[ This chapter will deal with the ingratitude that Israel has for all that the Lord has done for them. ] 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? [ Where or how did I make you so tired? Or really, are the Lords ways really that hard? Are my burdens so bad that you cannot handel them? Is it really that hard to be honest with your neighbors? To pay an honest tithe? To keep the sabbath day holy? ] testify against me.

4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, [ Why did he do that? To bring them back to him. ] and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; [ Egypt, the children of Israel were servants to Egypt. ] and I sent before thee Moses, [ The president of the church, Gods anointed prophet. ] Aaron, [ The very Aaron who presided over the Aaronic priesthood with all of the ordinances and offerrings. ] and Miriam. [ The general president of all of the sisters of Israel. ]

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? [ Suggesting that you cannot buy Gods love with your offerrings no matter how great they are. ]

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? [ The answer to these questions is no. Even giving your own son will not satisfy God. What does satisfy God is that you are obedient to what he has asked you to do. ]

8  He hath shewed thee, [ He has given us the law, the doctrine and the commandments. ] O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, [ To be honest. ] and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? [ Means to be in harmony with God - have an eye single to his glory and nothing else(Charity). (Doctrines of Salvation Vol 1 pg 4) ]

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, [ Both of these where very evil kings. And the "statutes" they erected were to worship Baal. ] 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.