The Lord’s Case Against Israel
1Listen to what the Lord says:
“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;
let the hills hear what you have to say.
2“Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;
listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case against his people;
he is lodging a charge against Israel.
3“My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened you? Answer me.
4I brought you up out of Egypt
and redeemed you from the land of slavery.
I sent Moses to lead you,
also Aaron and Miriam.
5My people, remember
what Balak king of Moab plotted
and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”
6With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly6:8 Or prudently with your God.
Israel’s Guilt and Punishment
9Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
and to fear your name is wisdom—
“Heed the rod and the One who appointed it.6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
10Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
and the short ephah,6:10 An ephah was a dry measure. which is accursed?
11Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,
with a bag of false weights?
12Your rich people are violent;
your inhabitants are liars
and their tongues speak deceitfully.
13Therefore, I have begun to destroy you,
to ruin6:13 Or Therefore, I will make you ill and destroy you; / I will ruin you because of your sins.
14You will eat but not be satisfied;
your stomach will still be empty.6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
You will store up but save nothing,
because what you save6:14 Or You will press toward birth but not give birth, / and what you bring to birth I will give to the sword.
15You will plant but not harvest;
you will press olives but not use the oil,
you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.
16You have observed the statutes of Omri
and all the practices of Ahab’s house;
you have followed their traditions.
Therefore I will give you over to ruin
and your people to derision;
you will bear the scorn of the nations.6:16 Septuagint; Hebrew scorn due my people”
Shauri La Bwana Dhidi Ya Israeli
16:1 Za 50:1; Eze 6:2Sikiliza asemalo Bwana:
“Simama, tetea shauri lako mbele ya milima;
vilima na visikie lile unalotaka kusema.
26:2 Kum 32:1; Hos 12:2; Isa 3:13; Za 50:7; Yer 9:7Sikilizeni, ee milima, mashtaka ya Bwana,
sikilizeni, enyi misingi ya milele ya dunia.
Kwa kuwa Bwana ana shauri dhidi ya watu wake;
anatoa mashtaka dhidi ya Israeli.
36:3 Za 50:7; Isa 5:3, 4; Yer 2:31; 2:5“Watu wangu, nimewatendea nini?
Nimewalemea kwa jinsi gani? Mnijibu.
46:4 Kum 7:8; Kut 3:10; 6:6; 4:16; 15:20; Hes 33:1; Za 77:20Nimewatoa kutoka Misri na kuwakomboa
kutoka nchi ya utumwa.
Nilimtuma Mose awaongoze,
pia Aroni na Miriamu.
56:5 Hes 22:2-6Watu wangu, kumbukeni jinsi Balaki mfalme wa Moabu
alivyofanya shauri
na kile Balaamu mwana wa Beori alichojibu.
Kumbukeni safari yenu kutoka Shitimu mpaka Gilgali,
ili mfahamu matendo ya haki ya Bwana.”
66:6 Yn 6:28; Za 15:1; 40:6-8; 95:2; 51:16-17Nimjie Bwana na kitu gani na kusujudu
mbele za Mungu aliyetukuka?
Je, nije mbele zake na sadaka za kuteketezwa,
nije na ndama za mwaka mmoja?
76:7 Isa 1:11; 40:16; Law 18:21; Za 50:8-10; 2Fal 3:27; 16:3; Amo 5:22; Hos 5:6Je, Bwana atafurahishwa na kondoo dume elfu,
au mito elfu kumi ya mafuta?
Je, nimtoe mzaliwa wangu wa kwanza kwa ajili ya kosa langu,
mtoto wangu mwenyewe
kwa ajili ya dhambi ya nafsi yangu?
86:8 Isa 1:17; Yer 22:3; 23:23; 2Fal 22:19; Isa 57:15; Mwa 5:22; 1Sam 15:22; Kum 10:12-13; Zek 7:9-10; Mt 9:13; Mk 12:33; Lk 11:42Amekuonyesha yaliyo mema, ee mwanadamu.
Bwana anataka nini kwako?
Ila kutenda kwa haki na kupenda rehema,
na kwenda kwa unyenyekevu na Mungu wako.
Hatia Na Adhabu Ya Israeli
96:9 Mwa 17:1; Isa 11:4Sikiliza! Bwana anauita mji:
kulicha jina lako ni hekima:
“Tii hiyo fimbo na yeye aliyeiamuru.
106:10 Eze 45:9-10; Amo 3:10; 8:4-6Je, bado nisahau, ee nyumba ya uovu,
hazina yako uliyopata kwa udanganyifu
na vipimo vilivyopunguka,
ambavyo vimelaaniwa?
116:11 Law 19:36; Hos 12:7; Amu 3:10; Kum 25:13Je, naweza kuhukumu kuwa
mtu mwenye mizani ya udanganyifu hana hatia,
aliye na mfuko wa mawe ya kupimia ya uongo?
126:12 Isa 1:23; 3:8; Za 35:20; 116:11; Yer 9:5Matajiri wake ni wajeuri;
watu wake ni waongo
na ndimi zao zinazungumza
kwa udanganyifu.
13Kwa hiyo, nimeanza kukuharibu,
kuwaangamiza kwa sababu ya dhambi zenu.
146:14 Isa 9:20; 30:6; Hos 4:10Mtakula lakini hamtashiba;
matumbo yenu bado yatakuwa matupu.
Mtaweka akiba lakini hamtaokoa chochote,
kwa sababu mtakachoweka akiba
nitatoa kwa upanga.
156:15 Kum 28:36-38; Yer 12:13; Ay 24:11; Amo 5:11; Sef 1:13Mtapanda lakini hamtavuna;
mtakamua zeituni lakini
hamtatumia mafuta yake.
Mtakamua zabibu
lakini hamtakunywa hiyo divai.
166:16 1Fal 16:25, 29-33; Yer 7:24; 25:9; 51:51; Mik 2:6Mmezishika sheria za Omri
na matendo yote ya nyumba ya Ahabu,
tena umefuata desturi zao.
Kwa hiyo nitakutoa kwa maangamizi
na watu wako kuwa dhihaka;
mtachukua dharau za mataifa.”