13. Therefore the prudent are silent at such a time,for it is an evil time.
14. Seek good and not evil,so that you may live;then the Lord, the God of Hosts, will truly be with you,as you claim.
15. Hate evil and love good,and establish justice at the gate.It may then be that the Lord God of Hosts will be graciousto the remnant of Joseph.
16. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Hosts, the Lord: Wailing will be in all the squares,and in all the streets they will say, “Alas! Alas!”They shall call the farmer to mourning,and to wailing those skilled in lamentation.
17. In all vineyards there shall be wailing,for I will pass through you,says the Lord.
18. Woe to you that desirethe day of the Lord!Why do you want the day of the Lord?It is darkness, and not light,
19. as if someone fled away from a lion,but a bear attacked him,or got into the houseand rested his hand on the wall,but a snake bit him.
20. Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light?Will it not be deep darkness, with no brightness in it?
21. I hate, I despise your festivals,and I am not pleased by your solemn assemblies.
22. Though you offer Me burnt offerings or your grain offerings,I will not accept them,nor will I regard the offeringsof your fattened animals.
23. Take away from Me the noise of your songs;I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24. But let justice roll down like water,and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
25. Did you bring Me sacrifices and offeringsthose forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
26. But you will carry away Sukuth your kingand Kaiwan your star-images,your gods that you made for yourselves,
27. as I drive you away into exile beyond Damascus,says the Lord, whose name is the God of Hosts.