17. Your vineyards will be filledwith crying and weeping,because I will punish you.I, the Lord, have spoken!
18. You look forward to the daywhen the Lord comes to judge.But you are in for trouble!It won't be a time of sunshine;all will be darkness.
19. You will run from a lion,only to meet a bear.You will escape to your house,rest your hand on the wall,and be bitten by a snake.
20. The day when the Lord judgeswill be dark, very dark,without a ray of light.
21. I, the Lord, hate and despiseyour religious celebrationsand your times of worship.
22. I won't accept your offeringsor animal sacrifices—not even your very best.
23. No more of your noisy songs!I won't listenwhen you play your harps.
24. But let justice and fairnessflow like a riverthat never runs dry.
25. Israel, for forty yearsyou wandered in the desert,without bringing offeringsor sacrifices to me.
26. Now you will have to carrythe two idols you made—Sakkuth, the one you call king,and Kaiwan, the one you builtin the shape of a star.
27. I will force you to marchas captives beyond Damascus.I, the Lord God All-Powerful,have spoken!