² Also, son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.^(A)

³ Now is the end upon you, and I will send My anger upon you and will judge you according to your ways and will bring upon you retribution for all your abominations.

⁴ And My eye will not spare you, neither will I have pity; but I will bring recompense for your evil ways upon you, while your abominations are in the midst of you [calling down punishment from a righteous God]; and you shall know (recognize, understand, and realize) that I am the Lord.

¹⁶ Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord: There shall be wailing in all the broad ways, and in all the streets they shall say, Alas! Alas! And they shall call the farmers to mourning and such as are skilled in lamentation to wailing.

¹⁷ And in all vineyards there shall be wailing, for I will pass through the midst of you, says the Lord.

¹⁸ Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness and not light;

¹⁹ It is as if a man fled from a lion and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned with his hand against the wall and a serpent bit him.

²⁰ Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light? Even very dark with no brightness in it?