Micah 6
God accuses his people
1 Listen to what the Lord says:
‘Stand up! Explain why you think you are not guilty.
Let the mountains and the hills hear what you have to say.
2 Mountains and strong foundations of the earth,
you should also listen to me.
I, the Lord, am accusing my people.
Israel's people have turned against me.
That is why I argue against them.
6:2God is speaking against his people as if they are in a court of law.
3 My people, what bad things have I done to you?
How have I given you trouble? Answer me!
4 I brought you out of Egypt.
6:4Egypt is a country in north Africa that was south of Israel. Pharaohs were the rulers of Egypt.
I rescued you from that place where you had been slaves.
I sent Moses to lead you,
as well as Aaron and Miriam.
5 My people, remember how King Balak of Moab wanted to hurt you.
And remember how Beor's son Balaam answered him.
6:5King Balak asked Balaam to curse God's people. But instead, God made Balaam bless them. See Numbers 22-24. Remember also how you travelled from Shittim to Gilgal.
6:5Shittim was on the east side of the Jordan River. Gilgal was on the west side, in the land that God had promised to give to his people. God helped his people to go across the Jordan River safely. See Joshua 3-4. If you think about these things,
you will agree that I, the Lord, have done good things for you.’
How God wants his people to please him
6 When I come to meet the Lord,
6:6Micah speaks on behalf of Israel's people. He wants to know how to please God.
what offering should I bring with me?
I bend down low to worship him, the mighty God.
Should I bring calves that are one year old
to make burnt offerings to him?
7 Perhaps he will accept a gift of a thousand male sheep,
or ten thousand rivers of olive oil.
I have turned against God.
Should I offer to God my firstborn son to pay for my sin?
If I give my own child to him as a sacrifice,
will that be enough to pay for my sin?
8 No! The Lord has told each of you what is good.
He has shown you how he wants you to live.
You must do what is right and fair.
You must always be kind to other people.
And you must be careful to obey your God.
6:8Micah replies on God's behalf. God wanted the people to live in a good way and obey him. That is the gift that would please him most.
God will punish wicked people
9 Listen to the Lord as he calls to the city of Jerusalem!
If you are wise, you will respect his authority.
He says, ‘Listen to me,
you people who have met together in the city.
10 I will not forget the wicked things that you do.
You fill your homes with valuable things
that you have taken from other people.
You use false weights to measure the food that you sell.
I hate those things.
11 I will not forgive you when you use false scales.
You use false weights and measures to cheat people.
12 The rich people among you use violence
to get what they want.
Everyone in the city speaks lies.
They are always deceiving people with their words.
13 So I will punish you with pain because of your sins.
I will make you weak and helpless.
14 You will eat, but you will not have enough.
You will always be hungry.
You will store things for yourselves,
but you will not keep them safe.
I will cause you to lose the things that you have kept
when enemies attack you.
15 You will plant seeds for crops,
but you will not bring anything home at harvest time.
You will squeeze oil out of olives,
but you will never use the oil for yourselves.
You will squeeze grapes to make wine,
but you will never drink the wine.
16 You have obeyed the evil laws of King Omri
and the laws of his son, King Ahab.
You have lived in the wicked ways that they lived.
6:16King Omri and his son, King Ahab, were wicked kings that ruled Israel. See 1 Kings 16:23-33. So I will completely destroy your power.
Then other people will laugh at the people of Jerusalem.
The people of other nations will insult you.’
