The Day of the Lord Is Coming

18 How terrible it will be for you

who long for the day of the Lord!

Why do you want it to come?

That day will be dark, not light.

19 It will be like a man running away from a lion

only to meet a bear.

He enters his house and rests his hand on a wall

only to be bitten by a snake.

20 The day of the Lord will be dark, not light.

It will be very black.

There won’t be a ray of sunlight anywhere.

21The Lord says,

“I hate your holy feasts.

I can’t stand them.

I hate it when you gather together.

22 You bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings.

But I will not accept them.

You bring your best friendship offerings.

But I will not even look at them.

23 Take the noise of your songs away!

I will not listen to the music of your harps.

24 I want you to treat others fairly.

So let fair treatment roll on

just as a river does!

Always do what is right.

Let right living flow along

like a stream that never runs dry!