⁴ I will stretch out my hand^(G) against Judah
and against all the residents of Jerusalem.
I will cut off every vestige of Baal^(H)
from this place,
the names of the pagan priests^(I)
along with the priests;
⁵ those who bow in worship on the rooftops^(J)
to the stars in the sky;
those who bow and pledge loyalty to the Lord^(K)
but also pledge loyalty to Milcom;^[b](L)
6 and those who turn back from following the Lord,
who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.
⁷ Be silent in the presence of the Lord God,^(M)
for the day of the Lord is near.^(N)
Indeed, the Lord has prepared a sacrifice;^(O)
he has consecrated his guests.^(P)

⁸ On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
I will punish the officials, the king’s sons,
and all who are dressed in foreign clothing.
⁹ On that day^(Q) I will punish
all who skip over the threshold,^[c](R)
who fill their master’s house
with violence and deceit.

¹⁰ On that day—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
there will be an outcry from the Fish Gate,^(S)
a wailing from the Second District,^(T)
and a loud crashing from the hills.
¹¹ Wail, you residents of the Hollow,^[d]
for all the merchants^[e] will be silenced;
all those loaded with silver will be cut off.

¹² And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
and punish those who settle down comfortably,^[f](U)
who say to themselves:
The Lord will do nothing—good or bad.^(V)
13 Their wealth will become plunder
and their houses a ruin.
They will build houses but never live in them,
plant vineyards but never drink their wine.^(W)

¹⁴ The great day of the Lord is near,^(X)
near and rapidly approaching.
Listen, the day of the Lord—
then the warrior’s cry is bitter.
¹⁵ That day is a day of wrath,
a day of trouble and distress,
a day of destruction and desolation,
a day of darkness^(Y) and gloom,
a day of clouds and total darkness,^(Z)
16 a day of ram’s horn and battle cry
against the fortified cities,
and against the high corner towers.
¹⁷ I will bring distress on mankind,
and they will walk like the blind^(AA)
because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their flesh like dung.
¹⁸ Their silver and their gold
will be unable to rescue them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath.^(AB)
The whole earth will be consumed
by the fire of his jealousy,^(AC)
for he will make a complete,
yes, a horrifying end
of all the inhabitants of the earth.