1 ¶ Hear ye now what the LORD saith: Arise, contend thou with the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

2 H ear ye, O mountains, the LORD’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will reprove Israel.

3 O my people, what have I done unto thee? and in what have I wearied thee? testify against me.

4 F or I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt and ransomed thee out of the house of slaves; 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 ¶ With what shall I present myself before the LORD, and how shall I worship the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

7 W ill the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my rebellion, the fruit of my bowels for the sin of my soul?

8 H e has declared unto thee, O man, what is good and what the LORD requires of thee: only to do right judgment, and to love mercy, and to humble thyself to walk with thy God.

9 ¶ The LORD’s voice cries out unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and he who has established it.

10 A re there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked and the scant measure that is abominable?

11 C an I be pure with false balances and with a bag of deceitful weights?

12 W ith which their rich men are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

13 T herefore I have also made thee weak in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.

14 T hou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take, but shalt not be saved; and that which thou dost save, I will give it up to the sword.

15 T hou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with the oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink the wine.

16 F or the statutes of Omri have been kept and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye have walked in their counsels that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.