| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Hear now what the LORD says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills hear your voice. | 1Listen to what the LORD says: "Get up! Defend yourself before the mountains! Present your case before the hills!" |
| 2Hear, O you mountains, the LORD’s complaint, And you strong foundations of the earth; For the LORD has a complaint against His people, And He will contend with Israel. | 2Hear the LORD's accusation, you mountains, you enduring foundations of the earth! For the LORD has a case against his people; he has a dispute with Israel! |
| 3“O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me. | 3"My people, how have I wronged you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! |
| 4For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage; And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. | 4In fact, I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I delivered you from that place of slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you. |
| 5O My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled, And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, From Acacia Grove to Gilgal, That you may know the righteousness of the LORD.” | 5My people, recall how King Balak of Moab planned to harm you, how Balaam son of Beor responded to him. Recall how you journeyed from Shittim to Gilgal, so you might acknowledge that the LORD has treated you fairly." |
| 6With what shall I come before the LORD, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? | 6With what should I enter the LORD's presence? With what should I bow before the sovereign God? Should I enter his presence with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? |
| 7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? | 7Will the LORD accept a thousand rams, or ten thousand streams of olive oil? Should I give him my firstborn child as payment for my rebellion, my offspring--my own flesh and blood--for my sin? |
| 8He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? | 8He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the LORD really wants from you: He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful, and to live obediently before your God. |
| 9The LORD’s voice cries to the city— Wisdom shall see Your name: “Hear the rod! Who has appointed it? | 9Listen! The LORD is calling to the city! It is wise to respect your authority, O LORD! Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city! |
| 10Are there yet the treasures of wickedness In the house of the wicked, And the short measure that is an abomination? | 10"I will not overlook, O sinful house, the dishonest gain you have hoarded away, or the smaller-than-standard measure I hate so much. |
| 11Shall I count pure those with the wicked scales, And with the bag of deceitful weights? | 11I do not condone the use of rigged scales, or a bag of deceptive weights. |
| 12For her rich men are full of violence, Her inhabitants have spoken lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. | 12The city's rich men think nothing of resorting to violence; her inhabitants lie, their tongues speak deceptive words. |
| 13“Therefore I will also make you sick by striking you, By making you desolate because of your sins. | 13I will strike you brutally and destroy you because of your sin. |
| 14You shall eat, but not be satisfied; Hunger shall be in your midst. You may carry some away, but shall not save them; And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword. | 14You will eat, but not be satisfied. Even if you have the strength to overtake some prey, you will not be able to carry it away; if you do happen to carry away something, I will deliver it over to the sword. |
| 15“You shall sow, but not reap; You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; And make sweet wine, but not drink wine. | 15You will plant crops, but will not harvest them; you will squeeze oil from the olives, but you will have no oil to rub on your bodies; you will squeeze juice from the grapes, but you will have no wine to drink. |
| 16For the statutes of Omri are kept; All the works of Ahab’s house are done; And you walk in their counsels, That I may make you a desolation, And your inhabitants a hissing. Therefore you shall bear the reproach of My people.” | 16You implement the regulations of Omri, and all the practices of Ahab's dynasty; you follow their policies. Therefore I will make you an appalling sight, the city's inhabitants will be taunted derisively, and nations will mock all of you." |
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