7. You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth:
8. seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, Yahweh is his name,
9. who brings sudden destruction on the strong, so that destruction comes on the fortress.
10. They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.
11. Therefore, because you trample on the poor, and take taxes from him of wheat: You have built houses of cut stone, but you will not dwell in them. You have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.
12. For I know how many your offenses, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the courts.
13. Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.
14. Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be with you, as you say.
15. Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
16. Therefore Yahweh, the God of Armies, the Lord, says: “Wailing will be in all the wide ways; and they will say in all the streets, ‘Alas! Alas!’ and they will call the farmer to mourning, and those who are skillful in lamentation to wailing.
17. In all vineyards there will be wailing; for I will pass through the middle of you,” says Yahweh.
18. “Woe to you who desire the day of Yahweh! Why do you long for the day of Yahweh? It is darkness, and not light.
19. As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; Or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him.
20. Won’t the day of Yahweh be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?
21. I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can’t stand your solemn assemblies.
22. Yes, though you offer me your burnt offerings and meal offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat animals.
23. Take away from me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24. But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.