1 B low ye a trumpet in Zion, And shout ye in My holy hill, Tremble do all inhabitants of the earth, For coming is the day of Jehovah, for near!

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 thick darkness, A day of cloud and thick darkness, As darkness spread on the mountains, A people numerous and mighty, Like it there hath not been from of old, And after it there is not again -- till the years of generation and generation.

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 B efore it consumed hath fire, And after it burn doth a flame, As the garden of Eden the land before it, And after it a wilderness -- a desolation! And also an escape there hath not been to it,

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 A s the appearance of horses its appearance, And as horsemen, so they run.

They look like horses. They run like war horses.

5 A s the noise of chariots, on the tops of the mountains they skip, As the noise of a flame of fire devouring stubble, As a mighty people set in array for battle.

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 F rom its face pained are peoples, All faces have gathered paleness.

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

7 A s mighty ones they run, As men of war they go up a wall, And each in his own ways they do go, And they embarrass not their paths.

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 A nd each his brother they press not, Each in his way they go on, If by the missile they fall, they are not cut off.

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 I n the city they run to and fro, On the wall they run, Into houses they go up by the windows, They go in as a thief.

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

10 A t their face trembled hath the earth, Shaken have the heavens, Sun and moon have been black, And stars have gathered up 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 Jehovah hath given forth His voice before His force, For very great His camp, For mighty the doer of His word, For great the day of Jehovah -- very fearful, And who doth bear 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 A nd also now -- an affirmation of Jehovah, Turn ye back unto Me with all your heart, And with fasting, and with weeping, And with lamentation.

“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 back unto Jehovah your God, For gracious and merciful He, Slow to anger, and abundant in kindness, And He hath repented concerning the 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 knoweth -- He doth turn back, Yea -- He hath repented, And He hath left behind Him a blessing, A present and libation of Jehovah 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 ye a trumpet in Zion, Sanctify a fast -- proclaim a restraint.

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 an assembly, Assemble the aged, Gather infants and sucklings of the breasts, Go out let a bridegroom from his inner chamber, And a 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 B etween the porch and the altar weep let the priests, ministrants of Jehovah, And let them say: `Have pity, O Jehovah, on Thy people, And give not Thy inheritance to reproach, To the ruling over them of nations, Why do they say among peoples, Where 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 A nd let Jehovah be zealous for His land, And have pity on His people.

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

19 L et Jehovah answer and say to His people, `Lo, I am sending to you the corn, And the new wine, and the oil, And ye have been satisfied with it, And I make you no more a reproach among 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 A nd the northern I put far off from you, And have driven him unto a land dry and desolate, With his face unto the eastern sea, And his rear unto the western sea, And come up hath his stink, And come up doth his stench, For he hath exerted himself to work.

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 D o not fear, O land! joy and rejoice, For Jehovah hath exerted Himself to work.

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

22 D o not fear, O cattle of the field! For sprung forth have pastures of a wilderness, For the tree hath borne its fruit, Fig-tree and vine have given 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 A nd ye sons of Zion, joy and rejoice, In Jehovah your God, For He hath given to you the Teacher for righteousness, And causeth to come down to you a shower, Sprinkling and gathered -- 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 full have been the floors pure corn, And overflown have the presses new 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 have recompensed to you the years That consume did the locust, the cankerworm, And the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, My great force that I did send against 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 have eaten, eating and being satisfied, And have praised the name of Jehovah your God, Who hath dealt with you wonderfully, And not ashamed are My people to the age.

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 have known that in the midst of Israel I, And I Jehovah your God, and there is none else, And not ashamed are My people to the age.

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 it hath come to pass afterwards, I do pour out My Spirit on all flesh, And prophesied have your sons and your daughters, Your old men do dream dreams, Your young men do 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 also on the men-servants, and on the maid-servants, In those days I do 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 have given wonders in the heavens, and in 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 is turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, Before the coming of the day of Jehovah, The great and the fearful.

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 hath come to pass, Every one who calleth in the name of Jehovah is delivered, For in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there is an escape, As Jehovah hath said, And among the remnants whom Jehovah is calling!

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.