Micah 6

שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֕א אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֹמֵ֑ר ק֚וּם רִ֣יב אֶת־הֶהָרִ֔ים וְתִשְׁמַ֥עְנָה הַגְּבָע֖וֹת קוֹלֶֽךָ׃ Hear what GOD is saying:
Come, present [My] case before the mountains,
And let the hills hear you pleading.

שִׁמְע֤וּ הָרִים֙ אֶת־רִ֣יב יְהֹוָ֔ה וְהָאֵתָנִ֖ים מ֣וֹסְדֵי אָ֑רֶץ כִּ֣י רִ֤יב לַֽיהֹוָה֙ עִם־עַמּ֔וֹ וְעִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִתְוַכָּֽח׃ Hear, you mountains, GOD’s case—
You firm^aYou firm Emendation yields “Give ear, you.” foundations of the earth!
For GOD has a case against this covenanted people—
A suit against Israel.

עַמִּ֛י מֶה־עָשִׂ֥יתִי לְךָ֖ וּמָ֣ה הֶלְאֵתִ֑יךָ עֲנֵ֥ה בִֽי׃ “My people!
What wrong have I done you?
What hardship have I caused you?
Testify against Me.

כִּ֤י הֶעֱלִתִ֙יךָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וּמִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִ֖ים פְּדִיתִ֑יךָ וָאֶשְׁלַ֣ח לְפָנֶ֔יךָ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֖ה אַהֲרֹ֥ן וּמִרְיָֽם׃ In fact,
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.

עַמִּ֗י זְכׇר־נָא֙ מַה־יָּעַ֗ץ בָּלָק֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מוֹאָ֔ב וּמֶה־עָנָ֥ה אֹת֖וֹ בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּע֑וֹר מִן־הַשִּׁטִּים֙ עַד־הַגִּלְגָּ֔ל לְמַ֕עַן דַּ֖עַת צִדְק֥וֹת יְהֹוָֽה׃ “My people,
Remember what Balak king of Moab
Plotted against you,
And how Balaam son of Beor
Responded to him.
[Recall your passage]
From Shittim to Gilgal^bFrom Shittim to Gilgal I.e., the crossing of the Jordan; see Josh. 3.1, 14–4.19.—
And you will recognize
GOD’s gracious acts.”

בַּמָּה֙ אֲקַדֵּ֣ם יְהֹוָ֔ה אִכַּ֖ף לֵאלֹהֵ֣י מָר֑וֹם הַאֲקַדְּמֶ֣נּוּ בְעוֹל֔וֹת בַּעֲגָלִ֖ים בְּנֵ֥י שָׁנָֽה׃ With what shall I approach GOD,
Do homage to God on high?
Shall I approach with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?

הֲיִרְצֶ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ בְּאַלְפֵ֣י אֵילִ֔ים בְּרִֽבְב֖וֹת נַחֲלֵי־שָׁ֑מֶן הַאֶתֵּ֤ן בְּכוֹרִי֙ פִּשְׁעִ֔י פְּרִ֥י בִטְנִ֖י חַטַּ֥את נַפְשִֽׁי׃ Would GOD be pleased with thousands of rams,
With myriads of streams of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for my sins?

הִגִּ֥יד לְךָ֛ אָדָ֖ם מַה־טּ֑וֹב וּמָֽה־יְהֹוָ֞ה דּוֹרֵ֣שׁ מִמְּךָ֗ כִּ֣י אִם־עֲשׂ֤וֹת מִשְׁפָּט֙ וְאַ֣הֲבַת חֶ֔סֶד וְהַצְנֵ֥עַ לֶ֖כֶת עִם־אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ {ס}         “You have been told, O mortal, what is good,
And what GOD requires of you:
Only to do justice
And to love goodness,
And to walk modestly with your God;^cto walk modestly with your God Or “it is prudent to serve your God.”

