¹¹ “The multitude of your sacrifices—
    what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;^(A)
I have no pleasure^(B)
    in the blood of bulls^(C) and lambs and goats.^(D)
12 When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,^(E)
    this trampling of my courts?
¹³ Stop bringing meaningless offerings!^(F)
    Your incense^(G) is detestable^(H) to me.
New Moons,^(I) Sabbaths and convocations^(J)—
    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
¹⁴ Your New Moon^(K) feasts and your appointed festivals^(L)
    I hate with all my being.^(M)
They have become a burden to me;^(N)
    I am weary^(O) of bearing them.
¹⁵ When you spread out your hands^(P) in prayer,
    I hide^(Q) my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.^(R)

Your hands^(S) are full of blood!^(T)

¹⁶ Wash^(U) and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;^(V)
    stop doing wrong.^(W)
17 Learn to do right;^(X) seek justice.^(Y)
    Defend the oppressed.^[a](Z)
Take up the cause of the fatherless;^(AA)
    plead the case of the widow.^(AB)

¹⁸ “Come now, let us settle the matter,”^(AC)
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;^(AD)
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.^(AE)
19 If you are willing and obedient,^(AF)
    you will eat the good things of the land;^(AG)
20 but if you resist and rebel,^(AH)
    you will be devoured by the sword.”^(AI)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.^(AJ)

²¹ “I hate,^(A) I despise your religious festivals;^(B)
    your assemblies^(C) are a stench to me.
²² Even though you bring me burnt offerings^(D) and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them.^(E)
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
    I will have no regard for them.^(F)
23 Away with the noise of your songs!
    I will not listen to the music of your harps.^(G)
24 But let justice^(H) roll on like a river,
    righteousness^(I) like a never-failing stream!^(J)

²⁵ “Did you bring me sacrifices^(K) and offerings
    forty years^(L) in the wilderness, people of Israel?
²⁶ You have lifted up the shrine of your king,
    the pedestal of your idols,^(M)
    the star of your god^[a]—
    which you made for yourselves.
²⁷ Therefore I will send you into exile^(N) beyond Damascus,”
    says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty.^(O)

⁷ “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
    I will testify^(A) against you, Israel:
    I am God, your God.^(B)
8 I bring no charges^(C) against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings,^(D) which are ever before me.
⁹ I have no need of a bull^(E) from your stall
    or of goats^(F) from your pens,^(G)
10 for every animal of the forest^(H) is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.^(I)
11 I know every bird^(J) in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields^(K) are mine.
¹² If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world^(L) is mine, and all that is in it.^(M)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴ “Sacrifice thank offerings^(N) to God,
    fulfill your vows^(O) to the Most High,^(P)
15 and call^(Q) on me in the day of trouble;^(R)
    I will deliver^(S) you, and you will honor^(T) me.”

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant^(U) on your lips?^(V)
17 You hate^(W) my instruction
    and cast my words behind^(X) you.
¹⁸ When you see a thief, you join^(Y) with him;
    you throw in your lot with adulterers.^(Z)
19 You use your mouth for evil
    and harness your tongue to deceit.^(AA)
20 You sit and testify against your brother^(AB)
    and slander your own mother’s son.
²¹ When you did these things and I kept silent,^(AC)
    you thought I was exactly^[a] like you.
But I now arraign^(AD) you
    and set my accusations^(AE) before you.

²² “Consider this, you who forget God,^(AF)
    or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:^(AG)
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
    and to the blameless^[b] I will show my salvation.^(AH)”

¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice,^(A) or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ My sacrifice,^(B) O God, is^[a] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart^(C)
    you, God, will not despise.

⁶ With what shall I come before^(A) the Lord
    and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?^(B)
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,^(C)
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?^(D)
Shall I offer my firstborn^(E) for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?^(F)
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly^(G) and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly^[a](H) with your God.^(I)

⁶ For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,^(A)
    and acknowledgment^(B) of God rather than burnt offerings.^(C)