16. The Lord who commands armies will be exalted when he punishes,the sovereign God’s authority will be recognized when he judges.
17. Lambs will graze as if in their pastures,amid the ruins the rich sojourners will graze.
18. Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead,who pull sin as with cart ropes.
19. They say, “Let him hurry, let him act quickly, so we can see;let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take shape and come to pass,then we will know it!”
20. Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead,who turn darkness into light and light into darkness,who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter.
21. Those who think they are wise are as good as dead,those who think they possess understanding.
22. Those who are champions at drinking wine are as good as dead,who display great courage when mixing strong drinks.
23. They pronounce the guilty innocent for a payoff,they ignore the just cause of the innocent.
24. Therefore, as flaming fire devours straw,and dry grass disintegrates in the flames,so their root will rot,and their flower will blow away like dust.For they have rejected the law of the Lord who commands armies,they have spurned the commands of the Holy One of Israel.
25. So the Lord is furious with his people;he lifts his hand and strikes them.The mountains shake,and corpses lie like manure in the middle of the streets.Despite all this, his anger does not subside,and his hand is ready to strike again.
26. He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation,he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth.Look, they come quickly and swiftly.
27. None tire or stumble,they don’t stop to nap or sleep.They don’t loosen their belts,or unstrap their sandals to rest.
28. Their arrows are sharpened,and all their bows are prepared.The hooves of their horses are hard as flint,and their chariot wheels are like a windstorm.