The Hebrew Prophets

Therefore thus says Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot, Adonai: "In all public squares there will be lamentation, in all the streets they will cry, 'Oh, no!' They will summon farmers to mourn and professional mourners to wail.

There will be wailing in every vineyard, for I will pass through among you," says ADONAI.

Woe to you who want the Day of ADONAI! Why do you want it, this Day of ADONAI? It is darkness, not light;

as if someone were to run from a lion, just to be met by a bear; as if he entered a house, put his hand on the wall, just to be bitten by a snake.

Won't the Day of ADONAI be darkness, not light, completely dark, with no brightness at all?

"I hate, I utterly loathe your festivals; I take no pleasure in your solemn assemblies.

If you offer me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; nor will I consider the peace offerings of your stall-fed cattle.

Spare me the noise of your songs! I don't want to hear the strumming of your lutes!

Instead, let justice well up like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings in the desert forty years, house of Isra'el?

No, but now you will bear Sikkut as your king and Kiyun, your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves;

as I exile you beyond Dammesek," says Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot - that is his name.

Woe to those living at ease in Tziyon and to those who feel complacent on the hills of Shomron, renowned men in this foremost of nations, to whom the rest of Isra'el come.

Travel to Kalneh and see; from there go on to Hamat the great; then go down to Gat of the P'lishtim. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?

You put off all thought of the evil day but hasten the reign of violence.

You lie on beds of ivory and lounge sprawled out on your couches, dining on meat from lambs in the flock and from calves fattened in stalls.

You make up wild songs at your parties, playing the lute and inventing other instruments - [imagining that you're] like David!

You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but feel no grief at the ruin of Yosef.

Therefore now they will be the first to go into exile with those being exiled, and the revelry of those who lounged, sprawling, will pass away.

"Adonai ELOHIM swears by himself," says Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot, "I detest that Ya'akov is so proud, and I hate his palaces. I will hand over the city, along with everything in it."

When that day comes, if ten men remain in one house, they will die.

And if a [dead] man's uncle, coming to bring the corpse out of the house and burn it, finds a survivor hidden in the inmost recesses of the house and asks, "Is anyone else there with you?" - then, when he receives the answer, "No," he will say, "Don't say any more, because we mustn't mention the name of ADONAI."

For when ADONAI gives the order, great houses will be shattered and small houses reduced to rubble.

Do horses run on rock? Does one plow there with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitter wormwood.

You take pleasure in worthless things. You think your power comes from your own strength.