1 B low the trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on My holy Mount. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is close at hand—

Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the Lord is coming; Surely it is near,

2 A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and of thick mists and darkness, like the morning dawn spread upon the mountains; so there comes a people numerous and mighty, the like of which has never been before and shall not be again even to the years of many generations.

A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations.

3 A fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns; the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yes, and none has escaped.

A fire consumes before them And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them But a desolate wilderness behind them, And nothing at all escapes them.

4 T heir appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses and horsemen, so do they run.

Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like war horses, so they run.

5 L ike the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains they leap—like the noise of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a mighty people set in battle array.

With a noise as of chariots They leap on the tops of the mountains, Like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, Like a mighty people arranged for battle.

6 B efore them the peoples are in anguish; all faces become pale.

Before them the people are in anguish; All faces turn pale.

7 T hey run like mighty men; they climb the wall like men of war. They march each one on his ways, and they do not break their ranks.

They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like soldiers; And they each march in line, Nor do they deviate from their paths.

8 N either does one thrust upon another; they walk every one in his path. And they burst through and upon the weapons, yet they are not wounded and do not change their course.

They do not crowd each other, They march everyone in his path; When they burst through the defenses, They do not break ranks.

9 T hey leap upon the city; they run upon the wall; they climb up on and into the houses; they enter in at the windows like a thief.

They rush on the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter through the windows like a thief.

10 T he earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened and the stars withdraw their shining.

Before them the earth quakes, The heavens tremble, The sun and the moon grow dark And the stars lose their brightness.

11 A nd the Lord utters His voice before His army, for His host is very great, and strong and powerful who execute word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can endure it?

The Lord utters His voice before His army; Surely His camp is very great, For strong is he who carries out His word. The day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it?

12 T herefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “ Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning;

13 R end your hearts and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil.

And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil.

14 W ho knows but what He will turn, revoke your sentence, and leave a blessing behind Him, even a cereal or meal offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God?

Who knows whether He will not turn and relent And leave a blessing behind Him, Even a grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God?

15 B low the trumpet in Zion; set apart a fast; call a solemn assembly.

Blow a trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,

16 G ather the people, sanctify the congregation; assemble the elderly people, gather the children and the nursing infants; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber and the bride out of her closet.

Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber.

17 L et the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; and let them say, Have pity and spare Your people, O Lord, and give not Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them or use a byword against them. Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?

Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, “ Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not make Your inheritance a reproach, A byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, ‘ Where is their God?’” Deliverance Promised

18 T hen was the Lord jealous for His land and had pity on His people.

Then the Lord will be zealous for His land And will have pity on His people.

19 Y es, the Lord answered and said to His people, Behold, I am sending you grain and juice and oil, and you shall be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

The Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied in full with them; And I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.

20 B ut I will remove far off from you the northern army and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, with its front toward the eastern Sea and with its rear toward the western Sea. And its stench shall come up, and its foul odor shall come up, because He has done great things!

“But I will remove the northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, And its vanguard into the eastern sea, And its rear guard into the western sea. And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, For it has done great things.”

21 F ear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!

Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, For the Lord has done great things.

22 B e not afraid, you wild beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness have sprung up and are green; the tree bears its fruit, and the fig tree and the vine yield their strength.

Do not fear, beasts of the field, For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green, For the tree has borne its fruit, The fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.

23 B e glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord, your God; for He gives you the former or early rain in just measure and in righteousness, and He causes to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, as before.

So rejoice, O sons of Zion, And be glad in the Lord your God; For He has given you the early rain for your vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, The early and latter rain as before.

24 A nd the floors shall be full of grain and the vats shall overflow with juice and oil.

The threshing floors will be full of grain, And the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil.

25 A nd I will restore or replace for you the years that the locust has eaten—the hopping locust, the stripping locust, and the crawling locust, My great army which I sent among you.

“Then I will make up to you for the years That the swarming locust has eaten, The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you.

26 A nd you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never be put to shame.

“You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; Then My people will never be put to shame.

27 A nd you shall know, understand, and realize that I am in the midst of Israel and that I the Lord am your God and there is none else. My people shall never be put to shame.

“Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, And that I am the Lord your God, And there is no other; And My people will never be put to shame. The Promise of the Spirit

28 A nd afterward I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.

“ It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions.

29 E ven upon the menservants and upon the maidservants in those days will I pour out My Spirit.

“Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. The Day of the Lord

30 A nd I will show signs and wonders in the heavens, and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.

“I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of smoke.

31 T he sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.

“The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.

32 A nd whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered and saved, for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the remnant shall be those whom the Lord calls.

“And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the Lord has said, Even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.