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¹ Hear ye now what the LORD saith: Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.² Hear, O ye mountains, the LORD'S controversy, and ye enduring rocks, the foundations of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel.³ O My people, what have I done unto thee? And wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against Me.⁴ 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 O My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him; from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteous acts of the LORD.

⁶ 'Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old?⁷ Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, 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 It hath been told thee, O man, what is good, and what the LORD doth require of thee: only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

⁹ Hark! the LORD crieth unto the city--and it is wisdom to have regard for Thy name--hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.¹⁰ Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?¹¹ 'Shall I be pure with wicked balances, and with a bag of deceitful weights?'¹² 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 Therefore I also do smite thee with a grievous wound; I do make thee desolate because of thy sins.¹⁴ Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy sickness shall be in thine inward parts; and thou shalt conceive, but shalt not bring forth; and whomsoever thou bringest forth will I give up to the sword.¹⁵ 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 wine.¹⁶ 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 an astonishment, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing; and ye shall bear the reproach of My people.