The day of the Lord
  a mighty, countless host appears;
  their like has never been known,
  nor ever shall be in ages to come;
   3   their vanguard a devouring fire,
  their rearguard leaping flame;
  before them the land is a garden of Eden,
  behind them a wasted wilderness;
  nothing survives their march.
   4   On they come, like squadrons of horse,
  like war-horses they charge;
5   bounding over the peaks they advance with the rattle of chariots,
  like flames of fire burning up the stubble,
  like a countless host in battle array.
   6   Before them nations tremble,
  every face turns pale.
     7   Like warriors they charge,
    they mount the walls like men at arms,
  each marching in line,
    no confusion in the ranks,
   8   none jostling his neighbour,
  none breaking line.
They plunge through streams without halting their advance;
9   they burst into the city, leap on to the wall,
    climb into the houses,
  entering like thieves through the windows.
   10   Before them the earth shakes,
    the heavens shudder,
  sun and moon are darkened,
  and the stars forbear to shine.
11   The Lord thunders before his host;
  his is a mighty army,
  countless are those who do his bidding.
Great is the day of the Lord and terrible,
    who can endure it?
   12   And yet, the Lord says, even now
  turn back to me with your whole heart,
  fast, and weep, and beat your breasts.
   13   Rend your hearts and not your garments;
  turn back to the Lord your God;
  for he is gracious and compassionate,
    long-suffering and ever constant,
  always ready to repent of the threatened evil.
   14   It may be he will turn back and repent

The day of the Lord
  and leave a blessing behind him,
    blessing enough for grain-offering and drink-offering
    for the Lord your God.


   15   Blow the trumpet in Zion,
proclaim a solemn fast, appoint a day of abstinence;
16   gather the people together, proclaim a solemn assembly;
    summon the elders,
gather the children, yes, babes at the breast;
  bid the bridegroom leave his chamber
    and the bride her bower.
   17   Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord,
  stand weeping between the porch and the altar
and say, ‘Spare thy people, O Lord, thy own people,
  expose them not to reproach,
  lest other nations make them a byword
  and everywhere men ask,
    “Where is their God?”’
Israel forgiven and restored

   18   Then the Lord's love burned with zeal for his land,
    and he was moved with compassion for his people.
19   He answered their appeal and said,
I will send you corn, and new wine, and oil,
    and you shall have your fill;
  I will expose you no longer
    to the reproach of other nations.
   20   I will remove the northern peril far away from you
and banish them into a land parched and waste,
  their vanguard into the eastern sea
    and their rear into the western,
and the stench shall rise from their rotting corpses
  because of their proud deeds!
21   Earth, be not afraid, rejoice and be glad;
  for the Lord himself has done a proud deed.
   22   Be not afraid, you cattle in the field;
  for the pastures shall be green,
  the trees shall bear fruit,
the fig and the vine yield their harvest.
     23   O people of Zion,
  rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God,

Israel forgiven and restored
who gives you good food in due measure ^note
  and sends down rain ^note as of old. ^note
   24   The threshing-floors shall be heaped with grain,
the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.
   25   So I will make good the years
    that the swarm has eaten,
  hopper and grub and locust,
my great army which I sent against you;
   26   and you shall eat, you shall eat your fill
  and praise the name of the Lord your God
  who has done wonders for you, ^note
27   and you shall know that I am present in Israel,
that I and no other am the Lord your God;
  and my people shall not again be brought to shame.
     28    ^noteThereafter the day shall come
  when I will pour out my spirit on all mankind;
  your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
  your old men shall dream dreams
  and your young men see visions;
   29   I will pour out my spirit in those days
    even upon slaves and slave-girls.
30   I will show portents in the sky and on earth,
  blood and fire and columns of smoke;
   31   the sun shall be turned into darkness
    and the moon into blood
before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
32   Then everyone who invokes the Lord by name
    shall be saved:
  for when the Lord gives the word
  there shall yet be survivors on Mount Zion
    and in Jerusalem a remnant ^note
    whom the Lord will call. ^note

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