| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem ! Raise the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the LORD is upon us. | 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— |
| 2It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a great and mighty army appears. Nothing like it has been seen before or will ever be seen again. | 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. |
| 3Fire burns in front of them, and flames follow after them. Ahead of them the land lies as beautiful as the Garden of Eden. Behind them is nothing but desolation; not one thing escapes. | 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. |
| 4They look like horses; they charge forward like warhorses. | 4Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like swift steeds. |
| 5Look at them as they leap along the mountaintops. Listen to the noise they make—like the rumbling of chariots, like the roar of fire sweeping across a field of stubble, or like a mighty army moving into battle. | 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. |
| 6Fear grips all the people; every face grows pale with terror. | 6Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale. |
| 7The attackers march like warriors and scale city walls like soldiers. Straight forward they march, never breaking rank. | 7They charge like mighty men; they scale the walls like men of war. Each one marches in formation, not swerving from the course. |
| 8They never jostle each other; each moves in exactly the right position. They break through defenses without missing a step. | 8They do not jostle one another; each proceeds in his path. They burst through the defenses, never breaking ranks. |
| 9They swarm over the city and run along its walls. They enter all the houses, climbing like thieves through the windows. | 9They storm the city; they run along the wall; they climb into houses, entering through windows like thieves. |
| 10The earth quakes as they advance, and the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars no longer shine. | 10Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness. |
| 11The LORD is at the head of the column. He leads them with a shout. This is his mighty army, and they follow his orders. The day of the LORD is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can possibly survive? A Call to Repentance | 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? |
| 12That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. | 12“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” |
| 13Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. | 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. |
| 14Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine to the LORD your God as before. | 14Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him—grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God. |
| 15Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. | 15Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a sacred assembly. |
| 16Gather all the people— the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room. | 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. |
| 17Let the priests, who minister in the LORD’s presence, stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar. Let them pray, “Spare your people, LORD! Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery. Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say, ‘Has the God of Israel left them?’” The LORD’s Promise of Restoration | 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?’ ” |
| 18Then the LORD will pity his people and jealously guard the honor of his land. | 18Then the LORD became jealous for His land, and He spared His people. |
| 19The LORD will reply, “Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy your needs. You will no longer be an object of mockery among the surrounding nations. | 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. |
| 20I will drive away these armies from the north. I will send them into the parched wastelands. Those in the front will be driven into the Dead Sea, and those at the rear into the Mediterranean. The stench of their rotting bodies will rise over the land.” Surely the LORD has done great things! | 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. |
| 21Don’t be afraid, O land. Be glad now and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things. | 21Do not be afraid, O land; rejoice and be glad, for the LORD has done great things. |
| 22Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field, for the wilderness pastures will soon be green. The trees will again be filled with fruit; fig trees and grapevines will be loaded down once more. | 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. |
| 23Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the LORD your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring. | 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. |
| 24The threshing floors will again be piled high with grain, and the presses will overflow with new wine and olive oil. | 24The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. |
| 25The LORD says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. | 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. |
| 26Once again you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the LORD your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced. | 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. |
| 27Then you will know that I am among my people Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. Never again will my people be disgraced. The LORD’s Promise of His Spirit | 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. |
| 28 “Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. | 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. |
| 29In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike. | 29Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days. |
| 30And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth— blood and fire and columns of smoke. | 30I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. |
| 31The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the LORD arrives. | 31The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD. |
| 32But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved, for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as the LORD has said. These will be among the survivors whom the LORD has called. | 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. |
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