2 Blow the trumpet in ·Jerusalem [^LZion; ^Cthe location of the Temple];
    ·shout a warning [sound the alarm; or raise the battle cry] on my holy mountain.
Let all the people who live in the land shake with fear,
    because the ·Lord’s day of judging [^Lday of the Lord; 1:15] is coming;
    it is near.

³ In front of them a fire ·destroys [devours];
    in back of them a flame burns.
The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden [Gen. 2:8–14];
    the land behind them is like an ·empty desert [desolate wilderness].
    Nothing will escape from them.
⁴ ·They look [Their appearance is] like horses,
    and they ·run [charge] like ·war horses [or cavalry].
⁵ It is like the noise of chariots
    ·rumbling [or leaping] over the tops of the mountains,
like the noise of a roaring fire
    ·burning dry stalks [devouring stubble].
They are like a ·powerful army [mighty nation] lined up for battle.
⁶ ·When they see them [Before them], ·nations [people] shake with fear,
and everyone’s face becomes pale.

⁷ They charge like soldiers;
    they ·climb over [scale] the wall like warriors.
They all march ·straight ahead [in formation]
    and do not ·move off their path [swerve from their course; break ranks].
⁸ They do not ·run into [jostle; push] each other,
    because each walks ·in line [straight ahead; in his column].
They ·break through all efforts to stop them [burst through defences; or fall upon the sword; ^Lfall upon weapons]
    and ·keep coming [do not halt/break ranks].
⁹ They ·run [rush; swarm] into the city.
    They run at the wall
and climb into the houses,
    entering through windows like thieves.

¹⁰ Before them the earth shakes
    and sky trembles.
The sun and the moon become dark,
    and the stars ·stop shining [^Lwithhold their brightness; 3:15].
¹¹ The Lord ·shouts out orders [cries out; thunders]
    ·to [or at the head of] his army.
His ·army [encampment] is very large!
    Those who ·obey him [execute his word] are very strong!
The ·Lord’s day of judging [^Lday of the Lord; 1:15]
    is an ·overwhelming [awesome; great] and terrible day.
·No one can stand up against it! [^LWho can endure it?]

¹³ ·Tearing your clothes is not enough to show you are sad;
    let your heart be broken [^LTear/Rend your hearts and not your garments; ^Ctrue repentance, not just a show of grief].
Come back to the Lord your God,
    because he is ·kind [gracious; merciful] and ·shows mercy [compassionate].
·He doesn’t become angry quickly […slow to anger],
    and he has great ·love [loyalty; mercy; lovingkindness].
    He ·can change his mind about [relents from] doing harm.
¹⁴ Who knows? Maybe he will ·turn back to you [grant a reprieve; ^Lturn and relent]
    and leave behind a blessing for you.
·Grain [^LGift; Tribute; Lev. 2:1] and drink offerings ·belong to [or for] the Lord your God.

¹⁵ Blow the trumpet in ·Jerusalem [^LZion; 2:1];
    ·call for [declare; appoint; consecrate] a ·day when everyone fasts [fast; 1:14].
    ·Tell everyone to stop work [^LCall a sacred assembly]!
¹⁶ ·Bring the people together [Assemble/Gather the people]
    and ·make the meeting holy for the Lord [consecrate/sanctify the congregation/assembly].
Bring together the elders,
    as well as the children,
    and even babies that still feed at their mothers’ breasts.
·The bridegroom should [^LLet the bridegroom] come from his room [^Cindicating urgency; newly married men were exempt from military service; Deut. 20:7; 24:5],
    the bride from her ·bedroom [chamber].
¹⁷ ·The [^LLet the] priests, ·the Lord’s servants [who minister before the Lord], should ·cry [weep]
    between the altar and the ·entrance to the Temple [portico; vestibule].
·They should [^LLet them] say, “Lord, ·have mercy on [spare] your people.
    Don’t let ·them [^Lyour inheritance/possession] be ·put to shame [mocked; a reproach];
    don’t let other nations make ·fun of them [them a byword].
·Don’t let [^LWhy should the] people in other nations ask,
    ‘Where is their God?’”

²¹ Land, don’t be afraid;
    be ·happy [glad] and ·full of joy [rejoice],
    because the Lord has done ·a wonderful thing [great things].
²² ·Wild animals [^LBeasts of the field], don’t be afraid,
    because the ·open [wilderness] pastures ·have grown grass [^Lare sprouting green].
The trees ·have given [bear] fruit;
    the fig trees and the grapevines ·have grown much fruit [provide riches].
²³ So be happy, ·people of Jerusalem [^Lsons/children of Zion; 2:1];
    ·be joyful [rejoice] in the Lord your God.
Because he ·does what is right,
    he has brought you rain [or has vindicated you by giving you rain];
he has sent the ·fall [^Learly] rain
    and the ·spring [^Llate] rain for you, as before.
²⁴ And the threshing floors will be full of grain;
    the ·barrels [vats] will overflow with new wine and olive oil.

²⁸ “After this,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all ·kinds of people [humanity; flesh; Acts 2:17–21; Is. 32:15; Ezek. 39:29; Zech. 12:10].
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your old men will dream dreams,
    and your young men will see visions.
²⁹ ·At that time [^LIn those days] I will pour out my Spirit
    ·also [even] on male ·slaves [servants] and female ·slaves [servants].
³⁰ I will show ·miracles [wonders; portents]
    in the ·sky [heavens] and on the earth:
    blood, fire, and ·thick [columns/billows of] smoke.
³¹ The sun will ·become dark [turn to darkness],
    the moon ·red as blood [^Lto blood; Rev. 6:12],
    before the ·overwhelming [great] and ·terrible [awesome] day of the Lord comes.
³² ·Then [^LAnd it will happen that] ·anyone [all] who calls on the [^Lname of the] Lord
    will be ·saved [rescued],
because on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
    there will be people who will ·be saved [escape; be delivered],
just as the Lord has said.
·Those left alive after the day of punishment [The remnant/survivors]
are the people whom the Lord called.