Yahweh accuses his people

6 Pay attention to what Yahweh says to you Israeli people:

“Stand up in court and state what you are accusing me about.

And allow the hills and mountains to hear what you will say.

2 But then you mountains must also listen carefully [DOU] to what I, Yahweh, am complaining about my people.

I have something to say about what [DOU] my Israeli people are doing that displeases me.

3 My people, what have I done to cause trouble for you [RHQ]?

What have I done to cause you to experience difficulties?

Answer me!

4 I did great things for your ancestors;

I brought them out of Egypt;

I rescued them from that land where they were slaves.

I sent Moses to lead them,

and his older brother Aaron and his older sister Miriam.

5 My people, think about when Balak, the king of Moab, requested Beor’s son Balaam to curse your ancestors,

and think about what Balaam replied.

Think about how your ancestors crossed the Jordan River miraculously while they were traveling from Acacia to Gilgal.

Think about those things in order that you may know that I, Yahweh, do what is right.”

6 The Israeli people ask, “What shall we bring to Yahweh who lives in heaven

when we come to him and bow down before him?

Should we bring calves that are a year-old

that will be offerings that will be killed and completely burned on the altar?

7 Will Yahweh be pleased if we offer to him 1,000 rams

and 10,000 streams of olive oil?

Should we offer our firstborn children to be sacrifices

to pay for the sins that we have committed [DOU]?”

8 No, because he has shown each of us what is good to do;

he has shown [RHQ] us what he requires each of us to do:

He wants us to do what is just/fair and to love and to be merciful to others,

and he wants us to live humbly while we fellowship with him, our God.