American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Micah 6
1
Hear you now what the LORD said; Arise, contend you before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 32:1
Psalm 50:4
Deuteronomy 4:26
Ezekiel 36:8
Luke 19:40
References Lord
Jeremiah 22:29
Micah 1:2
Ezekiel 36:1
Isaiah 1:2
Psalm 50:1
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.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 104:5
Deuteronomy 32:22
References Lord
Hosea 4:1
Hosea 12:2
Isaiah 1:18
2 Samuel 22:16
3
O my people, what have I done to you? and wherein have I wearied you? testify against me.
Reference
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.
Reference
Redemption
Deuteronomy 7:8
2 Samuel 7:23
References Egypt
Exodus 12:51
Jeremiah 32:21
Exodus 20:2
Amos 2:10
References Moses
Numbers 12:1
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.
Reference
6
With which shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
Reference
7
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 51:16
Psalm 50:9
Jeremiah 7:31
Hosea 6:6
2 Kings 23:10
Isaiah 40:16
References Lord
2 Kings 16:3
1 Samuel 15:22
2 Kings 21:6
Leviticus 18:21
8
He has showed 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?
Reference
Grace
Hosea 6:6
Luke 6:36
Love
Colossians 3:12
1 Peter 3:8
Luke 11:42
References Lord
1 Samuel 15:22
Isaiah 66:2
Righteousness
Proverbs 21:3
Jeremiah 22:3
Amos 5:24
9
The LORD's voice cries to the city, and the man of wisdom shall see your name: hear you the rod, and who has appointed it.
Reference
10
Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?
Reference
Evil
Proverbs 10:2
Parallel theme
Amos 3:10
Proverbs 20:10
Proverbs 20:23
Proverbs 11:1
Proverbs 21:6
Joshua 7:1
11
Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?
Reference
12
For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
Reference
13
Therefore also will I make you sick in smiting you, in making you desolate because of your sins.
Reference
14
You shall eat, but not be satisfied; and your casting down shall be in the middle of you; and you shall take hold, but shall not deliver; and that which you deliver will I give up to the sword.
Reference
15
You shall sow, but you shall not reap; you shall tread the olives, but you shall not anoint you with oil; and sweet wine, but shall not drink wine.
Reference
Summary of Micah 6
Micah 6 presents God's case against His people, reminding them of His faithfulness and rescue throughout their history while exposing their injustice, dishonest business practices, violence, and religious hypocrisy, before giving one of Scripture's clearest summaries of what God truly desires from those who claim to follow Him.
The chapter begins like a courtroom.
God calls the mountains and foundations of the earth to serve as witnesses while He presents His case against Israel.
Rather than immediately listing their sins, God first asks what He has done to burden them.
The question forces the people to consider whether their rejection of Him can actually be justified.
God reminds them that He rescued them from slavery in Egypt, gave them leaders, protected them during their journey, and repeatedly acted on their behalf.
He then tells them to remember the events surrounding Shittim and Gilgal, calling attention to His righteous acts throughout their history.
The people respond by asking what they should bring to God.
They wonder whether animals, oil, enormous sacrifices, or even their firstborn could somehow satisfy Him.
The progression of their questions exposes a fundamental misunderstanding.
They are thinking in terms of religious payment rather than faithful obedience.
Micah answers with one of the clearest statements of biblical ethics: God has already shown what is good.
He does not primarily ask for increasingly impressive sacrifices.
He requires people to practice justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him.
The message is particularly powerful because the rest of the chapter demonstrates exactly how Israel has failed to do these things.
The people use dishonest scales, manipulate weights, accumulate wealth through deception, practice violence, and speak lies.
Their religious activities therefore cannot hide the corruption of their everyday lives.
God's judgment will consequently affect the very prosperity they have pursued.
They will eat without being satisfied, plant without harvesting, press olives without receiving their expected oil, and make wine without enjoying its fruit.
Their material success will collapse because it has been built upon injustice and exploitation.
The chapter ends by referring to the practices of Omri and Ahab's dynasty, presenting their corruption as an example of the kind of behavior that God's people have adopted.
The result will be humiliation, destruction, and public disgrace.
The central message is that Micah 6 teaches that God does not want religious performance to compensate for injustice, dishonesty, violence, or pride, because genuine faith is demonstrated through practicing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God.
The chapter also shows that God's judgment is connected to the way people treat one another in ordinary life, particularly in business, leadership, and relationships, making clear that worship cannot be separated from ethical behavior and that outward religious activity has no value when it is used to hide a life built upon exploitation and dishonesty.
The chapter begins like a courtroom.
God calls the mountains and foundations of the earth to serve as witnesses while He presents His case against Israel.
Rather than immediately listing their sins, God first asks what He has done to burden them.
The question forces the people to consider whether their rejection of Him can actually be justified.
God reminds them that He rescued them from slavery in Egypt, gave them leaders, protected them during their journey, and repeatedly acted on their behalf.
He then tells them to remember the events surrounding Shittim and Gilgal, calling attention to His righteous acts throughout their history.
The people respond by asking what they should bring to God.
They wonder whether animals, oil, enormous sacrifices, or even their firstborn could somehow satisfy Him.
The progression of their questions exposes a fundamental misunderstanding.
They are thinking in terms of religious payment rather than faithful obedience.
Micah answers with one of the clearest statements of biblical ethics: God has already shown what is good.
He does not primarily ask for increasingly impressive sacrifices.
He requires people to practice justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him.
The message is particularly powerful because the rest of the chapter demonstrates exactly how Israel has failed to do these things.
The people use dishonest scales, manipulate weights, accumulate wealth through deception, practice violence, and speak lies.
Their religious activities therefore cannot hide the corruption of their everyday lives.
God's judgment will consequently affect the very prosperity they have pursued.
They will eat without being satisfied, plant without harvesting, press olives without receiving their expected oil, and make wine without enjoying its fruit.
Their material success will collapse because it has been built upon injustice and exploitation.
The chapter ends by referring to the practices of Omri and Ahab's dynasty, presenting their corruption as an example of the kind of behavior that God's people have adopted.
The result will be humiliation, destruction, and public disgrace.
The central message is that Micah 6 teaches that God does not want religious performance to compensate for injustice, dishonesty, violence, or pride, because genuine faith is demonstrated through practicing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God.
The chapter also shows that God's judgment is connected to the way people treat one another in ordinary life, particularly in business, leadership, and relationships, making clear that worship cannot be separated from ethical behavior and that outward religious activity has no value when it is used to hide a life built upon exploitation and dishonesty.