2:10 The earth quakes 1 before them; 2
the sky reverberates. 3
The sun and the moon grow dark;
the stars refuse to shine. 4
2:11 The voice of the Lord thunders 5 as he leads his army. 6
Indeed, his warriors 7 are innumerable; 8
Surely his command is carried out! 9
Yes, the day of the Lord is awesome 10
and very terrifying – who can survive 11 it?
2:12 “Yet even now,” the Lord says,
“return to me with all your heart –
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Tear your hearts, 12
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 13 – often relenting from calamitous punishment. 14
2:14 Who knows?
Perhaps he will be compassionate and grant a reprieve, 15
and leave blessing in his wake 16 –
a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the Lord your God! 17
2:15 Blow the trumpet 18 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. 19
2:17 Let the priests, those who serve the Lord, weep
from the vestibule all the way back to the altar. 20
Let them say, “Have pity, O Lord, on your people;
please do not turn over your inheritance to be mocked,
to become a proverb 21 among the nations.
Why should it be said 22 among the peoples,
“Where is their God?”
2:18 Then the Lord became 23 zealous for his land;
he had compassion on his people.
2:19 The Lord responded 24 to his people,
“Look! I am about to restore your grain 25
as well as fresh wine and olive oil.
You will be fully satisfied. 26
I will never again make you an object of mockery among the nations.
2:20 I will remove the one from the north 27 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, 28
and those in back westward into the Mediterranean Sea. 29
His stench will rise up as a foul smell.” 30
Indeed, the Lord 31 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! 32
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. 33
2:23 Citizens of Zion, 34 rejoice!
Be glad because of what the Lord your God has done! 35
For he has given to you the early rains 36 as vindication.
He has sent 37 to you the rains –
both the early and the late rains 38 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 39
that the ‘arbeh-locust 40 consumed your crops 41 –
the yeleq-locust, the hasil-locust, and the gazam-locust –
my great army 42 that I sent against you.
2:26 You will have plenty to eat,
and your hunger will be fully satisfied; 43
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) 44 After all of this 45
I will pour out my Spirit 46 on all kinds of people. 47
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; 48
your young men will see prophetic visions.
2:29 Even on male and female servants
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
2:30 I will produce portents both in the sky 49 and on the earth –
blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
2:31 The sunlight will be turned to darkness
and the moon to the color of blood, 50
before the day of the Lord comes –
that great and terrible day!
2:32 It will so happen that
everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered. 51
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem 52 there will be those who survive, 53
just as the Lord has promised;
the remnant 54 will be those whom the Lord will call. 55