with you: you will get your goods moved, but you will not take them away safely; and what you do take away I will give to the sword.

^{15 Ref} You will put in seed, but you will not get in the grain; you will be crushing olives, but your bodies will not be rubbed with the oil; and you will get in the grapes, but you will have no wine.

^{16 Ref} For you have kept the laws of Omri and all the works of the family of Ahab, and you have been guided by their designs: so that I might make you a cause of wonder and your people a cause of hisses; and the shame of my people will be on you.

^{1 Ref} Hear ye now what Jehovah saith: Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

^{2 Ref} Hear, O ye mountains, Jehovah's controversy, and ye enduring foundations of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel.

^{3 Ref} O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.

^{4 Ref} For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

^{5 Ref} O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him; `remember' from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteous acts of Jehovah.

^{6 Ref} Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old?

^{7 Ref} will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, `or' with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

^{8 Ref} He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?

^{9 Ref} The voice of Jehovah crieth unto the city, and `the man of' wisdom will see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

^{10 Ref} Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a scant measure that is abominable?

^{11 Ref} Shall I be pure with wicked balances, and with a bag of deceitful weights?

^{12 Ref} For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

^{13 Ref} Therefore I also have smitten thee with a grievous wound; I have made thee desolate because of thy sins.

^{14 Ref} Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy humiliation shall be in the midst of thee: and thou shalt put away, but shalt not save; and that which thou savest will I give up to the sword.

^{15 Ref} Thou shalt sow, but shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not anoint thee with oil; and the vintage, but shalt not drink the wine.

^{16 Ref} For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I may make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing: and ye shall bear the reproach of my people.

^{1 Ref} Listen now to what Yahweh says: "Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills hear what you have to say.

^{2 Ref} Hear, you mountains, Yahweh's controversy, And you enduring foundations of the earth; For Yahweh has a controversy with his people, And he will contend with Israel.

^{3 Ref} My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me!

^{4 Ref} For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, And redeemed you out of the house of bondage. I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

^{5 Ref} My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, That you may know the righteous acts of Yahweh."

^{6 Ref} How shall I come before Yahweh, And bow myself before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old?

^{7 Ref} Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

^{8 Ref} He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, To love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

^{9 Ref} Yahweh's voice calls to the city, And wisdom sees your name: "Listen to the rod, And he who appointed it.

^{10 Ref} Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, And a short ephah{An ephah is a measure of volume, and a short ephah is made smaller than a full ephah for the purpose of cheating customers.} that is accursed?

^{11 Ref} Shall I be pure with dishonest scales, And with a bag of deceitful weights?

^{12 Ref} Her rich men are full of violence, Her inhabitants speak lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their speech.

^{13 Ref} Therefore I also have struck you with a grievous wound. I have made you desolate because of your sins.

^{14 Ref} You shall eat, but not be satisfied. Your humiliation will be in your midst. You will store up, but not save; And that which you save I will give up to the sword.

^{15 Ref} You will sow, but won't reap. You will tread the olives, but won't anoint yourself with oil; And crush grapes, but won't drink the wine.

^{16 Ref} For the statutes of Omri are kept, And all the works of the house of Ahab. You walk in their counsels, That I may make you a ruin, And her inhabitants a hissing; And you will bear the reproach of my people."