¹⁸ Alas, you who are longing for the ^(A)day of the Lord,
For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you?
It will be ^(B)darkness and not light;
¹⁹ As when a man ^(C)flees from a lion
And a bear meets him,
^[a]Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall
And a snake bites him.
²⁰ Will not the day of the Lord be ^(D)darkness instead of light,
Even gloom with no brightness in it?

²¹ “I hate, I ^(E)reject your festivals,
Nor do I ^[b](F)delight in your solemn assemblies.
²² “Even though you ^(G)offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
And I will not even look at the ^(H)peace offerings of your fatlings.
²³ “Take away from Me the noise of your songs;
I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.
²⁴ “But let ^(I)justice roll down like waters
And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.