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God's Indictment of His People

¹ Hear now what the LORD is saying,
"Arise, plead your case ^(F1)before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.

² "Listen, you mountains, to the indictment by the LORD,
And you enduring ^(C1)foundations of the earth,
Because the ^(C2)LORD has a case against His people;
And He will dispute with Israel.

³ "^(C1)My people, ^(C2)what have I done to you,
And ^(C3)how have I wearied you? Answer Me.

⁴ "Indeed, I ^(C1)brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I ^(C2)redeemed you from the house of slavery,
And I sent before you ^(C3)Moses, Aaron, and ^(C4)Miriam.

⁵ "My people, remember now
What ^(C1)Balak king of Moab planned
And what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
And what happened from ^(C2)Shittim to ^(C3)Gilgal,
^(F1)So that you might know the ^(C4)righteous acts of the LORD."

What God Requires of Mankind

^6 (C1)With what shall I come to the LORD
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with ^(C2)burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?

⁷ Does the LORD take pleasure in ^(C1)thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of ^(F1)oil?
Shall I give Him my ^(C2)firstborn for my wrongdoings,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

⁸ He has ^(C1)told you, mortal one, what is good;
And ^(C2)what does the LORD require of you
But to ^(C3)do justice, to ^(C4)love ^(F1)kindness,
And to walk ^(F2)(C5)humbly with your God?

⁹ The voice of the LORD will call to the city—
And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name:
"^(F1)Hear, you tribe. Who has designated ^(F2)its time?

¹⁰ "Is there still a person in the wicked house,
Along with treasures of ^(C1)wickedness,
And a ^(F1)(C2)short measure that is cursed?

¹¹ "Can I justify dishonest ^(C1)balances,
And a bag of fraudulent weights?

¹² "For the rich people of ^(F1)the city are full of ^(C1)violence,
Her residents speak ^(C2)lies,
And their ^(C3)tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

¹³ "So also I will make you ^(C1)sick, striking you down,
^(C2)Making you desolate because of your sins.

¹⁴ "You will eat, but you will ^(C1)not be satisfied,
And your filth will be in your midst.
You will try to remove valuables for safekeeping,
But you will ^(C2)not save it all,
And what you do save I will turn over to the sword.

¹⁵ "You will sow but you will ^(C1)not harvest.
You will tread the olive press but will not anoint yourself with oil;
And tread out sweet wine, but you will ^(C2)not drink any wine.

¹⁶ "The statutes of ^(C1)Omri
And every work of the house of ^(C2)Ahab are maintained,
And you ^(C3)walk by their plans.
Therefore I will give you up for ^(C4)destruction,
And ^(F1)your inhabitants for ^(F2)(C5)derision,
And you will suffer the ^(C6)taunting of My people."