“Get up; plead ·your [or my] case in front of the mountains;
    let the hills hear your ·story [^Lvoice].
² Mountains, listen to the Lord’s ·legal case [accusation; indictment].
    ·Strong [Enduring] foundations of the earth, listen.
The Lord has a ·legal case [accusation; indictment] against his people,
    and he will ·accuse [contend with] Israel.”

³ He says, “My people, what did I do to you?
    How ·did I make you tired of me [have I wearied you]?
    ·Tell [Answer] me.
⁴ I brought you from the land of Egypt [Ex. 12:51]
    and ·freed [redeemed] you from slavery;
    I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam [Ex. 15:20] to you.
⁵ My people, remember
    the evil plans of Balak king of Moab [Num. 22:5]
    and what Balaam son of Beor told Balak [Num. 22–24].
Remember what happened from Acacia to Gilgal [Josh. 3:1; 4:19–24]
    so that you will know the ·Lord does what is right [righteousness/justice of the Lord]!”

⁶ You say, “What can I bring with me
    when I come before the Lord,
    when I bow before ·God on high [the exalted God]?
Should I come before him with burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17],
    with year-old calves?
⁷ Will the Lord be pleased with a thousand ·male sheep [rams]?
    Will he be pleased with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Should I give my ·first child [firstborn] for ·the evil I have done [my transgression]?
    Should I give ·my very own child [^Lthe fruit of my body] for ·my sin [^Lthe sin of my soul]?”
⁸ The Lord has told you, ·human [^TO man], what is good;
    he has told you what ·he wants [the Lord requires] from you:
to do what is ·right to other people [just],
    love ·being kind to others [mercy; lovingkindness],
and ·live humbly, obeying [walk humbly with] your God.

⁹ The voice of the Lord ·calls [cries out] to the city,
    and ·the wise person [^Lwisdom] ·honors him [^Lsees/acknowledges his name].
So ·pay attention [listen] to the ·rod of punishment [^Lrod];
    pay attention to the One who ·threatens to punish [appointed it].
¹⁰ Are there still in the wicked house
    wicked treasures
    and the cursed false measure?
¹¹ Can I forgive people who cheat others
    with ·wrong [wicked] weights and [^Ldeceptive] scales [Prov. 11:1]?
¹² The rich people of the city
    ·do cruel things [^Lare full of violence].
Its people tell lies;
    ·they do not tell the truth [^Ltheir tongues in their mouths are deceitful].
¹³ As for me, I will make you sick.
    I will ·attack [strike] you, ruining you because of your sins.
¹⁴ You will eat, but you won’t ·become full [be satisfied];
    you will still be hungry and empty.
You will store up, but save nothing,
    and what you store up, ·the sword will destroy [^LI will give to the sword].
¹⁵ You will plant,
    but you won’t harvest.
You will ·step on your [press; tread] olives,
    but you won’t ·get any oil from them [anoint yourself with oil].
You will ·crush [tread] the grapes,
    but you will not drink the new wine.
¹⁶ This is because you ·obey [keep; observe] the ·laws [statutes] of King Omri [^Ca wicked king of Israel; 1 Kin. 16:25, 26]
    and do all the things that Ahab’s family does [^Canother wicked king of Israel; 1 Kin. 16:30–33; 21:25, 26];
    you follow their ·advice [or traditions; policies].
So I will ·let you be destroyed [make you a desolation].
    The people in your city will be ·laughed at [taunted; ^La hissing],
and other nations will ·make fun of [mock] you.