2:7 They 1 charge 2 like warriors;
they scale walls like soldiers. 3
Each one proceeds on his course;
they do not alter 4 their path.
2:8 They do not jostle one another; 5
each of them marches straight ahead. 6
They burst through 7 the city defenses 8
and do not break ranks.
2:9 They rush into 9 the city;
they scale 10 its walls.
They climb up into the houses;
they go in through the windows like a thief.
2:10 The earth quakes 11 before them; 12
the sky reverberates. 13
The sun and the moon grow dark;
the stars refuse to shine. 14
2:11 The voice of the Lord thunders 15 as he leads his army. 16
Indeed, his warriors 17 are innumerable; 18
Surely his command is carried out! 19
Yes, the day of the Lord is awesome 20
and very terrifying – who can survive 21 it?
2:12 “Yet even now,” the Lord says,
“return to me with all your heart –
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Tear your hearts, 22
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 23 – often relenting from calamitous punishment. 24
2:14 Who knows?
Perhaps he will be compassionate and grant a reprieve, 25
and leave blessing in his wake 26 –
a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the Lord your God! 27
2:15 Blow the trumpet 28 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. 29
2:17 Let the priests, those who serve the Lord, weep
from the vestibule all the way back to the altar. 30
Let them say, “Have pity, O Lord, on your people;
please do not turn over your inheritance to be mocked,
to become a proverb 31 among the nations.
Why should it be said 32 among the peoples,
“Where is their God?”
2:18 Then the Lord became 33 zealous for his land;
he had compassion on his people.
2:19 The Lord responded 34 to his people,
“Look! I am about to restore your grain 35
as well as fresh wine and olive oil.
You will be fully satisfied. 36
I will never again make you an object of mockery among the nations.
2:20 I will remove the one from the north 37 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, 38
and those in back westward into the Mediterranean Sea. 39
His stench will rise up as a foul smell.” 40
Indeed, the Lord 41 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! 42
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. 43
2:23 Citizens of Zion, 44 rejoice!
Be glad because of what the Lord your God has done! 45
For he has given to you the early rains 46 as vindication.
He has sent 47 to you the rains –
both the early and the late rains 48 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 49
that the ‘arbeh-locust 50 consumed your crops 51 –
the yeleq-locust, the hasil-locust, and the gazam-locust –
my great army 52 that I sent against you.
2:26 You will have plenty to eat,
and your hunger will be fully satisfied; 53
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) 54 After all of this 55
I will pour out my Spirit 56 on all kinds of people. 57
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; 58
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 59 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, 60
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. 61
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem 62 there will be those who survive, 63
just as the Lord has promised;
the remnant 64 will be those whom the Lord will call. 65