1Blow the ram’s horn in Zion;
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the residents of the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming;
in fact, it is near —
2a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and total darkness,
like the dawn spreading over the mountains;
a great and strong people appears,
such as never existed in ages past
and never will again
in all the generations to come.
3A fire devours in front of them,
and behind them a flame blazes.
The land in front of them
is like the garden of Eden,
but behind them,
it is like a desert wasteland;
there is no escape from them.
4Their appearance is like that of horses,
and they gallop like war horses.
5They bound on the tops of the mountains.
Their sound is like the sound of chariots,
like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble,
like a mighty army deployed for war.
6Nations writhe in horror before them;
all faces turn pale.
7They attack as warriors attack;
they scale walls as men of war do.
Each goes on his own path,
and they do not change their course.
8They do not push each other;
each proceeds on his own path.
They dodge the arrows, never stopping.
9They storm the city;
they run on the wall;
they climb into the houses;
they enter through the windows like thieves.
10The earth quakes before them;
the sky shakes.
The sun and moon grow dark,
and the stars cease their shining.
11The Lord makes his voice heard
in the presence of his army.
His camp is very large;
those who carry out his command are powerful.
Indeed, the day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful —
who can endure it?
God’s Call for Repentance
12Even now —
this is the Lord’s declaration —
turn to me with all your heart,
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
13Tear your hearts,
not just your clothes,
and return to the Lord your God.
For he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger, abounding in faithful love,
and he relents from sending disaster.
14Who knows? He may turn and relent
and leave a blessing behind him,
so you can offer a grain offering and a drink offering
to the Lord your God.
15Blow the ram’s horn in Zion!
Announce a sacred fast;
proclaim a solemn assembly.
16Gather the people;
sanctify the congregation;
assemble the aged;
gather the infants,
even babies nursing at the breast.
Let the groom leave his bedroom,
and the bride her honeymoon chamber.
17Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers,
weep between the portico and the altar.
Let them say,
“Have pity on your people, Lord,
and do not make your inheritance a disgrace,
an object of scorn among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
God’s Response to His People
18Then the Lord became jealous for his land and spared his people. 19The Lord answered his people:
Look, I am about to send you
grain, new wine, and fresh oil.
You will be satiated with them,
and I will no longer make you
a disgrace among the nations.
20I will drive the northerner far from you
and banish him to a dry and desolate land,
his front ranks into the Dead Sea,
and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea.
His stench will rise;
yes, his rotten smell will rise,
for he has done astonishing things.
21Don’t be afraid, land;
rejoice and be glad,
for the Lord has done astonishing things.
22Don’t be afraid, wild animals,
for the wilderness pastures have turned green,
the trees bear their fruit,
and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
23Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad
in the Lord your God,
because he gives you the autumn rain
for your vindication.
He sends showers for you,
both autumn and spring rain as before.
24The threshing floors will be full of grain,
and the vats will overflow
with new wine and fresh oil.
25I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust ate,
the young locust, the destroying locust,
and the devouring locust —
my great army that I sent against you.
26You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied.
You will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
My people will never again be put to shame.
27You will know that I am present in Israel
and that I am the Lord your God,
and there is no other.
My people will never again be put to shame.
God’s Promise of His Spirit
28After this
I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your old men will have dreams,
and your young men will see visions.
29I will even pour out my Spirit
on the male and female slaves in those days.
30I will display wonders
in the heavens and on the earth:
blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
31The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
32Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved,
for there will be an escape
for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
as the Lord promised,
among the survivors the Lord calls.