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 horn in Zion! Give the sound of danger on My holy mountain! Let all the people of the land shake in fear, for the day of the Lord is coming. The day 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.

It will be a day of darkness, a day of clouds and much darkness. A large and powerful army will come like darkness spreading over the mountains. There has never been anything like it, and there will never be anything like it again for all time to come.

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.

Fire destroys in front of them and behind them. The land is like the garden of Eden in front of them, but a desert waste is left behind them. Nothing gets away from them.

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

They look like horses. They run like war horses.

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.

As they jump on the tops of the mountains they sound like war-wagons. They sound like a fire burning up the dry grass, like a powerful army ready for battle.

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

Nations suffer in front of them. All faces turn white.

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 strong men. They go over the wall like soldiers. They each walk straight on, and do not turn 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 push each other. Each one walks in his path. When they break through those who fight against them, their path is not changed.

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 upon the city. They run on the wall. They go into the houses through the windows like a robber.

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

The earth shakes in front of them. The heavens shake. The sun and the moon become dark, and the stars stop shining.

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 thunders in front of His army. His army has too many to number. Those who obey His Word are powerful. The day of the Lord is very great and fills people with fear and wonder. Who can live through it? A Call to Turn from Sin

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,” says the Lord, “return to Me with all your heart, crying in sorrow and eating no food.

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.

Tear your heart and not your clothes.” Return to the Lord your God, for He is full of loving-kindness and loving-pity. He is slow to anger, full of love, and ready to keep His punishment from you.

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?

It may be that He will turn and have pity, and leave good behind for you. He may leave you a grain gift and a drink gift for the Lord your God.

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

Blow a horn in Zion. Set apart a time when no food will be eaten. Call together a holy meeting.

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 and make them holy. Gather together the leaders, the children, and the nursing babies. Let the man to be married come out of his room, and the bride come out of her room.

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 religious leaders who serve the Lord cry between the porch and the altar. Let them say, “Have pity on Your people, O Lord. Do not put your people to shame. And do not make the nations speak against them. Why should the people of the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’” The Lord Gives Food Again

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

Then the Lord will be jealous for His land and 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 say to His people, “I am going to send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be filled with them. I will never again put you to shame 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!

I will take the army from the north far from you, and will drive it into a hot and dry land. The ones in front will be driven into the sea in the east. The ones in the back will be driven into the sea in the west. And a bad smell will rise up from their dead bodies. For He has done great things.”

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

Do not be afraid, O land. Have joy 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 be afraid, you animals of the field. For the fields of the desert have turned green and there is fruit on the trees. The fig trees and vines are full of fruit.

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.

Be glad, O sons of Zion. Be happy in the Lord your God. For He has given the early rain to help you. He has poured down much rain for you, both fall and spring rains, as before.

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

The grain-floors will be full of grain, and the crushing-places will flow over with 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.

“I will pay you back for the years that your food was eaten by the flying locust, the jumping locust, the destroying locust, and the chewing locust, My large 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 much to eat and be filled. And you will praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has done wonderful things for 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.

You will know that I am in Israel. You will know that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other. And My people will never be put to shame. God Sends His 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.

“In the last days I will send My Spirit on all men. Then your sons and daughters will speak God’s Word. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see special dreams.

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

Yes, on My servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

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 show powerful works in the heavens and on the earth, like blood and fire and clouds 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 turn dark and the moon will turn to blood before the day of the Lord. His coming will be a great and troubled day.

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.

It will be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved from the punishment of sin. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem some will be taken out of trouble, as the Lord has said. Those whom the Lord calls will be kept alive.