16. Therefore Yahweh, the God of Hosts, the Lord, says:There will be wailing in all the public squares; they will cry out in anguish in all the streets.The farmer will be called on to mourn, and professional mourners to wail.
17. There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass among you. The Lord has spoken.
18. Woe to you who long for the Day of the Lord! What will the Day of the Lord be for you?It will be darkness and not light.
19. It will be like a man who flees from a lion only to have a bear confront him.He goes home and rests his hand against the wallonly to have a snake bite him.
20. Won’t the Day of the Lordbe darkness rather than light, even gloom without any brightness in it?
21. I hate, I despise your feasts! I can’t stand the stenchof your solemn assemblies.
22. Even if you offer Meyour burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; I will have no regardfor your fellowship offerings of fattened cattle.
23. Take away from Me the noise of your songs!I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24. But let justice flow like water,and righteousness, like an unfailing stream.
25. “House of Israel, was it sacrifices and grain offerings that you presented to Me during the 40 years in the wilderness?
26. But you have taken up Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your star god, images you have made for yourselves.
27. So I will send you into exile beyond Damascus.” Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name. He has spoken.