1 B low 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.

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of Jehovah cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

2 I t 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.

a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, as the dawn spread upon the mountains; a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after them, even to the years of many generations.

3 F ire 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.

A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and none hath escaped them.

4 T hey look like horses. They run like war horses.

The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so do they run.

5 A s 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.

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

6 N ations suffer in front of them. All faces turn white.

At their presence the peoples are in anguish; all faces are waxed pale.

7 T hey run like strong men. They go over the wall like soldiers. They each walk straight on, and do not turn from their paths.

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

8 T hey 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.

Neither doth one thrust another; they march every one in his path; and they burst through the weapons, and break not off their course.

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

They leap upon the city; they run upon the wall; they climb up into the houses; they enter in at the windows like a thief.

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

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

11 T he 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

And Jehovah uttereth his voice before his army; for his camp is very great; for he is strong that executeth his word; for the day of Jehovah is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

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

Yet even now, saith Jehovah, turn ye unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

13 T ear 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.

and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

14 I t 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.

Who knoweth whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal-offering and a drink-offering unto Jehovah your God?

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

Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly;

16 G ather 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.

gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

17 L et 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

Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?

18 T hen the Lord will be jealous for His land and have pity on His people.

Then was Jehovah jealous for his land, and had pity on his people.

19 T he 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.

And Jehovah answered and said unto his people, Behold, I will send you grain, and new wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations;

20 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.”

but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things.

21 D o not be afraid, O land. Have joy and be glad, for the Lord has done great things.

Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice; for Jehovah hath done great things.

22 D o 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.

Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth its fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength.

23 B e 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.

Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he giveth you the former rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first month.

24 T he grain-floors will be full of grain, and the crushing-places will flow over with new wine and oil.

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

25 “ 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.

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you.

26 Y ou 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.

And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of Jehovah your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you; and my people shall never be put to shame.

27 Y ou 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

And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Jehovah your God, and there is none else; and my people shall never be put to shame.

28 “ 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.

And it shall come to pass afterward, 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:

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

and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit.

30 I will show powerful works in the heavens and on the earth, like blood and fire and clouds of smoke.

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

31 T he 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.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh.

32 I t 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.

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as Jehovah hath said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call.