1 B low the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming, For it is at hand:

Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of Yahweh comes, for it is close at hand:

2 A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations.

A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn spreading on the mountains, a great and strong people; there has never been the like, neither will there be any more after them, even to the years of many generations.

3 A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them.

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 no one has escaped them.

4 T heir appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run.

Their appearance is as the appearance of horses, and as horsemen, so do they run.

5 W ith a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array.

Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

6 B efore them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color.

At their presence the peoples are in anguish. All faces have grown pale.

7 T hey run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; Every one marches in formation, And they do not break ranks.

They run like mighty men. They climb the wall like warriors. They each march in his line, and they don’t swerve off course.

8 T hey do not push one another; Every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, They are not cut down.

Neither does one jostle another; they march everyone in his path, and they burst through the defenses, and don’t break ranks.

9 T hey run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief.

They rush on the city. They run on the wall. They climb up into the houses. They enter in at the windows like thieves.

10 T he earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness.

The earth quakes before them. The heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

11 T he Lord gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it? A Call to Repentance

Yahweh thunders his voice before his army; for his forces are very great; for he is strong who obeys his command; for the day of Yahweh is great and very awesome, and who can endure it?

12 “ Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”

“Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”

13 S o rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.

Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.

14 W ho knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him— A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God?

Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to Yahweh, your God.

15 B low the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;

Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly.

16 G ather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.

Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who nurse from breasts. Let the bridegroom go out of his room, and the bride out of her room.

17 L et the priests, who minister to the Lord, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” The Land Refreshed

Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “Spare your people, Yahweh, and don’t give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

18 T hen the Lord will be zealous for His land, And pity His people.

Then Yahweh was jealous for his land, And had pity on his people.

19 T he Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.

Yahweh answered his people, “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

20 “ But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things.”

But I will remove the northern army far away from you, and will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea; and its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things.

21 F ear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the Lord has done marvelous things!

Land, don’t be afraid. Be glad and rejoice, for Yahweh has done great things.

22 D o not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.

Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness spring up, for the tree bears its fruit. The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.

23 B e glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month.

“Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in Yahweh, your God; for he gives you the former rain in just measure, and he causes the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain, as before.

24 T he threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.

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

25 “ So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar, my great army, which I sent among you.

26 Y ou 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 will praise the name of Yahweh, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people will never again be disappointed.

27 T hen you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame. God’s Spirit Poured Out

You will know that I am among Israel, and that I am Yahweh, your God, and there is no one else; and my people will never again be disappointed.

28 “ And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.

“It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions.

29 A nd also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days, I will pour out my Spirit.

30 “ And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.

I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, fire, and pillars of smoke.

31 T he sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes.

32 A nd it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.

It will happen that whoever will call on Yahweh’s name shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as Yahweh has said, and among the remnant, those whom Yahweh calls.