The Day of the Lord
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1Blow a trumpet in 2Zion; sound an alarm on 3my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for 4the day of the LORD is coming; it is near,
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5a day of darkness and gloom, 6a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains 7a great and powerful people; 8their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations.
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9Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like 10the garden of Eden before them, but 11behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them.
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13As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of 14a flame of fire devouring the stubble, 15like a powerful army drawn up for battle.
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Like warriors they charge; like soldiers they scale the wall. They march each on his way; they do not swerve from their paths.
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They do not jostle one another; 17each marches in his path; they burst through the weapons and are not halted.
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18They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls, 19they climb up into the houses, 20they enter through the windows 21like a thief.
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22The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. 23The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
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24The LORD utters his voice before 25his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; 26he who executes his word is powerful. 27For the day of the LORD is 28great and very awesome; 29who can endure it?
Return to the Lord
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"Yet even now," declares the LORD, 30"return to me with all your heart, 31with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
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and 32rend your hearts and not 33your garments." Return to the LORD your God, 34for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; 35and he relents over disaster.
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36Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and 37leave a blessing behind him, 38a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?
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gather the people. 41Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; 42gather the children, even nursing infants. 43Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.
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44Between the 45vestibule and the 46altar 47let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, "Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations.a 48Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"
The Lord Had Pity
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The LORD answered and said to his people, "Behold, 51I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, 52and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.
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"I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his vanguardb into 53the eastern sea, and his rear guardc into 54the western sea; 55the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things.
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Fear not, 57you beasts of the field, for 58the pastures of the wilderness are green; 59the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and 60vine give their full yield.
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61"Be glad, O children of Zion, and 62rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given 63the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, 64the early and 65the latter rain, as before.
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"The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
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I will restore to you the years that 66the swarming locust has eaten, 67the hopper, 68the destroyer, and 69the cutter, 70my great army, which I sent among you.
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71"You 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 72shall never again be put to shame.
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73You shall know that I am 74in the midst of Israel, and that 75I am the LORD your God 76and there is none else. And my people 77shall never again be put to shame.
The Lord Will Pour Out His Spirit
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d78"And it shall come to pass afterward, that 79I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; 80your sons and 81your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.
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"And I will show 83wonders in the heavens and 84on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)