21. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and clever in their own sight!
22. Woe to the mighty to drink wine, and brave men to mix strong drink,
23. who declare right the wrong for a bribe, and the righteousness of the righteous they turn aside from him!
24. Therefore, as a tongue of fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes the chaff, their root is as rottenness, and their blossom goes up like dust – because they have rejected the Torah of יהוה of hosts, and despised the Word of the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl.
25. Therefore the displeasure of יהוה has burned against His people, and He stretches out His hand against them and smites them, and the mountains tremble. And their carcass is as filth in the middle of the streets. With all this His displeasure has not turned back, and His hand is still stretched out!
26. And He shall lift up a banner to the nations from afar, and shall whistle to them from the end of the earth. And see, they come with speed, swiftly!
27. Not one of them is weary or stumbling, not one slumbers or sleeps. Not a belt shall be loosened on their loins, nor the thong of their sandals be broken.
28. Their arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent; their horses’ hooves shall seem like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind.
29. Their roar is like that of a lion, they roar like young lions. And they growl and seize prey, and slip away, with no one to rescue.
30. And in that day they shall growl over it as with the growling of the sea. And one shall look at the earth, and see, darkness and distress! And light shall be darkened by the clouds.