1 Samuel 15:22

15:22 Then Samuel said,

“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices

as much as he does in obedience? ¹ 

Certainly, ²  obedience ³  is better than sacrifice;

paying attention is better than ⁴  the fat of rams.

Psalms 99:4

99:4 The king is strong;

he loves justice. ⁵ 

You ensure that legal decisions will be made fairly; ⁶ 

you promote justice and equity in Jacob.

Isaiah 61:8

61:8 For I, the Lord, love justice

and hate robbery and sin.

I will repay them because of my faithfulness; ⁷ 

I will make a permanent covenant with them.

Micah 6:8

6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good,

and what the Lord really wants from you: ⁸ 

He wants you to ⁹  promote ¹⁰  justice, to be faithful, ¹¹ 

and to live obediently before ¹²  your God.

Micah 7:18

7:18 There is no other God like you! ¹³ 

You ¹⁴  forgive sin

and pardon ¹⁵  the rebellion

of those who remain among your people. ¹⁶ 

You do not remain angry forever, ¹⁷ 

but delight in showing loyal love.

¹ tn Heb “as [in] listening to the voice of the Lord.”

² tn Heb “look.”

³ tn Heb “listening.”

⁴ tn The expression “is better” is understood here by ellipsis (see the immediately preceding statement).

⁵ tn Heb “and strength, a king, justice he loves.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult here. The translation assumes that two affirmations are made about the king, the Lord (see v. 1, and Ps 98:6). The noun עֹז (’oz, “strength”) should probably be revocalized as the adjective עַז (’az, “strong”).

⁶ tn Heb “you establish fairness.”

⁷ tn Heb “in faithfulness”; NASB, NRSV, NLT “faithfully.”

⁸ sn What the Lord really wants from you. Now the prophet switches roles and answers the hypothetical worshiper’s question. He makes it clear that the Lord desires proper attitudes more than ritual and sacrifice.

⁹ tn Heb “except.” This statement is actually linked with what precedes, “What does he want from you except….”

¹⁰ tn Heb “to do,” in the sense of “promote.”

¹¹ tn Heb “to love faithfulness.”

¹² tn Heb “to walk humbly [or perhaps, “carefully”] with.”

¹³ tn Heb “Who is a God like you?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one!”

¹⁴ tn Heb “one who.” The prayer moves from direct address (second person) in v. 18a to a descriptive (third person) style in vv. 18b-19a and then back to direct address (second person) in vv. 19b-20. Due to considerations of English style and the unfamiliarity of the modern reader with alternation of persons in Hebrew poetry, the entire section has been rendered as direct address (second person) in the translation.

¹⁵ tn Heb “pass over.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “of the remnant of his inheritance.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “he does not keep hold of his anger forever.”