18. How terrible it will be for those people!They pull their guilt and sins behind themas people pull wagons with ropes.
19. They say, “Let’s see God hurry.Let’s see him do his work soon.We want to see it.Let’s see the plan of the Holy One of Israel happen soon.Then we would know what it really is.”
20. How terrible it will be for people who call good things badand bad things good.They think darkness is lightand light is darkness.They think sour is sweetand sweet is sour.
21. How terrible it will be for people who think they are wise.They think they are clever.
22. How terrible it will be for people who are famous for drinking wine.They are champions at mixing drinks.
23. They take money to set the guilty free.But they don’t allow good people to be judged fairly.
24. They will be destroyedjust as fire burns straw or dry grass.They will be destroyedlike a plant whose roots rotand whose flower dies and blows away like dust.They have refused to obey the teachings of the Lord of heaven’s armies.They hated the message from the Holy God of Israel.