18-19. Doom to you who use lies to sell evil,who haul sin to market by the truckload,Who say, “What’s God waiting for?Let him get a move on so we can see it.Whatever The Holy of Israel has cooked up,we’d like to check it out.”
20. Doom to you who call evil goodand good evil,Who put darkness in place of lightand light in place of darkness,Who substitute bitter for sweetand sweet for bitter!
21-23. Doom to you who think you’re so smart,who hold such a high opinion of yourselves!All you’re good at is drinking—champion boozerswho collect trophies from drinking boutsAnd then line your pockets with bribes from the guiltywhile you violate the rights of the innocent.
24. But they won’t get by with it. As fire eats stubbleand dry grass goes up in smoke,Their souls will atrophy,their achievements crumble into dust,Because they said no to the revelationof God-of-the-Angel-Armies,Would have nothing to dowith The Holy of Israel.
25-30. That’s why God flamed out in anger against his people,reached out and knocked them down.The mountains trembledas their dead bodies piled up in the streets.But even after that, he was still angry,his fist still raised, ready to hit them again.He raises a flag, signaling a distant nation,whistles for people at the ends of the earth.And here they come—on the run!None drag their feet, no one stumbles,no one sleeps or dawdles.Shirts are on and pants buckled,every boot is spit-polished and tied.Their arrows are sharp,bows strung,The hooves of their horses shod,chariot wheels greased.Roaring like a pride of lions,the full-throated roars of young lions,They growl and seize their prey,dragging it off—no rescue for that one!They’ll roar and roar and roar on that Day,like the roar of ocean billows.Look as long and hard as you like at that land,you’ll see nothing but darkness and trouble.Every light in the skywill be blacked out by the clouds.