GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New King James Version NKJV
1 Blow the ram's horn in Zion. Sound the alarm on my holy mountain. Everyone who lives in the land should tremble, because the day of the LORD is coming. Certainly, it is near.
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Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming, For it is at hand:
2 It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and overcast skies. A large and mighty army will spread over the mountains like the dawn. Nothing like this has ever happened. Nothing like this will ever happen again.
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A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations.
3 In front of this army a fire burns. Behind it flames are blazing. In front of it the land is like the garden of Eden. Behind it the land is like a barren desert. Nothing escapes it!
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A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them.
4 The soldiers look like horses. They run like war horses.
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Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run.
5 As they leap on mountaintops, they sound like rattling chariots, like crackling fire burning up straw, and like a mighty army prepared for battle.
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With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array.
6 People are terrified in their presence. Every face turns pale.
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Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color.
7 They run like warriors. They climb walls like soldiers. They march straight ahead. They do not leave their places.
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They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; Every one marches in formation, And they do not break ranks.
8 They do not crowd one another. They keep in their own lines. Even when they break through the defenses, they do not break their ranks.
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They do not push one another; Every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, They are not cut down.
9 They rush into the city. They run along the wall. They climb into houses. They enter through windows like thieves.
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They run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief.
10 The earth quakes in their presence, and the sky shakes. The sun and the moon turn dark, and the stars no longer shine.
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The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness.
11 The LORD shouts out orders to his army. His forces are very large. The troops that carry out his commands are mighty. The day of the LORD is extremely terrifying. Who can endure it?
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The Lord gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?
12 "But even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart-- with fasting, crying, and mourning."
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"Now, therefore," says the Lord, "Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
13 Tear your hearts, not your clothes. Return to the LORD your God. He is merciful and compassionate, patient, and always ready to forgive and to change his plans about disaster.
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So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.
14 Who knows? He may reconsider and change his plan and leave a blessing for you. Then you could give grain offerings and wine offerings to the LORD your God.
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Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him-- A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God?
15 Blow the ram's horn in Zion. Schedule a time to fast. Call for an assembly.
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Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;
16 Gather the people. Prepare them for a holy meeting. Assemble the leaders. Gather the children, even the nursing infants. Grooms leave their rooms. Brides leave their chambers.
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Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.
17 The priests who serve the LORD cry between the altar and the entrance to the temple. They say, "Spare your people, O LORD. Don't let the people who belong to you become a disgrace. Don't let the nations ridicule them. Why should people ask, 'Where is their God?'"
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Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, "Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?' "
18 Then the LORD became concerned about his land, and he had pity on his people.
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Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, And pity His people.
19 The LORD said to his people, "I am going to send grain, new wine, and olive oil to you. You will be satisfied with them. I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations.
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The Lord will answer and say to His people, "Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.
20 "I will keep the northern [army] far from you, and I will force it into a dry and barren land. The soldiers in front will be forced into the eastern sea. The soldiers in back will be forced into the western sea. A foul odor will rise from the dead bodies. They will stink." He has done great things!
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"But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things."
21 Land, do not be afraid. Be glad and rejoice. The LORD has done great things!
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Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the Lord has done marvelous things!
22 Wild animals, do not be afraid. The pastures in the wilderness have turned green. The trees have produced their fruit. There are plenty of figs and grapes.
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Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
23 People of Zion, be glad and find joy in the LORD your God. The LORD has given you the Teacher of Righteousness. He has sent the autumn rain and the spring rain as before.
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Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you-- The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain. The vats will overflow with new wine and olive oil.
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The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.
25 "Then I will repay you for the years that the mature locusts, the adult locusts, the grasshoppers, and the young locusts ate your crops. (They are the large army that I sent against you.)
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"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, and you will be full. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has performed miracles for you. My people will never be ashamed again.
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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 shall never be put to shame.
27 You will know that I am in Israel. I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never be ashamed again.
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Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.
28 "After this, I will pour my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions.
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"And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.
29 In those days I will pour my Spirit on servants, on both men and women.
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And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
30 I will work miracles in the sky and on the earth: blood, fire, and clouds of smoke.
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"And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun will become dark, and the moon will become as red as blood before the terrifying day of the LORD comes."
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The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
32 Then whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. Those who escape will be on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. Among the survivors will be those whom the LORD calls, as the LORD has promised.
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And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.