## Yahweh's Case Against His People ###### 1 Listen now to what Yahweh is saying, "Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills listen to your voice. ###### 2 Listen, you mountains, to the case of Yahweh, And you enduring foundations of the earth, Because Yahweh has a case against His people; Even with Israel He will reprove. ###### 3 My people, what have I done to you, And how have I wearied you? Answer Me. ###### 4 Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt And ransomed you from the house of slavery, And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. ###### 5 My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled And what Balaam son of Beor answered him, _And_ from Shittim to Gilgal, So that you might know the righteous acts of Yahweh." ## What Yahweh Requires ###### 6 With what shall I come before Yahweh _And_ bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? ###### 7 Is Yahweh pleased with thousands of rams, With ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn _for_ my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? ###### 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does Yahweh require of you But to do justice, to love lovingkindness, And to walk humbly with your God? ###### 9 The voice of Yahweh will call to the city-- And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name: "Hear, O tribe. Who even has appointed its time? ###### 10 Is there yet a man in the wicked house, _Along with_ treasures of wickedness, And a short measure _which is_ cursed? ###### 11 Can I purify wicked scales And a bag of deceptive weights? ###### 12 For the rich men of _the_ city are full of violence, And her inhabitants speak lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. ###### 13 So also I will make _you_ sick, striking you down, Desolating _you_ because of your sins. ###### 14 You will eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your vileness will be in your midst. And you will _try to_ remove _something for safekeeping_, But you will not cause _anything_ to escape, And that which you do have escape, I will give to the sword. ###### 15 You will sow but you will not reap. You will tread the olive but will not anoint yourself with oil; And the grapes, but you will not drink wine. ###### 16 The statutes of Omri And all the works of the house of Ahab are kept; And in their counsels you walk. Therefore I will give you up as an object of horror And your inhabitants as an object of hissing, And you will bear the reproach of My people."