16. But the lord of Heaven’s Armies will be exalted by his justice.The holiness of God will be displayed by his righteousness.
17. In that day lambs will find good pastures,and fattened sheep and young goats will feed among the ruins.
18. What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind themwith ropes made of lies,who drag wickedness behind them like a cart!
19. They even mock God and say,“Hurry up and do something!We want to see what you can do.Let the Holy One of Israel carry out his plan,for we want to know what it is.”
20. What sorrow for those who saythat evil is good and good is evil,that dark is light and light is dark,that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.
21. What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyesand think themselves so clever.
22. What sorrow for those who are heroes at drinking wineand boast about all the alcohol they can hold.
23. They take bribes to let the wicked go free,and they punish the innocent.
24. Therefore, just as fire licks up stubbleand dry grass shrivels in the flame,so their roots will rotand their flowers wither.For they have rejected the law of the lord of Heaven’s Armies;they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25. That is why the lord’s anger burns against his people,and why he has raised his fist to crush them.The mountains tremble,and the corpses of his people litter the streets like garbage.But even then the lord’s anger is not satisfied.His fist is still poised to strike!
26. He will send a signal to distant nations far awayand whistle to those at the ends of the earth.They will come racing toward Jerusalem.