Micah 6

Christian Standard Bible

God’s Lawsuit against Judah

6 Now listen to what the Lord is saying:

Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your complaint.^[a]
²Listen to the Lord’s lawsuit,^(A)
you mountains and enduring foundations of the earth,^(B)
because the Lord has a case against his people,^(C)
and he will argue it against Israel.
³My people,^(D) what have I done to you,^(E)
or how have I wearied you?^(F)
Testify against me!
⁴Indeed, I brought you up^(G) from the land of Egypt
and redeemed you^(H) from that place of slavery.^(I)
I sent Moses,^(J) Aaron, and Miriam^(K) ahead of you.
⁵My people,
remember what King Balak of Moab^(L) proposed,
what Balaam son of Beor answered him,^(M)
and what happened from the Acacia Grove^[b]^(N) to Gilgal^(O)
so that you may acknowledge
the Lord’s righteous acts.^(P)

⁶What should I bring before the Lord^(Q)
when I come to bow before God on high?
Should I come before him with burnt offerings,^(R)
with year-old calves?
⁷Would the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams^(S)
or with ten thousand streams of oil?
Should I give my firstborn for my transgression,^(T)
the offspring of my body for my own sin?

⁸Mankind, he has told each of you what is good^(U)
and what it is the Lord requires of you:^(V)
to act justly,^(W)
to love faithfulness,^(X)
and to walk humbly with your God.^(Y)

Verdict of Judgment

⁹The voice of the Lord calls out to the city^[c]
(and it is wise to fear your name):
“Pay attention to the rod
and the one who ordained it.^[d]
¹⁰Are there still^[e] the treasures of wickedness^(Z)
and the accursed short measure^(AA)
in the house of the wicked?
¹¹Can I excuse wicked scales
or bags of deceptive weights?^(AB)
¹²For the wealthy of the city are full of violence,^(AC)
and its residents speak lies;^(AD)
the tongues in their mouths are deceitful.^(AE)

¹³“As a result, I have begun to strike you severely,^[f]^(AF)
bringing desolation because of your sins.^(AG)
¹⁴You will eat but not be satisfied,^(AH)
for there will be hunger within you.
What you acquire, you cannot save,^(AI)
and what you do save,
I will give to the sword.^[g]
¹⁵You will sow but not reap;^(AJ)
you will press olives
but not anoint yourself with oil;
and you will tread grapes
but not drink the wine.^(AK)
¹⁶The statutes of Omri
and all the practices of Ahab’s house
have been observed;
you have followed their policies.^(AL)
Therefore, I will make you a desolate place^(AM)
and the city’s^[h] residents an object of contempt;^[i]^(AN)
you will bear the scorn of my people.”^[j]^(AO)

Footnotes

6:1 Lit voice
6:5 Or from Shittim
6:9 = Jerusalem
6:9 Or attention, you tribe. Who has ordained it?; Hb obscure
6:10 Hb obscure
6:13 LXX, Aq, Theod, Syr, Vg; MT reads I have made you sick by striking you down
6:14 Hb obscure
6:16 Lit and its
6:16 Lit residents a hissing
6:16 LXX reads of the peoples

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.