Study Desk

^(C1)Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the ^(C2)day of the LORD is coming; Indeed, it is near,

A day of ^(C1)darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a ^(C2)great and mighty people; There has ^(C3)never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations.

A ^(C1)fire consumes before them, And behind them a flame devours. The land is ^(C2)like the Garden of Eden before them, But a ^(C3)desolate wilderness behind them, And nothing at all escapes them.

Their ^(C1)appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like war horses, so they run.

^(F1)With a ^(C1)noise as of chariots They leap about on the tops of the mountains, Like the ^(F2)crackling of a ^(C2)flame of fire consuming the stubble, Like a mighty people drawn up for battle.

Before them the people are in ^(C1)anguish; All ^(C2)faces ^(F1)turn pale.

They run like warriors, They climb the wall like soldiers; And each of them ^(C1)marches ^(F1)in line, Nor do they lose their way.

They do not crowd each other, Every warrior of them marches in his path; When they ^(F1)burst through the ^(F2)defenses, They do not break ranks.

They storm the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the ^(C1)houses, They ^(C2)enter through the windows like a thief.

Before them the earth ^(C1)quakes, The heavens tremble, The ^(C2)sun and the moon become dark, And the stars lose their brightness.

The LORD ^(C1)utters His voice before ^(C2)His army; His camp is indeed very great, For ^(C3)mighty is one who carries out His word. The ^(C4)day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome, And ^(C5)who can endure it?

"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "^(C1)Return to Me with all your heart, And with ^(C2)fasting, weeping, and mourning;

And ^(C1)tear your heart and not merely ^(C2)your garments." Now return to the LORD your God, For He is ^(C3)gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in mercy And ^(C4)relenting of catastrophe.

Who knows, ^(C1)He might turn and relent, And leave a ^(C2)blessing behind Him, Resulting in ^(C3)a grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God.

^(C1)Blow a trumpet in Zion, ^(C2)Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,

Gather the people, ^(C1)sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Have the ^(C2)groom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber.

Let the priests, the LORD'S ministers, Weep ^(C1)between the porch and the altar, And let them say, "^(F1)(C2)Spare Your people, LORD, And do not make Your inheritance a ^(C3)disgrace, With the nations jeering at them. Why should those among the peoples say, '^(C4)Where is their God?'"

Then the LORD ^(F1)will be ^(C1)zealous for His land, And ^(F2)will have ^(C2)compassion for His people.

The LORD ^(F1)will answer and say to His people, "Behold, I am going to ^(C1)send you grain, new wine, and oil, And you will be satisfied in full with ^(F2)them; And I will ^(C2)never again make you a disgrace among the nations.

-"But I will remove the ^(C1)northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a dry and desolate land, Its advance guard into the ^(C2)eastern sea, And its rear guard into the ^(C3)western sea. And its ^(C4)stench will ascend and its odor of decay will come up, Because it has done great things."

^(C1)Do not fear, land; shout for joy and rejoice, For the LORD has done ^(C2)great things.

Do not fear, animals of the field, For the ^(C1)pastures of the wilderness have turned green, For the tree has produced its fruit, The fig tree and the vine have yielded ^(F1)in full.

So shout for joy, you ^(C1)sons of Zion, And ^(C2)rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has ^(C3)given you ^(F1)the early rain for your vindication. And He has brought down for you the rain, The ^(F2)early and ^(F3)(C4)latter rain ^(F4)as before.

The threshing floors will be full of grain, And the vats will ^(C1)overflow with the new wine and oil.

"Then I will compensate you for the years That the ^(F1)swarming ^(C1)locust has eaten, The creeping locust, the stripping locust, and the gnawing locust— My great army which I sent among you.

-"You will have plenty to ^(C1)eat and be satisfied, And you will ^(C2)praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has ^(C3)dealt wondrously with you; Then My people will ^(C4)never be put to shame.

-"So you will ^(C1)know that I am in the midst of Israel, And that I am the LORD your God And there is ^(C2)no other; And My people will never be ^(C3)put to shame.

"^(F1)(C1)It will come about after this That I will ^(C2)pour out My Spirit on all ^(F2)(C3)mankind; And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, Your old men will have dreams, Your young men will see visions.

-"And even on the ^(C1)male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

-"I will ^(F1)(C1)display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire, and columns of smoke.

-"The ^(C1)sun will be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the ^(C2)great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

-"And it will come about that ^(C1)everyone who calls on the name of the LORD Will ^(F1)be saved; For ^(C2)on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who ^(C3)escape, Just as the LORD has said, Even among the ^(C4)survivors whom the LORD calls.