ק֤וֹל יְהֹוָה֙ לָעִ֣יר יִקְרָ֔א וְתוּשִׁיָּ֖ה יִרְאֶ֣ה שְׁמֶ֑ךָ שִׁמְע֥וּ מַטֶּ֖ה וּמִ֥י יְעָדָֽהּ׃ Then will your name achieve wisdom.”^dThen will your name achieve wisdom Emendation yields “And it is worthwhile to revere God’s name.”
Hark! GOD
Summons the city:^ethe city Apparently the capital of either the northern or southern kingdom.
Hear, O scepter;
For who can direct her

ע֗וֹד הַאִשׁ֙ בֵּ֣ית רָשָׁ֔ע אֹצְר֖וֹת רֶ֑שַׁע וְאֵיפַ֥ת רָז֖וֹן זְעוּמָֽה׃ but you?^fHear … but you? Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
Will I overlook,^goverlook Taking ʼish as from nashah “to forget”; cf. Deut. 32.18. in houses of the wicked,
The granaries of wickedness
And the accursed short ephah?^hshort ephah Cf. Amos 8.4–5.

הַאֶזְכֶּ֖ה בְּמֹ֣אזְנֵי רֶ֑שַׁע וּבְכִ֖יס אַבְנֵ֥י מִרְמָֽה׃ Shall theyⁱthey Heb. “I”; change of vocalization yields “Will I acquit them.” be acquitted despite wicked balances
And a bag of fraudulent weights?—

אֲשֶׁ֤ר עֲשִׁירֶ֙יהָ֙ מָלְא֣וּ חָמָ֔ס וְיֹשְׁבֶ֖יהָ דִּבְּרוּ־שָׁ֑קֶר וּלְשׁוֹנָ֖ם רְמִיָּ֥ה בְּפִיהֶֽם׃ ^jThis verse would read well after “city” in v. 9. Whose wealthy are full of lawlessness,
And whose inhabitants speak treachery,
With tongues of deceit in their mouths.

וְגַם־אֲנִ֖י הֶחֱלֵ֣יתִי הַכּוֹתֶ֑ךָ הַשְׁמֵ֖ם עַל־חַטֹּאתֶֽךָ׃ I, in turn, have beaten you sore,
Have stunned [you] for your sins:

אַתָּ֤ה תֹאכַל֙ וְלֹ֣א תִשְׂבָּ֔ע וְיֶשְׁחֲךָ֖ בְּקִרְבֶּ֑ךָ וְתַסֵּג֙ וְלֹ֣א תַפְלִ֔יט וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּפַלֵּ֖ט לַחֶ֥רֶב אֶתֵּֽן׃ You have been eating without getting your fill,
And there is a gnawing at your vitals;
You have been conceiving without bearing young,^kAnd there is a gnawing … bearing young Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
And what you bore I would deliver to the sword.

אַתָּ֥ה תִזְרַ֖ע וְלֹ֣א תִקְצ֑וֹר אַתָּ֤ה תִדְרֹֽךְ־זַ֙יִת֙ וְלֹא־תָס֣וּךְ שֶׁ֔מֶן וְתִיר֖וֹשׁ וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁתֶּה־יָּֽיִן׃ You have been sowing, but have nothing to reap;
You have trod olives, but have no oil for rubbing,
And grapes^lgrapes Lit. “new wine.” but have no wine to drink.

וְיִשְׁתַּמֵּ֞ר חֻקּ֣וֹת עׇמְרִ֗י וְכֹל֙ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה בֵית־אַחְאָ֔ב וַתֵּלְכ֖וּ בְּמֹעֲצוֹתָ֑ם לְמַ֩עַן֩ תִּתִּ֨י אֹתְךָ֜ לְשַׁמָּ֗ה וְיֹשְׁבֶ֙יהָ֙ לִשְׁרֵקָ֔ה וְחֶרְפַּ֥ת עַמִּ֖י תִּשָּֽׂאוּ׃ {פ}
Yet you have kept^myou have kept Heb. “is kept.” the laws of Omri,
And all the practices of the House of Ahab,
And have followed what they devised.
Therefore I will make you an object of horror
And the city’sⁿthe city’s Heb. “her”; cf. v. 9. inhabitants an object of hissing;^ohissing See note at Jer. 18.16.
And you shall bear the mockery of peoples.^ppeoples Heb. “My people.”