The Case against Israel
1Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.
2Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD'S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.
3O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.
4For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.
6Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
The Punishment of Israel
9The LORD'S voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.
10Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?
11Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?
12For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.
14Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.
15Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.
16For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.
The Case against Israel
1 Listen now to what Yahweh says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear what you have to say.
2 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 My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me!
4 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 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 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 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 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?
The Punishment of Israel
9 Yahweh’s voice calls to the city, and wisdom sees your name: “Listen to the rod, and he who appointed it.
10 Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a short ephah that is accursed?
11 Shall I be pure with dishonest scales, and with a bag of deceitful weights?
12 Her rich men are full of violence, her inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their speech.
13 Therefore I also have struck you with a grievous wound. I have made you desolate because of your sins.
14 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 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 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.”
The Case against Israel
1 Hear now what the LORD says:
“Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, O mountains, the LORD’s indictment,
you enduring foundations of the earth.
For the LORD has a case against His people,
and He will argue it against Israel:
3 ‘My people, what have I done to you?
Testify against Me how I have wearied you!
4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt
and redeemed you from the house of slavery.
I sent Moses before you,
as well as Aaron and Miriam.
5 My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled
and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim a to Gilgal,
so that you may acknowledge the righteousness of the LORD.’ ”
6 With what shall I come before the LORD
when I bow before the God on high?
Should I come to Him with burnt offerings,
with year-old calves?
7 Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you
but to act justly, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God?
The Punishment of Israel
9 The voice of the LORD calls out to the city
(and it is sound wisdom to fear Your name):
“Heed the rod
and the One who ordained it.
10 Can I forget any longer,
O house of the wicked,
the treasures of wickedness
and the short ephah, which is accursed?
11 Can I excuse dishonest scales
or bags of false weights?
12 For the wealthy of the city
are full of violence,
and its residents speak lies;
their tongues are deceitful in their mouths.
13 Therefore I am striking you severely,
to ruin you because of your sins.
14 You will eat but not be satisfied,
and your hunger will remain with you.
What you acquire, you will not preserve;
and what you save, I will give to the sword.
15 You will sow but not reap;
you will press olives but not anoint yourselves with oil;
you will tread grapes but not drink the wine.
16 You have kept the statutes of Omri
and all the practices of Ahab’s house;
you have followed their counsel.
Therefore I will make you a desolation,
and your inhabitants an object of contempt;
you will bear the scorn of the nations. b”
Footnotes:
5 a Or Acacia Grove
16 b LXX; Hebrew scorn of My people
The Case against Israel
1Hear, I pray you, that which Jehovah is saying: 'Rise -- strive thou with the mountains, And cause thou the hills to hear thy voice.'
2Hear, O mountains, the strife of Jehovah, Ye strong ones -- foundations of earth! For a strife is to Jehovah, with His people, And with Israel He doth reason.
3O My people, what have I done to thee? And what -- have I wearied thee? Testify against Me.
4For I brought thee up from the land of Egypt, And from the house of servants I have ransomed thee, And I send before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5O My people, remember, I pray you, What counsel did Balak king of Moab, What answer him did Balaam son of Beor, (From Shittim unto Gilgal,) In order to know the righteous acts of Jehovah.'
6With what do I come before Jehovah? Do I bow to God Most High? Do I come before Him with burnt-offerings? With calves -- sons of a year?
7Is Jehovah pleased with thousands of rams? With myriads of streams of oil? Do I give my first-born for my transgression? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8He hath declared to thee, O man, what is good; Yea, what is Jehovah requiring of thee, Except -- to do judgment, and love kindness, And lowly to walk with thy God?
The Punishment of Israel
9A voice of Jehovah to the city calleth, And wisdom doth fear Thy name, Hear ye the rod, and Him who appointed it.
10Are there yet in the house of the wicked Treasures of wickedness, And the abhorred scanty ephah?
11Do I reckon it pure with balances of wickedness? And with a bag of deceitful stones?
12Whose rich ones have been full of violence, And its inhabitants have spoken falsehood, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13And I also, I have begun to smite thee, To make desolate, because of thy sins.
14Thou -- thou eatest, and thou art not satisfied, And thy pit is in thy midst, And thou removest, and dost not deliver, And that which thou deliverest, to a sword I give.
15Thou -- thou sowest, and thou dost not reap, Thou -- thou treadest the olive, And thou pourest not out oil, And new wine -- and thou drinkest not wine.
16And kept habitually are the statutes of Omri, And all the work of the house of Ahab, And ye do walk in their counsels, For My giving thee for a desolation, And its inhabitants for a hissing, And the reproach of My people ye do bear!
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