1 ARST Blow trumpets on Mount Zion, God’ s sacred hill in Jerusalem! Tell the people of Judah that they should be afraid and tremble, because it will soon be the time for Yahweh to punish us further. BSB BSB: Blow 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—
2 ARST That will be a very dark and gloomy day; there will be black clouds and it will be very dark. A huge swarm of locusts has covered the mountains like a black cloud. Nothing like this has ever happened before, and nothing like this will ever happen again. BSB BSB: a 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.
3 ARST It is as though they bring flames of fire from which no one can escape. In front of them, the land was as beautiful as the garden of Eden, but behind them the land is like a desert, and nothing survives. BSB BSB: Before 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.
4 ARST The locusts resemble horses, and they run like soldiers on horses. BSB BSB: Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like swift steeds.
5 ARST Leaping over the mountaintops, they make a noise like rumbling chariots, like a mighty army that is preparing for a battle, or like the roar of a fire that burns up stubble in a field. BSB BSB: With 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.
6 ARST When people see them coming, they become very pale and frightened. BSB BSB: Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale.
7 ARST The locusts climb over walls like soldiers do; they march along in columns and never turn aside from their lines. BSB BSB: They charge like mighty men; they scale the walls like men of war. Each one marches in formation, not swerving from the course.
8 ARST They rush straight ahead without pushing each other. Even though people throw spears and javelins at them, that will not cause them to stop. BSB BSB: They do not jostle one another; each proceeds in his path. They burst through the defenses, never breaking ranks.
9 ARST They swarm over the city walls and enter our houses; they enter through our windows as thieves do. BSB BSB: They storm the city; they run along the wall; they climb into houses, entering through windows like thieves.
10 ARST It is as though they cause the earth to shake and the sky to tremble. The sun and the moon become dark, and the stars do not shine because there are so many locusts in the sky. BSB BSB: Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness.
11 ARST Yahweh leads this army of countless locusts, and they obey his commands. This time when he is judging and punishing us is very terrible, with the result that it seems that no one can survive it. BSB BSB: The 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?
12 ARST But Yahweh says,“In spite of these disasters that you have experienced, you can return to me with all your inner being. Weep, and mourn, and fast to show that you are sorry that you have abandoned me. BSB BSB: “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”
13 ARST Do not tear only your clothes to show that you are sorry; more importantly, show in your inner being that you are sorry.” Yahweh is merciful and kind; he does not quickly become angry; he faithfully loves people. He does not quickly become angry; instead, he greatly and faithfully loves you, and he does not like to punish us. BSB BSB: So 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.
14 ARST No one knows if he will change his mind about punishing you and instead act mercifully toward you. If he does that, he will bless you by giving you plenty of grain and wine in order that you can offer some of those things for sacrifices to him. BSB BSB: Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him—grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.
15 ARST Blow the trumpets on Mount Zion! Gather the people together! Set apart time to fast, to show that you are sorry for your sins. BSB BSB: Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a sacred assembly.
16 ARST Perform the rituals to cause yourselves to be acceptable to Yahweh. Come apart and join together as a group with a purpose— the old people and the children, even the babies, and summon brides and bridegrooms from their rooms. BSB BSB: Gather 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.
17 ARST Tell the priests who serve Yahweh to cry between the altar and the entrance to the temple and to pray this:“Yahweh, rescue us, your people; do not allow people from other nations to despise us; do not allow them to ridicule us and say,‘Why has their God abandoned them?’” BSB BSB: Let 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?’”
18 ARST But Yahweh showed that he was concerned about his people and that he would act mercifully toward them. BSB BSB: Then the LORD became jealous for His land, and He spared His people.
19 ARST When the people prayed, Yahweh answered and said,“I will give you plenty of grain and wine and olive oil, and you will be satisfied. I will no longer allow other nations to insult you. BSB BSB: And 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.
20 ARST Another army of locusts will come from the north to attack you, but I will force them to continue past Jerusalem into the desert. Some will go into the Dead Sea in the east, and some will go into the Mediterranean Sea in the west. There they will all die, and their bodies will stink.” God will certainly do wonderful things. BSB BSB: The 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.
21 ARST Yahweh will indeed do wonderful things! So even the ground should rejoice! BSB BSB: Do not be afraid, O land; rejoice and be glad, for the LORD has done great things.
22 ARST And the wild animals should not be afraid, because the meadows will soon become green again; the fig trees and other trees will be full of fruit, and the grapevines will be covered with grapes. BSB BSB: Do 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.
23 ARST You people of Jerusalem, rejoice about what Yahweh, your God, will do for you. He will send abundant rain at the right time— in the spring and in the autumn, as he did previously. BSB BSB: Be 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.
24 ARST The ground where you thresh the grain will be covered with grain, and your vats where you store the fresh grape juice and olive oil will overflow. BSB BSB: The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
25 ARST Yahweh said,“I will repay you for everything that was destroyed by those great swarms of locusts, that enormous army that I sent to attack you. BSB BSB: I 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.
26 ARST You, my people, will eat until your stomachs are full. Then you will praise me, Yahweh, your God, for the wonderful things that I have done for you. And never again will I let others shame you. BSB BSB: You 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.
27 ARST When that happens, you will know that I am always among you, that I am Yahweh, your God, and that there is no other God. Never again will I let others shame you.” BSB BSB: Then 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 ARST “Some time later, I will give my Spirit to many people. You sons and daughters will proclaim messages that come directly from me. Your old men will have dreams that come from me, and your young men will have visions that come from me. BSB BSB: And 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.
29 ARST At that time, I will give my Spirit even to servants, both men and women. BSB BSB: Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
30 ARST I will do unusual things on the earth and in the sky. On the earth, there will be much blood shed, and there will be very large fires and smoke that resembles huge clouds. BSB BSB: I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.
31 ARST In the sky, the sun will become dark, and the moon will become as red as blood. Those things will happen before that great and terrible day when I, Yahweh, come to judge all people. BSB BSB: The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.
32 ARST But at that time I will save everyone who worships me. I promise that some people in Jerusalem will escape those disasters; those whom I have chosen will survive.” BSB BSB: And 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.