Hear now what the LORD is saying,
“Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
And let the hills [as witnesses] hear your voice.
“Hear, O mountains, the indictment of the LORD,
And you enduring foundations of the earth,
For the LORD has a case (a legal complaint) against His people,
And He will dispute (challenge) Israel.
“O My people, what have I done to you [since you have turned away from Me]?
And how have I wearied you? Answer Me.
“For I brought you up from the land of Egypt
And ransomed you from the house of slavery,
And I sent before you Moses [to lead you], Aaron [the high priest], and Miriam [the prophetess].
“My people, remember now
What Balak king of Moab devised [with his evil plan against Israel]
And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him [turning the curse into blessing for Israel],
[Remember what the LORD did for you] from [fn]Shittim to Gilgal,
So that you may know the righteous and saving acts [displaying the power] of the LORD.”
With what shall I come before the LORD [to honor Him]
And bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
Will the LORD be delighted with thousands of rams,
Or with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my firstborn for my acts of rebellion,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion),
And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?
The voice of the LORD shall call to the city [of Jerusalem]—
And it is sound wisdom to heed [solemnly] and fear Your name [with awe-filled reverence];
“Hear, O tribe [the rod of punishment]. Who has appointed its time?
“Are there not still treasures gained by wickedness
In the house of the wicked,
And a short (inaccurate) measure [for grain] that is cursed?
“For the rich men of the city are full of violence [of every kind];
Her inhabitants speak lies
And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
“So also I will make you sick, striking you down,
Desolating and devastating you, because of your sins.
“You shall sow but you shall not reap;
You shall tread olives, but shall not anoint yourself with oil,
And [you will extract juice from] the grapes, but you shall not drink the wine.
“For [you have kept] the statutes of Omri [the idolatrous king],
And all the works of the [wicked] house (dynasty) of Ahab;
And you walk in their counsels and policies.
Therefore, I shall hand you over for destruction and horror
And your [city’s] inhabitants for ridicule,
And you shall bear the rebuke and scorn of My people.”
Amplified Bible Copyright © 2015 by
The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631 All rights reserved.
For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.