¹ Hear you now what the LORD says; Arise, contend you before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. ² Hear you, O mountains, the LORD'S controversy, and you strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel. ³ O my people, what have I done to you? and in which have I wearied you? testify against me. ⁴ For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of servants; and I sent before you 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 to Gilgal; that you may know the righteousness of the LORD. ⁶ Wherewith will I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? will I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? ⁷ Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? will I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? ⁸ He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? ⁹ The LORD'S voice cries to the city, and the man of wisdom will see your name: hear you the rod, and who has appointed it. ¹⁰ Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? ¹¹ will I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? ¹² For the rich men of it are full of violence, and the inhabitants of it have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. ¹³ Therefore also will I make you sick in smiting you, in making you desolate because of your sins. ¹⁴ you will eat, but not be satisfied; and your casting down will be in the midst of you; and you will take hold, but will not deliver; and that which you delivers will I give up to the sword. ¹⁵ you will sow, but you will not reap; you will tread the olives, but you will not anoint you with oil; and sweet wine, but will not drink wine. ¹⁶ For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and you walk in their counsels; that I should make you a desolation, and the inhabitants of it a hissing: therefore you will bear the rebuke of my people.