| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near— | 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! |
| 2a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come. | 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! |
| 3Before them a fire devours, and behind them a flame scorches. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland—surely nothing will escape them. | 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! |
| 4Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like swift steeds. | 4They look like horses; they charge ahead like war horses. |
| 5With a sound like that of chariots they bound over the mountaintops, like the crackling of fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for battle. | 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. |
| 6Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale. | 6People writhe in fear when they see them. All of their faces turn pale with fright. |
| 7They charge like mighty men; they scale the walls like men of war. Each one marches in formation, not swerving from the course. | 7They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. Each one proceeds on his course; they do not alter their path. |
| 8They do not jostle one another; each proceeds in his path. They burst through the defenses, never breaking ranks. | 8They do not jostle one another; each of them marches straight ahead. They burst through the city defenses and do not break ranks. |
| 9They storm the city; they run along the wall; they climb into houses, entering through windows like thieves. | 9They rush into the city; they scale its walls. They climb up into the houses; they go in through the windows like a thief. |
| 10Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness. | 10The earth quakes before them; the sky reverberates. The sun and the moon grow dark; the stars refuse to shine. |
| 11The LORD raises His voice in the presence of His army. Indeed, His camp is very large, for mighty are those who obey His command. For the Day of the LORD is great and very dreadful. Who can endure it? | 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? |
| 12“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” | 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!" |
| 13So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster. | 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. |
| 14Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him—grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God. | 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! |
| 15Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a sacred assembly. | 15Blow the trumpet in Zion. Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly! |
| 16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. | 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. |
| 17Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ” | 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?" |
| 18Then the LORD became jealous for His land, and He spared His people. | 18Then the LORD became zealous for his land; he had compassion on his people. |
| 19And the LORD answered His people: “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and by them you will be satisfied. I will never again make you a reproach among the nations. | 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. |
| 20The northern army I will drive away from you, banishing it to a barren and desolate land, its front ranks into the Eastern Sea, and its rear guard into the Western Sea. And its stench will rise; its foul odor will ascend. For He has done great things. | 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. |
| 21Do not be afraid, O land; rejoice and be glad, for the LORD has done great things. | 21Do not fear, my land! Rejoice and be glad, because the LORD has accomplished great things! |
| 22Do not be afraid, O beasts of the field, for the open pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and vine yield their best. | 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. |
| 23Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for He has given you the autumn rains for your vindication. He sends you showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. | 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. |
| 24The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. | 24The threshing floors are full of grain; the vats overflow with fresh wine and olive oil. |
| 25I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—My great army that I sent against you. | 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. |
| 26You will have plenty to eat, until you are satisfied. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you. My people will never again be put to shame. | 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. |
| 27Then you 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. | 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. |
| 28And 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. | 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. |
| 29Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days. | 29Even on male and female servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days. |
| 30I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. | 30I will produce portents both in the sky and on the earth--blood, fire, and columns of smoke. |
| 31The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD. | 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! |
| 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 promised, among the remnant called by 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. |
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