30:7 Alas, what a terrible time of trouble it is! 1
There has never been any like it.
It is a time of trouble for the descendants of Jacob,
but some of them will be rescued out of it. 2
5:18 Woe 3 to those who wish for the day of the Lord!
Why do you want the Lord’s day of judgment to come?
It will bring darkness, not light.
5:20 Don’t you realize the Lord’s day of judgment will bring 4 darkness, not light –
gloomy blackness, not bright light?
1:15 That day will be a day of God’s anger, 5
a day of distress and hardship,
a day of devastation and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and dark skies,
1 tn Heb “Alas [or Woe] for that day will be great.” For the use of the particle “Alas” to signal a time of terrible trouble, even to sound the death knell for someone, see the translator’s note on 22:13.
2 tn Heb “It is a time of trouble for Jacob but he will be saved out of it.”
3 tn The term הוֹי (hoy, “woe”) was used when mourning the dead (see the note on the word “dead” in 5:16). The prophet here either engages in role playing and mourns the death of the nation in advance or sarcastically taunts those who hold to this misplaced belief.
4 tn Heb “Will not the day of the Lord be.”
5 tn Heb “a day of wrath.” The word “God’s” is supplied in the translation for clarification.