aBlow a trumpet
in Zion
, And sound
an alarm
on My holy
mountain
! Let all
the inhabitants
of the land
tremble
, For the bday
of the LORD
is coming
; Surely
it is near
,
A day of adarkness
and gloom
, A day
of clouds
and thick
darkness
. As the dawn
is spread
over
the mountains
, So there is a bgreat
and mighty
people
; There has cnever
been
anything like
it, Nor
will there be again
after
it To the years
of many
generations
.
A afire consumes
before
them And behind
them a flame
burns
. The land
is blike the garden
of Eden
before
them But a cdesolate
wilderness
behind
them, And nothing
at all
escapes
them.
Their aappearance is like the appearance
of horses
; And like war horses
, so
they run
.
1With a anoise as of chariots
They leap
on the tops
of the mountains
, Like the 2crackling
of a bflame
of fire
consuming
the stubble
, Like a mighty
people
arranged
for battle
.
Before them the people
are in aanguish
; All
bfaces
1turn
pale
.
They run like mighty
men
, They climb
the wall
like soldiers
; And they each
amarch
1in line
, Nor
do they deviate
from their paths
.
They do not crowd each
other
, They march
everyone
in his path
; When they 1burst
through
the 2defenses
, They do not break
ranks
.
They rush on the city
, They run
on the wall
; They climb
into the ahouses
, They benter
through
the windows
like a thief
.
Before them the earth
aquakes
, The heavens
tremble
, The bsun
and the moon
grow
dark
And the stars
lose
their brightness
.
The LORD autters
His voice
before
bHis army
; Surely
His camp
is very
great
, For cstrong
is he who carries
out His word
. The dday
of the LORD
is indeed
great
and very
awesome
, And ewho can endure
it?
"Yet even now
," declares
the LORD
, " aReturn
to Me with all
your heart
, And with bfasting
, weeping
and mourning
;
And arend your heart
and not byour garments
." Now return
to the LORD
your God
, For He is cgracious
and compassionate
, Slow
to anger
, abounding
in lovingkindness
And drelenting
of evil
.
Who knows
awhether He will not turn
and relent
And leave
a bblessing
behind
Him, Even ca grain offering
and a drink
offering
For the LORD
your God
?
aBlow a trumpet
in Zion
, bConsecrate
a fast
, proclaim
a solemn
assembly
,
Gather the people
, asanctify
the congregation
, Assemble
the elders
, Gather
the children
and the nursing
infants
. Let the bbridegroom
come
out of his room
And the bride
out of her bridal chamber
.
Let the priests, the LORD'S
ministers
, Weep
abetween
the porch
and the altar
, And let them say
, " bSpare
Your people
, O LORD
, And do not make
Your inheritance
a creproach
, A byword
among the nations
. Why
should they among the peoples
say
, ` dWhere
is their God
?' "
Then the LORD 1will be azealous
for His land
And 2will have
bpity
on His people
.
The LORD 1will answer
and say
to His people
, "Behold
, I am going to asend
you grain
, new
wine
and oil
, And you will be satisfied
in full with 2them; And I will bnever
again
make
you a reproach
among the nations
.
"But I will remove the anorthern
army far
from you, And I will drive
it into a parched
and desolate
land
, And its vanguard
into the beastern
sea
, And its rear
guard into the cwestern
sea
. And its dstench
will arise
and its foul
smell
will come
up, For it has done
great
things
."
aDo not fear, O land
, rejoice
and be glad
, For the LORD
has done
bgreat
things
.
Do not fear, beasts
of the field
, For the apastures
of the wilderness
have turned
green
, For the tree
has borne
its fruit
, The fig
tree
and the vine
have yielded
1in full
.
So rejoice, O asons
of Zion
, And bbe glad
in the LORD
your God
; For He has cgiven
you 1the early
rain
for your vindication
. And He has poured
down
for you the rain
, The 2early
and 3 dlatter
rain
4as before
.
The threshing floors
will be full
of grain
, And the vats
will aoverflow
with the new
wine
and oil
.
"Then I will make up to you for the years
That the swarming
alocust
has eaten
, The creeping
locust
, the stripping
locust
and the gnawing
locust
, My great
army
which
I sent
among you.
"You will have plenty to aeat
and be satisfied
And bpraise
the name
of the LORD
your God
, Who
has cdealt
wondrously
with you; Then My people
will dnever
be put
to shame
.
"Thus you will aknow that I am in the midst
of Israel
, And that I am the LORD
your God
, And there
is bno
other
; And My people
will never
be cput
to shame
.
" 1 aIt will come about after
this
That I will bpour
out My Spirit
on all
2 cmankind
; And your sons
and daughters
will prophesy
, Your old
men
will dream
dreams
, Your young
men
will see
visions
.
"Even on the amale
and female
servants
I will pour
out My Spirit
in those
days
.
"I will adisplay wonders
in the sky
and on the earth
, Blood
, fire
and columns
of smoke
.
"The asun will be turned
into darkness
And the moon
into blood
Before
the bgreat
and awesome
day
of the LORD
comes
.
"And it will come about that awhoever
calls
on the name
of the LORD
Will be delivered
; For bon Mount
Zion
and in Jerusalem
There will be those who cescape
, As the LORD
has said
, Even among the dsurvivors
whom
the LORD
calls
.