| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm signal on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land shake with fear, for the day of the LORD is about to come. Indeed, it is near! | 1Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand-- |
| 2It will be a day of dreadful darkness, a day of foreboding storm clouds, like blackness spread over the mountains. It is a huge and powerful army--there has never been anything like it ever before, and there will not be anything like it for many generations to come! | 2a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come. |
| 3Like fire they devour everything in their path; a flame blazes behind them. The land looks like the Garden of Eden before them, but behind them there is only a desolate wilderness--for nothing escapes them! | 3Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste-- nothing escapes them. |
| 4They look like horses; they charge ahead like war horses. | 4They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry. |
| 5They sound like chariots rumbling over mountain tops, like the crackling of blazing fire consuming stubble, like the noise of a mighty army being drawn up for battle. | 5With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle. |
| 6People writhe in fear when they see them. All of their faces turn pale with fright. | 6At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale. |
| 7They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. Each one proceeds on his course; they do not alter their path. | 7They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course. |
| 8They do not jostle one another; each of them marches straight ahead. They burst through the city defenses and do not break ranks. | 8They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks. |
| 9They rush into the city; they scale its walls. They climb up into the houses; they go in through the windows like a thief. | 9They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows. |
| 10The earth quakes before them; the sky reverberates. The sun and the moon grow dark; the stars refuse to shine. | 10Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. |
| 11The voice of the LORD thunders as he leads his army. Indeed, his warriors are innumerable; Surely his command is carried out! Yes, the day of the LORD is awesome and very terrifying--who can survive it? | 11The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? |
| 12"Yet even now," the LORD says, "return to me with all your heart--with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your garments!" | 12"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." |
| 13Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and boundless in loyal love--often relenting from calamitous punishment. | 13Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. |
| 14Who knows? Perhaps he will be compassionate and grant a reprieve, and leave blessing in his wake--a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the LORD your God! | 14Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing-- grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. |
| 15Blow the trumpet in Zion. Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly! | 15Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. |
| 16Gather the people; sanctify an assembly! Gather the elders; gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out from his bedroom and the bride from her private quarters. | 16Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. |
| 17Let the priests, those who serve the LORD, weep from the vestibule all the way back to the altar. Let them say, "Have pity, O LORD, on your people; please do not turn over your inheritance to be mocked, to become a proverb among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, "Where is their God?" | 17Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, "Spare your people, LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" |
| 18Then the LORD became zealous for his land; he had compassion on his people. | 18Then the LORD was jealous for his land and took pity on his people. |
| 19The LORD responded to his people, "Look! I am about to restore your grain as well as fresh wine and olive oil. You will be fully satisfied. I will never again make you an object of mockery among the nations. | 19The LORD replied to them: "I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations. |
| 20I will remove the one from the north far from you. I will drive him out to a dry and desolate place. Those in front will be driven eastward into the Dead Sea, and those in back westward into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise up as a foul smell." Indeed, the LORD has accomplished great things. | 20"I will drive the northern horde far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land; its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise." Surely he has done great things! |
| 21Do not fear, my land! Rejoice and be glad, because the LORD has accomplished great things! | 21Do not be afraid, land of Judah; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things! |
| 22Do not fear, wild animals! For the pastures of the wilderness are again green with grass. Indeed, the trees bear their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield to their fullest. | 22Do not be afraid, you wild animals, for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches. |
| 23Citizens of Zion, rejoice! Be glad because of what the LORD your God has done! For he has given to you the early rains as vindication. He has sent to you the rains--both the early and the late rains as formerly. | 23Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. |
| 24The threshing floors are full of grain; the vats overflow with fresh wine and olive oil. | 24The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. |
| 25I will make up for the years that the 'arbeh -locust consumed your crops--the yeleq -locust, the hasil -locust, and the gazam -locust--my great army that I sent against you. | 25"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten-- the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm -- my great army that I sent among you. |
| 26You will have plenty to eat, and your hunger will be fully satisfied; you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has acted wondrously in your behalf. My people will never again be put to shame. | 26You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. |
| 27You will be convinced that I am in the midst of Israel. I am the LORD your God; there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame. | 27Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. |
| 28After all of this I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions. | 28"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. |
| 29Even on male and female servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days. | 29Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. |
| 30I will produce portents both in the sky and on the earth--blood, fire, and columns of smoke. | 30I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. |
| 31The sunlight will be turned to darkness and the moon to the color of blood, before the day of the LORD comes--that great and terrible day! | 31The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. |
| 32It will so happen that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who survive, just as the LORD has promised; the remnant will be those whom the LORD will call. | 32And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls. |
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