TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Micah - Chapter 6
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1Hear what Hashem is saying: Come, present [My] case before the mountains, And let the hills hear you pleading.
אשִׁמְעוּ־נָא אֵת אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָה אֹמֵר קוּם רִיב אֶת־הֶהָרִים וְתִשְׁמַעְנָה הַגְּבָעוֹת קוֹלֶךָ׃
2Hear, you mountains, the case of Hashem— You firm foundations of the earth! For Hashem has a case against His people, He has a suit against Yisrael.
בשִׁמְעוּ הָרִים אֶת־רִיב יְהֹוָה וְהָאֵתָנִים מֹסְדֵי אָרֶץ כִּי רִיב לַיהֹוָה עִם־עַמּוֹ וְעִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל יִתְוַכָּח׃
3“My people! What wrong have I done you? What hardship have I caused you? Testify against Me.
געַמִּי מֶה־עָשִׂיתִי לְךָ וּמָה הֶלְאֵתִיךָ עֲנֵה בִּי׃
4In fact, I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage, And I sent before you Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam.
דכִּי הֶעֱלִתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וּמִבֵּית עֲבָדִים פְּדִיתִיךָ וָאֶשְׁלַח לְפָנֶיךָ אֶת־מֹשֶׁה אַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם׃
5“My people, Remember what Balak king of Moab Plotted against you, And how Balaam son of Beor Responded to him. [Recall your passage] From Shittim to Gilgal— And you will recognize The gracious acts of Hashem.”
העַמִּי זְכָר־נָא מַה־יָּעַץ בָּלָק מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וּמֶה־עָנָה אֹתוֹ בִּלְעָם בֶּן־בְּעוֹר מִן־הַשִּׁטִּים עַד־הַגִּלְגָּל לְמַעַן דַּעַת צִדְקוֹת יְהֹוָה׃
6With what shall I approach Hashem, Do homage to Hashem on high? Shall I approach Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old?
ובַּמָּה אֲקַדֵּם יְהֹוָה אִכַּף לֵאלֹהֵי מָרוֹם הַאֲקַדְּמֶנּוּ בְעוֹלוֹת בַּעֲגָלִים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה׃
7Would Hashem be pleased with thousands of rams, With myriads of streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, The fruit of my body for my sins?
זהֲיִרְצֶה יְהֹוָה בְּאַלְפֵי אֵילִים בְּרִבְבוֹת נַחֲלֵי־שָׁמֶן הַאֶתֵּן בְּכוֹרִי פִּשְׁעִי פְּרִי בִטְנִי חַטַּאת נַפְשִׁי׃
8“He has told you, O man, what is good, And what Hashem requires of you: Only to do justice And to love goodness, And to walk modestly with your God;
hi-GEED l'-KHA a-DAM mah TOV u-mah a-do-NAI do-RAYSH mi-m'-KHA KEE im a-SOT mish-PAT v'-A-ha-vat KHE-sed v'-hatz-NAY-a LE-khet im e-lo-HE-kha
חהִגִּיד לְךָ אָדָם מַה־טּוֹב וּמָה־יְהֹוָה דּוֹרֵשׁ מִמְּךָ כִּי אִם־עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד וְהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת עִם־אֱלֹהֶיךָ׃
6:8 Walk modestly with your God
Man gives money to a beggar on the streets of Jerusalem.
The people search for Hashem, earnestly but blindly, by increasing their offerings and bringing more sacrifices. Micha replies with the most sublime verse of his book, linking piety with ethics and righteousness with empathy. What God wants from man is that he act justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with Hashem. Based on this verse, the Sages extol the virtues of modesty in all areas of life, such as the importance of giving charity anonymously or dressing in clothing that conceals more than reveals. In ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods in Israel, this verse is often quoted on signs that welcome tourists but request that visitors abide by the sensitivities of the community by dressing modestly.
9Then will your name achieve wisdom.” Hark! Hashem Summons the city: Hear, O scepter; For who can direct her
טקוֹל יְהֹוָה לָעִיר יִקְרָא וְתוּשִׁיָּה יִרְאֶה שְׁמֶךָ שִׁמְעוּ מַטֶּה וּמִי יְעָדָהּ׃
10but you? Will I overlook, in the wicked man's house, The granaries of wickedness And the accursed short efah?
יעוֹד הַאִשׁ בֵּית רָשָׁע אֹצְרוֹת רֶשַׁע וְאֵיפַת רָזוֹן זְעוּמָה׃
11Shall he be acquitted despite wicked balances And a bag of fraudulent weights?—
יאהַאֶזְכֶּה בְּמֹאזְנֵי רֶשַׁע וּבְכִיס אַבְנֵי מִרְמָה׃
12Whose rich men are full of lawlessness, And whose inhabitants speak treachery, With tongues of deceit in their mouths.
יבאֲשֶׁר עֲשִׁירֶיהָ מָלְאוּ חָמָס וְיֹשְׁבֶיהָ דִּבְּרוּ־שָׁקֶר וּלְשׁוֹנָם רְמִיָּה בְּפִיהֶם׃
13I, in turn, have beaten you sore, Have stunned [you] for your sins:
יגוְגַם־אֲנִי הֶחֱלֵיתִי הַכּוֹתֶךָ הַשְׁמֵם עַל־חַטֹּאתֶךָ׃
14You have been eating without getting your fill, And there is a gnawing at your vitals; You have been conceiving without bearing young, And what you bore I would deliver to the sword.
ידאַתָּה תֹאכַל וְלֹא תִשְׂבָּע וְיֶשְׁחֲךָ בְּקִרְבֶּךָ וְתַסֵּג וְלֹא תַפְלִיט וַאֲשֶׁר תְּפַלֵּט לַחֶרֶב אֶתֵּן׃
15You have been sowing, but have nothing to reap; You have trod olives, but have no oil for rubbing, And grapes but have no wine to drink.
טואַתָּה תִזְרַע וְלֹא תִקְצוֹר אַתָּה תִדְרֹךְ־זַיִת וְלֹא־תָסוּךְ שֶׁמֶן וְתִירוֹשׁ וְלֹא תִשְׁתֶּה־יָּיִן׃
16Yet you have kept the laws of Omri, And all the practices of the House of Achav, And have followed what they devised. Therefore I will make you an object of horror And her inhabitants an object of hissing; And you shall bear the mockery of peoples.
טזוְיִשְׁתַּמֵּר חֻקּוֹת עָמְרִי וְכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה בֵית־אַחְאָב וַתֵּלְכוּ בְּמֹעֲצוֹתָם לְמַעַן תִּתִּי אֹתְךָ לְשַׁמָּה וְיֹשְׁבֶיהָ לִשְׁרֵקָה וְחֶרְפַּת עַמִּי תִּשָּׂאוּ׃
