Locusts and an Enemy Army
1 Sound the trumpet on Zion,
the Lord's sacred hill.
Warn everyone to tremble!
The judgment day of the Lord
is coming soon.
2 It will be dark and gloomy
with storm clouds overhead.
Troops will cover the mountains
like thunderclouds.
No army this powerful
has ever been gathered before
or will be gathered again.
3 Fiery flames surround them;
no one escapes.
Before they invaded,
the land was like Eden;
now only a desert remains.
4 They look like horses
and charge like cavalry.
5 They roar over mountains
like noisy chariots,
or a mighty army
ready for battle.
They are a forest fire
that feasts on straw.
6 The very sight of them
is frightening.
7 They climb over walls
like warriors;
they march in columns
and never turn aside.
8 They charge straight ahead,
without pushing each other;
even arrows and spears
cannot make them retreat.
9 They swarm over city walls
and enter our homes;
they crawl in through windows,
just like thieves.
10 They make the earth tremble
and the heavens shake;
the sun and moon turn dark,
and stars stop shining.
11 The Lord God leads this army
of countless troops,
and they obey his commands.
The day of his judgment
is so terrible
that no one can stand it.
The Lord's Invitation
12 The Lord said:
It isn't too late.
You can still return to me
with all your heart.
Start crying and mourning!
Go without eating.
13 Don't rip your clothes
to show your sorrow.
Instead, turn back to me
with broken hearts.
I am merciful, kind, and caring.
I don't easily lose my temper,
and I don't like to punish.
14 I am the Lord your God.
Perhaps I will change my mind
and treat you with mercy.
Then you will be blessed
with enough grain and wine
for offering sacrifices to me.
15 Sound the trumpet on Zion!
Call the people together.
Show your sorrow
by going without food.
16 Make sure that everyone
is fit to worship me.
Bring adults, children, babies,
and even bring newlyweds
from their festivities.
17 Tell my servants, the priests,
to cry inside the temple
and to offer this prayer
near the altar:
“Save your people, Lord God!
Don't let foreign nations
make jokes about us.
Don't let them laugh and ask,
‘Where is your God?’ ”
The Lord Will Bless the Land
18 The Lord was deeply concerned
about his land
and had pity on his people.
19 In answer to their prayers
he said,
“I will give you enough grain,
wine, and olive oil
to satisfy your needs.
No longer will I let you
be insulted by the nations.
20 An army attacked from the north,
but I will chase it
into a scorching desert.
There it will rot and stink
from the Dead Sea
to the Mediterranean.”
The Lord works wonders
21 and does great things.
So tell the soil to celebrate
22 and wild animals
to stop being afraid.
Grasslands are green again;
fruit trees and fig trees
are loaded with fruit.
Grapevines are covered
with grapes.
23 People of Zion,
celebrate in honor
of the Lord your God!
He is generous and has sent
the autumn and spring rains
in the proper seasons.
24 Grain will cover
your threshing places;
jars will overflow
with wine and olive oil.
The Lord Will Rescue His People
25 I, the Lord your God,
will make up for the losses
caused by those swarms
and swarms of locusts
I sent to attack you.
26 My people, you will eat
until you are satisfied.
Then you will praise me
for the wonderful things
I have done.
Never again will you
be put to shame.
27 Israel, you will know
that I stand at your side.
I am the Lord your God—
there are no other gods.
Never again will you
be put to shame.
The Lord Will Work Wonders
The Lord said:
28 Later, I will give my Spirit
to everyone.
Your sons and daughters
will prophesy.
Your old men
will have dreams,
and your young men
will see visions.
29 In those days I will even give
my Spirit to my servants,
both men and women.
30 I will work wonders
in the sky above
and on the earth below.
There will be blood and fire
and clouds of smoke.
31 The sun will turn dark,
and the moon
will be as red as blood
before that great
and terrible day
when I appear.
32 Then I, the Lord will save everyone who faithfully worships me. I have promised there will be survivors on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and among them will be my chosen ones.
