2:1 Blow the trumpet 1 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, 2 it is near! 3
2:2 It will be 4 a day of dreadful darkness, 5
a day of foreboding storm clouds, 6
like blackness 7 spread over the mountains.
It is a huge and powerful army 8 –
there has never been anything like it ever before,
and there will not be anything like it for many generations to come! 9
2:3 Like fire they devour everything in their path; 10
a flame blazes behind them.
The land looks like the Garden of Eden 11 before them,
but behind them there is only a desolate wilderness –
for nothing escapes them! 12
2:4 They look like horses; 13
they charge ahead like war horses.
2:5 They sound like 14 chariots rumbling 15 over mountain tops,
like the crackling 16 of blazing fire consuming stubble,
like the noise of 17 a mighty army 18 being drawn up for battle. 19
2:6 People 20 writhe in fear when they see them. 21
All of their faces turn pale with fright. 22
2:7 They 23 charge 24 like warriors;
they scale walls like soldiers. 25
Each one proceeds on his course;
they do not alter 26 their path.
2:8 They do not jostle one another; 27
each of them marches straight ahead. 28
They burst through 29 the city defenses 30
and do not break ranks.
2:9 They rush into 31 the city;
they scale 32 its walls.
They climb up into the houses;
they go in through the windows like a thief.
2:10 The earth quakes 33 before them; 34
the sky reverberates. 35
The sun and the moon grow dark;
the stars refuse to shine. 36
2:11 The voice of the Lord thunders 37 as he leads his army. 38
Indeed, his warriors 39 are innumerable; 40
Surely his command is carried out! 41
Yes, the day of the Lord is awesome 42
and very terrifying – who can survive 43 it?
2:12 “Yet even now,” the Lord says,
“return to me with all your heart –
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Tear your hearts, 44
not just your garments!”
2:13 Return to the Lord your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and boundless in loyal love 45 – often relenting from calamitous punishment. 46
2:14 Who knows?
Perhaps he will be compassionate and grant a reprieve, 47
and leave blessing in his wake 48 –
a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the Lord your God! 49
2:15 Blow the trumpet 50 in Zion.
Announce a holy fast;
proclaim a sacred assembly!
2:16 Gather 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. 51
2:17 Let the priests, those who serve the Lord, weep
from the vestibule all the way back to the altar. 52
Let them say, “Have pity, O Lord, on your people;
please do not turn over your inheritance to be mocked,
to become a proverb 53 among the nations.
Why should it be said 54 among the peoples,
“Where is their God?”
2:18 Then the Lord became 55 zealous for his land;
he had compassion on his people.
2:19 The Lord responded 56 to his people,
“Look! I am about to restore your grain 57
as well as fresh wine and olive oil.
You will be fully satisfied. 58
I will never again make you an object of mockery among the nations.
2:20 I will remove the one from the north 59 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, 60
and those in back westward into the Mediterranean Sea. 61
His stench will rise up as a foul smell.” 62
Indeed, the Lord 63 has accomplished great things.
2:21 Do not fear, my land!
Rejoice and be glad,
because the Lord has accomplished great things!
2:22 Do not fear, wild animals! 64
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. 65
2:23 Citizens of Zion, 66 rejoice!
Be glad because of what the Lord your God has done! 67
For he has given to you the early rains 68 as vindication.
He has sent 69 to you the rains –
both the early and the late rains 70 as formerly.
2:24 The threshing floors are full of grain;
the vats overflow with fresh wine and olive oil.
2:25 I will make up for the years 71
that the ‘arbeh-locust 72 consumed your crops 73 –
the yeleq-locust, the hasil-locust, and the gazam-locust –
my great army 74 that I sent against you.
2:26 You will have plenty to eat,
and your hunger will be fully satisfied; 75
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.
2:27 You 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.
2:28 (3:1) 76 After all of this 77
I will pour out my Spirit 78 on all kinds of people. 79
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; 80
your young men will see prophetic visions.
2:29 Even on male and female servants
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.