Online Bible: New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures

1 Hear, please, YOU people, what Jehovah is saying. Get up, conduct a legal case with the mountains, and may the hills hear your voice. 2 Hear, O YOU mountains, the legal case of Jehovah, also YOU durable objects, YOU foundations of [the] earth; for Jehovah has a legal case with his people, and it is with Israel that he will argue:

3 “O my people, what have I done to you? And in what way have I tired you out? Testify against me. 4 For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and from the house of slaves I redeemed you; and I proceeded to send before you Moses, Aaron and Mir´i·am. 5 O my people, remember, please, what Ba´lak the king of Mo´ab counseled, and what Ba´laam the son of Be´or answered him. From Shit´tim it was, all the way to Gil´gal, to the intent that the righteous acts of Jehovah might be known.”

6 With what shall I confront Jehovah? [With what] shall I bow myself to God on high? Shall I confront him with whole burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of torrents of oil? Shall I give my firstborn son for my revolt, the fruitage of my belly for the sin of my soul? 8 He has told you, O earthling man, what is good. And what is Jehovah asking back from you but to exercise justice and to love kindness and to be modest in walking with your God?

9 To the city the very voice of Jehovah calls out, and [the person of] practical wisdom will fear your name. Hear [the] rod and who it was that designated it, O YOU people. 10 Do there yet exist [in] the house of a wicked one the treasures of wickedness, and the scrimped e´phah measure that is denounced? 11 Can I be [morally] clean with wicked scales and with a bag of deceptive stone weights? 12 For her own rich men have become full of violence, and her own inhabitants have spoken falsehood, and their tongue is tricky in their mouth.

13 “And I also, for my part, shall certainly make [you] sick by striking you; there will be a desolating [of you], on account of your sins. 14 You, for your part, will eat and not get satisfied, and your emptiness will be in the midst of you. And you will remove [things], but you will not carry [them] safely away; and whatever you would carry away safely, I shall give to the sword itself. 15 You, for your part, will sow seed, but you will not reap. You, for your part, will tread olives, but you will not grease yourself with oil; also sweet wine, but you will not drink wine. 16 And the statutes of Om´ri and all the work of the house of A´hab are observed, and YOU people walk in their counsels; to the end that I may make you an object of astonishment and her inhabitants something to be whistled at; and the reproach of peoples YOU men will bear.”