18 Alas, you who are longing for the aday of the Lord,

For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you?

It will be bdarkness and not light;

19 As when a man aflees from a lion

And a bear meets him,

1Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall

And a snake bites him.

20 Will not the day of the Lord be adarkness instead of light,

Even gloom with no brightness in it?

21 “I hate, I areject your festivals,

Nor do I 1bdelight in your solemn assemblies.

22 “Even though you aoffer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,

I will not accept them;

And I will not even look at the bpeace offerings of your fatlings.

23 “Take away from Me the noise of your songs;

I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.

24 “But let ajustice roll down like waters

And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

25 “1aDid you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel?

26 “aYou also carried along 1Sikkuth your king and 2Kiyyun, your images, 3the star of your gods which you made for yourselves.

27 “Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.