1 Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before
the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.
2 Hear 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.
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 servants; and I sent before thee
Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O 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.
6 Wherewith 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?
7 Will 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?
8 He 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?
9 The 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.
10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the
wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?
11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the
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 also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in
making thee desolate because of thy sins.
14 Thou 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.
15 Thou 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.
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 should
make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an
hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.
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