| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand: | 1Blow the 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 gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. | 2a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and dense overcast, 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 before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them. | 3A fire destroys in front of them, and behind them a flame devours. 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 the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. | 4Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like war horses. |
| 5With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array. | 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. |
| 6Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color. | 6Nations writhe in horror before them; all faces turn pale. |
| 7They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; Every one marches in formation, And they do not break ranks. | 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 one another; Every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, They are not cut down. | 8They do not push each other; each man proceeds on his own path. They dodge the arrows, never stopping. |
| 9They run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief. | 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 heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness. | 10The earth quakes before them; the sky shakes. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars cease their shining. |
| 11The LORD gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; Who can endure it? | 11The LORD raises His voice 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? |
| 12“Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” | 12Even now-- this is the LORD's declaration-- turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. |
| 13So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. | 13Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in faithful love, and He relents from sending disaster. |
| 14Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him— A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God? | 14Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him, so you can offer grain and wine to the LORD your God. |
| 15Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; | 15Blow the horn in Zion! Announce a sacred fast; proclaim an assembly. |
| 16Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room. | 16Gather the people; sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the groom leave his bedroom, and the bride her honeymoon chamber. |
| 17Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ” | 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?'" |
| 18Then the LORD will be zealous for His land, And pity His people. | 18Then the LORD became jealous for His land and spared His people. |
| 19The LORD will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations. | 19The LORD answered His people: Look, I am about to send you grain, new wine, and olive oil. You will be satiated with them, and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations. |
| 20“But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things.” | 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 catastrophic things. |
| 21Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things! | 21Don't be afraid, land; rejoice and be glad, for the LORD has done great things. |
| 22Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. | 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. |
| 23Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. | 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 shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. | 24The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and olive oil. |
| 25“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. | 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 shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. | 26You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied. You will praise the name of Yahweh your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. My people will never again be put to shame. |
| 27Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame. | 27You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am Yahweh your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame. |
| 28“And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. | 28 After 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. |
| 29And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. | 29I will even pour out My Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days. |
| 30“And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. | 30I will display wonders in the heavens and on the earth: blood, fire, and columns of smoke. |
| 31The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. | 31The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and awe-inspiring Day of the LORD comes. |
| 32And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among the remnant whom the LORD calls. | 32Then everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh 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. |
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