Micah 6:9-16

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.

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.’