1 ¶ Blow the shofar in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the earth tremble for the day of the LORD comes, for it is near 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 of gloominess, a day of clouds and of shadow that spreads itself upon the mountains as the dawn: a people great and strong; there has not ever been the like, neither shall there be any more after him, 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 him and behind him a flame burns: the earth is as the garden of Eden before him, and behind him a desolate wilderness; neither shall anyone escape him.

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 H is appearance is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.

They look like horses. They run like war horses.

5 L ike the thunder of chariots they shall leap over the tops of mountains, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, as a strong 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 him the peoples shall fear: all faces shall go pale.

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

7 T hey shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war, and they shall march each one in his ways, and they shall not break his 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 o one shall crowd his companion; they shall walk each one in his path: and even falling upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

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 shall go through the city; they shall run upon the wall; they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall 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 shall quake before him; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall go dark; and the stars shall 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 shall utter his voice before his army: for many are his camps and strong, that execute his word; for the day of the LORD is great, and very terrible; and who can abide 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 ¶ Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn unto me with all your heart and with fasting and 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 a nd rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in mercy, and he does repent of chastisement.

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 if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him even a present and a drink offering unto 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 shofar in Zion, sanctify 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 meeting, assemble the elders, gather the children and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth of 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, Forgive thy people, O LORD, and do not give thine heritage to reproach that the Gentiles should rule over her: 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 ¶ Then the LORD will be jealous for his earth and forgive his people.

Then the Lord will be jealous for His land and have pity on His people.

19 Y ea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you bread and new wine and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no longer make you a reproach among the Gentiles:

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 he of the north wind and will drive him into a land barren and desolate; his face shall be toward the east sea, and his end unto the western sea, and he shall exhale his foul odour, and he shall decompose, because he has lifted himself up.

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, ye animals of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness shall become green again, for the trees shall bear their fruit, the fig tree and the vine shall give their fruits.

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 Y e also, sons of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the LORD your God for he has given you the former rain according to righteousness, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain as in the beginning.

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 wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine 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 to you the years that the caterpillar has eaten, the locust, and the cankerworm, and the palmerworm, 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 ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God that has dealt wondrously with you; and my people shall never again be ashamed.

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 ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is none other; and my people shall never be ashamed.

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 ¶ And it shall come to pass after this that 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 a nd even upon the slaves and upon the handmaids 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 wonders in the heaven and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars 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 into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and the 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 it shall come to pass that whoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall escape: for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be salvation, as the LORD has said, and in those who are left, to whom the LORD shall have called.

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.