Read the Bible

Come and present your case
    to the hills and mountains.
² Israel, I am bringing charges
    against you—
I call upon the mountains
and the earth's firm foundation
    to be my witnesses.

³ My people, have I wronged you
in any way at all?
    Please tell me.
⁴ I rescued you from Egypt,
    where you were slaves.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam
    to be your leaders.
⁵ Don't forget the evil plans
    of King Balak of Moab
or what Balaam son of Beor^[a]
    said to him.
Remember how I, the Lord,
    saved you many times
on your way from Acacia
    to Gilgal.^[b]

⁶ What offering should I bring
when I bow down to worship
    the Lord God Most High?
Should I try to please him^[c]
by sacrificing
    calves a year old?
⁷ Will thousands of sheep
or rivers of olive oil
    make God satisfied with me?
Should I sacrifice to the Lord
my first-born child
as payment
    for my terrible sins?
⁸ The Lord God has told us
what is right
    and what he demands:
"See that justice is done,
let mercy be your first concern,
    and humbly obey your God."

⁹ I am the Lord,
and it makes sense to respect
    my power to punish.
So listen to my message
    for the city of Jerusalem:^[d]
10 You store up stolen treasures
    and use dishonest scales.^[e]
11 But I, the Lord, will punish you
for cheating with weights
    and with measures.
¹² You rich people are violent,
    and everyone tells lies.

¹³ Because of your sins,
I will wound you
and leave you
    ruined and defenseless.
¹⁴ You will eat,
    but still be hungry;
you will store up goods,
    but lose everything—
I, the Lord, will let it all
    be captured in war.
¹⁵ You won't harvest what you plant
or use the oil
    from your olive trees
or drink the wine
    from grapes you grow.

¹⁶ Jerusalem, this will happen
    because you followed
the sinful example
    of kings Omri and Ahab.^[f]
Now I will destroy you
    and your property.
Then the people of every nation
    will make fun and insult you.