The Lord's Challenge to His People
1 The Lord said to his people:
Come and present your case
to the hills and mountains.
2 Israel, I am bringing charges
against you—
I call upon the mountains
and the earth's firm foundation
to be my witnesses.
3 My people, have I wronged you
in any way at all?
Please tell me.
4 I rescued you from Egypt,
where you were slaves.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam
to be your leaders.
5 Don't forget the evil plans
of King Balak of Moab
or what Balaam son of Beor
said to him.
Remember how I, the Lord,
saved you many times
on your way from Acacia
to Gilgal.
True Obedience
6 What offering should I bring
when I bow down to worship
the Lord God Most High?
Should I try to please him
by sacrificing
calves a year old?
7 Will thousands of sheep
or rivers of olive oil
make God satisfied with me?
Should I sacrifice to the Lord
my first-born child as payment
for my terrible sins?
8 The Lord God has told us
what is right
and what he demands:
“See that justice is done,
let mercy be your first concern,
and humbly obey your God.”
Cheating and Violence
9 I am the Lord,
and you are wise to respect
my power to punish.
So listen to my message
for the city of Jerusalem:
10 You store up stolen treasures
and use dishonest scales.
11 But I, the Lord, will punish you
for cheating with weights
and with measures.
12 You rich people are violent,
and everyone tells lies.
13 Because of your sins,
I will wound you and leave you
ruined and defenseless.
14 You will eat,
but still be hungry;
you will store up goods,
but lose everything—
I, the Lord, will let it all
be captured in war.
15 You won't harvest what you plant
or use the oil
from your olive trees
or drink the wine
from grapes you grow.
16 Jerusalem, this will happen
because you followed
the sinful example
of kings Omri and Ahab.
Now I will destroy you
and your property.
Then the people of every nation
will make fun and insult you.
Dieva apsūdzība Israēlam
1 Jel klausieties, ko runā Kungs! –
Celies, izsaki savu prasību kalniem,
un lai pakalni uzklausa tevi!
2 Klausieties, kalni, Kunga prasību
un jūs, nesatricināmie zemes balsti!
Kunga prasība ir pret viņa tautu,
pret Israēlu viņš ceļ apsūdzību!
3 “Mana tauta,
ko esmu tev nodarījis,
kā esmu tevi apgrūtinājis? –
Atbildi man!
4 Es izvedu tevi no Ēģiptes zemes,
no vergu nama izpirku tevi
un sūtīju tev pa priekšu
Mozu, Āronu un Mirjāmu!
5 Jel atceries, mana tauta,
ko ieteica Bālāks, Moāba ķēniņš,
un ko viņam atbildēja Bileāms, Beora dēls.
No Šitīmas līdz pat Gilgālai
tev jāsaredz Kunga taisnīgie darbi!”
Ko Dievs prasa no cilvēka
(Am 5:24)6 Ar ko lai nāku Kunga priekšā?
Kā man zemoties augstajam Dievam?
Vai man nākt ar sadedzināmajiem upuriem,
ar gadu veciem teļiem?
7 Vai Kungam patiksies tūkstoši aunu
un desmitiem tūkstošu eļļas straumju?
Vai man pirmdzimtais jāatdod par savu pārkāpumu,
manas miesas auglis par manas dvēseles grēku?
Israēla noziegums un sods
8 Viņš tev ir teicis, cilvēk, kas ir labs,
ko Kungs no tevis prasa –
spriest taisnu tiesu,
mīlēt žēlastību,
pazemībā staigāt ar Dievu.
9 Kunga balss uzsauc pilsētai, –
un ir gudri tavu vārdu bīties! –
“Klausiet rīksti un to, kas tai pavēlējis!
10 Vai nav joprojām
ļaundara namā netaisna manta,
sasodīts viltnieka mērs?
11 Vai lai turu par šķīstiem sagrozītus svarus,
nepareizus atsvarus somā?
12 Turienes bagātnieki ir pilni varmācības,
turienes iemītnieki runā melus,
no viņu mēlēm nāk krāpšana vien!
13 Tad arī es satriecu tevi ar slimību,
iztukšoju par taviem grēkiem!
14 Tu ēdīsi, bet negūsi sāta,
tavs vidus būs tukšs!
Tu nesīsi, bet nesaglabāsi,
un, ko paglābsi, to es atdošu zobenam!
15 Tu sēsi, bet nepļausi,
tu spiedīsi olīvas, bet neiesvaidīsies ar eļļu,
spiedīsi vīnogu sulu, bet vīnu nebaudīsi.
16 Tiek ievēroti Omrī likumi
un visi Ahāba nama darbi –
jūs sekojat viņu padomam!
Tādēļ es tevi atdodu izdeldēšanai,
tavus iemītniekus – izsmieklam,
un tu nesīsi manas tautas kaunu!”