The Locusts as a Warning of the Day of the Lord
1 Blow the trumpet; sound the alarm
on Zion, God's sacred hill.
Tremble, people of Judah!
The day of the Lord is coming soon.
2 It will be a dark and gloomy day,
a black and cloudy day.
The great army of locusts advances
like darkness spreading over the mountains.
There has never been anything like it,
and there never will be again.
3 Like fire they eat up the plants.
In front of them the land is like the Garden of Eden,
but behind them it is a barren desert.
Nothing escapes them.
4 They look like horses;
they run like war-horses.
5 As they leap on the tops of the mountains,
they rattle like chariots;
they crackle like dry grass on fire.
They are lined up like a great army ready for battle.
6 As they approach, everyone is terrified;
every face turns pale.
7 They attack like warriors;
they climb the walls like soldiers.
They all keep marching straight ahead
and do not change direction
8 or get in each other's way.
They swarm through defenses,
and nothing can stop them.
9 They rush against the city;
they run over the walls;
they climb up the houses
and go in through the windows like thieves.
10 The earth shakes as they advance;
the sky trembles.
The sun and the moon grow dark,
and the stars no longer shine.
11 The Lord thunders commands to his army.
The troops that obey him
are many and mighty.
How terrible is the day of the Lord!
Who will survive it?
A Call to Repentance
12 “But even now,” says the Lord,
“repent sincerely and return to me
with fasting and weeping and mourning.
13 Let your broken heart show your sorrow;
tearing your clothes is not enough.”
Come back to the Lord your God.
He is kind and full of mercy;
he is patient and keeps his promise;
he is always ready to forgive and not punish.
14 Perhaps the Lord your God will change his mind
and bless you with abundant crops.
Then you can offer him grain and wine.
15 Blow the trumpet on Mount Zion;
give orders for a fast and call an assembly!
16 Gather the people together;
prepare them for a sacred meeting;
bring the old people;
gather the children
and the babies too.
Even newly married couples
must leave their homes and come.
17 The priests, serving the Lord
between the altar and the entrance of the Temple,
must weep and pray:
“Have pity on your people, Lord.
Do not let other nations despise us and mock us
by saying, ‘Where is your God?’”
God Restores Fertility to the Land
18 Then the Lord showed concern for his land;
he had mercy on his people.
19 He answered them:
“Now I am going to give you
grain and wine and olive oil,
and you will be satisfied.
Other nations will no longer despise you.
20 I will remove the locust army that came from the north
and will drive some of them into the desert.
Their front ranks will be driven into the Dead Sea,
their rear ranks into the Mediterranean.
Their dead bodies will stink.
I will destroy them because of all they have done to you.
21 “Fields, don't be afraid,
but be joyful and glad
because of all the Lord has done for you.
22 Animals, don't be afraid.
The pastures are green;
the trees bear their fruit,
and there are plenty of figs and grapes.
23 “Be glad, people of Zion,
rejoice at what the Lord your God has done for you.
He has given you the right amount of autumn rain;
he has poured down the winter rain for you
and the spring rain as before.
24 The threshing places will be full of grain;
the pits beside the presses will overflow with wine and olive oil.
25 I will give you back what you lost
in the years when swarms of locusts ate your crops.
It was I who sent this army against you.
26 Now you will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied.
You will praise the Lord your God,
who has done wonderful things for you.
My people will never be despised again.
27 Then, Israel, you will know that I am among you
and that I, the Lord, am your God
and there is no other.
My people will never be despised again.
The Day of the Lord
28 “Afterward I will pour out my Spirit on everyone:
your sons and daughters will proclaim my message;
your old people will have dreams,
and your young people will see visions.
29 At that time I will pour out my Spirit
even on servants, both men and women.
30 “I will give warnings of that day
in the sky and on the earth;
there will be bloodshed, fire, and clouds of smoke.
31 The sun will be darkened,
and the moon will turn red as blood
before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
32 But all who ask the Lord for help will be saved.
As the Lord has said,
‘Some in Jerusalem will escape;
those whom I choose will survive.’”