Micah 6: What the Lord Requires
God brings a covenant lawsuit, recalling his redemption from Egypt, and answers the question of true worship with justice, mercy, and humble walking.
Micah 6 (WEB)
1 Listen now to what Yahweh says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear what you have to say.
2 Hear, you mountains, Yahweh’s controversy, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for Yahweh has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel.
3 My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me!
4 For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage. I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of Yahweh.”
6 How shall I come before Yahweh, and bow myself before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
9 Yahweh’s voice calls to the city, and wisdom sees your name: “Listen to the rod, and he who appointed it.
10 Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a short ephah that is accursed?
11 Shall I be pure with dishonest scales, and with a bag of deceitful weights?
12 Her rich men are full of violence, her inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their speech.
13 Therefore I also have struck you with a grievous wound. I have made you desolate because of your sins.
14 You shall eat, but not be satisfied. Your humiliation will be in your midst. You will store up, but not save; and that which you save I will give up to the sword.
15 You will sow, but won’t reap. You will tread the olives, but won’t anoint yourself with oil; and crush grapes, but won’t drink the wine.
16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab. You walk in their counsels, that I may make you a ruin, and her inhabitants a hissing; And you will bear the reproach of my people.”
Micah 6 (KJV)
1 Hear ye now what the Lord saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.
2 Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.
3 O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.
4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.
6 Wherewith 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?
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?
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
9 The Lord’s voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.
10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?
11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?
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.
13 Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.
14 Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.
15 Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.
16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.
Micah 6 (ASV)
1 Hear ye now what Jehovah saith: Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.
2 Hear, O ye mountains, Jehovah’s controversy, and ye enduring foundations of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel.
3 O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.
4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him; remember from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteous acts of Jehovah.
6 Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old?
7 will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?
9 The voice of Jehovah crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom will see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.
10 Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a scant measure that is abominable?
11 Shall I be pure with wicked balances, and with a bag of deceitful weights?
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.
13 Therefore I also have smitten thee with a grievous wound; I have made thee desolate because of thy sins.
14 Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy humiliation shall be in the midst of thee: and thou shalt put away, but shalt not save; and that which thou savest will I give up to the sword.
15 Thou shalt sow, but shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not anoint thee with oil; and the vintage, but shalt not drink the wine.
16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I may make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing: and ye shall bear the reproach of my people.
Summary
The LORD opens a covenant lawsuit, calling the mountains and the enduring foundations of the earth to hear his case against his people. Tenderly he asks, “My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you?” He recalls his saving acts: bringing them up from Egypt, redeeming them from slavery, sending Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, and turning Balaam's curse into blessing. The people respond by asking how they can come before such a God—with burnt offerings and calves, thousands of rams, rivers of oil, even their own firstborn? Micah answers with one of Scripture's greatest summaries: God has shown what is good, and what he requires is to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with him. Then the LORD's voice calls to the city again, exposing the dishonest scales, short measures, violence, and lies that fill it. Because of these sins he has already struck them with a grievous wound: they will eat but not be satisfied, sow but not reap, tread the olives but not anoint themselves, for they have kept the ways of Omri and Ahab and must bear the reproach.
Key Figures
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who brings a covenant lawsuit, recalls his redemption of his people from Egypt, shows them what is good, and judges the violence and dishonesty that fill the city.
- God's people — Israel on trial, who ask what offerings could make them acceptable and are told that God desires justice, mercy, and humility, not mere sacrifice.
- Moses, Aaron, and Miriam — The leaders God sent before his people in the exodus, named as evidence of the LORD's saving acts and faithfulness to remember in the covenant lawsuit.
Key Verse
Micah 6:8 (WEB)
He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
Lessons Learned
- God remembers his saving acts and grieves when his people forget them.
- No amount of sacrifice can substitute for justice, mercy, and humility.
- True religion is shown in how we treat others and how we walk with God.
- Dishonesty and violence in everyday dealings are deeply offensive to the LORD.
- God reasons with his people in love. “My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you?” (Micah 6:3, WEB). Even his lawsuit is tender, recalling redemption rather than merely demanding.
- Sacrifice cannot replace obedience. God is not won by “thousands of rams” or “rivers of oil” (Micah 6:7, WEB). Outward offerings are no substitute for a heart that does his will.
- God requires justice, mercy, and humility. He asks us “to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8, WEB). True worship is a whole life lived rightly before him.
- God sees dishonest dealing. He will not hold innocent “dishonest scales” or “a bag of deceitful weights” (Micah 6:11, WEB). The LORD cares how we conduct our ordinary business.
- How does God frame his complaint against his people, and what saving acts does he recall (6:3-5)?
- What do the people offer to do to gain God's favor, and why are these offers inadequate?
- How do justice, mercy, and humility (6:8) together describe a life pleasing to God?
- What specific sins does the LORD expose in verses 10-12, and why do they matter to him?
- Which of the three—doing justly, loving mercy, or walking humbly—is God most stretching you to grow in right now?
- God presents his case before the mountains, asking what wrong he has done and recalling the exodus, the redemption from slavery, the leaders he sent, and the turning of Balaam's curse (6:3-5). His complaint is grounded in remembered grace; he reminds them of his goodness before exposing their sin.
- They escalate from burnt offerings and calves to thousands of rams, rivers of oil, and even child sacrifice (6:6-7). The offers grow more extravagant and desperate, yet miss the point: God desires not more religious quantity but a changed and obedient heart.
- Justice means giving others their due, mercy means delighting in steadfast love, and humility means walking lowly with God rather than relying on self. Together they cover our dealings with others and with God, describing not a transaction but a whole life shaped by grace.
- God exposes treasures of wickedness, short measures, dishonest scales, deceitful weights, violence, and lies (6:10-12). These are everyday corruptions in commerce and speech. They matter because God's holiness reaches into the marketplace, not just the temple.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to reflect honestly on which area God is pressing them to grow in. As leader, keep the focus on grace—Christ perfectly did justice, loved mercy, and walked humbly for us—so the call inspires rather than crushes.