To The Word – Day 123

₂Pay attention, you older people;

everyone in Judah, listen.

Has anything like this ever happened

in your time or the time of your ancestors?

₃Tell your children about it;

they will tell their children,

who in turn will tell the next generation.

₄Swarm after swarm of locusts settled on the crops;

what one swarm left, the next swarm devoured.

₅Wake up and weep, you drunkards;

cry, you wine drinkers;

the grapes for making new wine have been destroyed.

₆An army of locusts has attacked our land;

they are powerful and too many to count;

their teeth are as sharp as those of a lion.

₇They have destroyed our grapevines

and chewed up our fig trees.

They have stripped off the bark,

till the branches are white.

₈Cry, you people, like a young woman who mourns the death

of the man she was going to marry.

₉There is no corn or wine to offer in the Temple;

the priests mourn because they have no offerings for the LORD.

₁₀The fields are bare;

the ground mourns

because the corn is destroyed,

the grapes are dried up,

and the olive trees are withered.

₁₁Grieve, you farmers;

cry, you that take care of the vineyards,

because the wheat, the barley,

yes, all the crops are destroyed.

₁₂The grapevines and fig trees have withered;

all the fruit trees have wilted and died.

The joy of the people is gone.

₁₃Put on sackcloth and weep,

you priests who serve at the altar!

Go into the Temple and mourn all night!

There is no corn or wine to offer your God.

₁₄Give orders for a fast;

call an assembly!

Gather the leaders

and all the people of Judah

into the Temple of the LORD your God

and cry out to him.

₁₅The day of the LORD is near;

the day when the Almighty brings destruction.

What terror that day will bring!

₁₆We look on helpless as our crops are destroyed.

There is no joy in the Temple of our God.

₁₇The seeds die in the dry earth.

There is no grain to be stored,

and so the empty granaries are in ruins.

₁₈The cattle are bellowing in distress

because there is no pasture for them;

the flocks of sheep also suffer.

₁₉I cry out to you, LORD,

because the pastures and trees are dried up,

as though a fire had burnt them.

₂₀Even the wild animals cry out to you

because the streams have become dry.

₁Blow the trumpet; sound the alarm

on Zion, God's sacred hill.

Tremble, people of Judah!

The day of the LORD is coming soon.

₂It will be a dark and gloomy day,

a black and cloudy day.

The great army of locusts advances

like darkness spreading over the mountains.

There has never been anything like it,

and there never will be again.

₃Like fire they eat up the plants.

In front of them the land is like the Garden of Eden,

but behind them it is a barren desert.

Nothing escapes them.

₄They look like horses;

they run like war horses.

₅As they leap on the tops of the mountains,

they rattle like chariots;

they crackle like dry grass on fire.

They are lined up like a great army ready for battle.

₆As they approach, everyone is terrified;

every face turns pale.

₇They attack like warriors;

they climb the walls like soldiers.

They all keep marching straight ahead

and do not change direction

₈or get in each other's way.

They swarm through defences,

and nothing can stop them.

₉They rush against the city;

they run over the walls;

they climb up the houses

and go in through the windows like thieves.

₁₀The earth shakes as they advance;

the sky trembles.

The sun and the moon grow dark,

and the stars no longer shine.

₁₁The LORD thunders commands to his army.

The troops that obey him

are many and mighty.

How terrible is the day of the LORD!

Who will survive it?

₁₂“But even now,” says the LORD,

“repent sincerely and return to me

with fasting and weeping and mourning.

₁₃Let your broken heart show your sorrow;

tearing your clothes is not enough.”

Come back to the LORD your God.

He is kind and full of mercy;

he is patient and keeps his promise;

he is always ready to forgive and not punish.

₁₄Perhaps the LORD your God will change his mind

and bless you with abundant crops.

Then you can offer him corn and wine.

₁₅Blow the trumpet on Mount Zion;

give orders for a fast and call an assembly!

₁₆Gather the people together;

prepare them for a sacred meeting;

bring the old people;

gather the children

and the babies too.

Even newly married couples

must leave their room and come.

₁₇The priests, serving the LORD

between the altar and the entrance of the Temple,

must weep and pray:

“Have pity on your people, LORD.

Do not let other nations despise us and mock us

by saying, ‘Where is your God?’ ”

₁₈Then the LORD showed concern for his land;

he had mercy on his people.

₁₉He answered them:

“Now I am going to give you

corn and wine and olive oil,

and you will be satisfied.

Other nations will no longer despise you.

₂₀I will remove the locust army that came from the north

and will drive some of them into the desert.

Their front ranks will be driven into the Dead Sea,

their rear ranks into the Mediterranean.

Their dead bodies will stink.

I will destroy them because of all they have done to you.

₂₁“Fields, don't be afraid,

but be joyful and glad

because of all the LORD has done for you.

₂₂Animals, don't be afraid.

The pastures are green;

the trees bear their fruit,

and there are plenty of figs and grapes.

₂₃“Be glad, people of Zion,

rejoice at what the LORD your God has done for you.

He has given you the right amount of autumn rain;

he has poured down the winter rain for you

and the spring rain as before.

₂₄The threshing places will be full of corn;

the pits beside the presses will overflow with wine and olive oil.

₂₅I will give you back what you lost

in the years when swarms of locusts ate your crops.

It was I who sent this army against you.

₂₆Now you will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied.

You will praise the LORD your God,

who has done wonderful things for you.

My people will never be despised again.

₂₇Then, Israel, you will know that I am among you,

and that I, the LORD, am your God

and there is no other.

My people will never be despised again.

₂₈“Afterwards I will pour out my Spirit on everyone:

your sons and daughters will proclaim my message;

your old people will have dreams,

and your young people will see visions.

₂₉At that time I will pour out my Spirit

even on servants, both men and women.

₃₀“I will give warnings of that day

in the sky and on the earth;

there will be bloodshed, fire, and clouds of smoke.

₃₁The sun will be darkened,

and the moon will turn red as blood

before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.

₃₂But all who ask the LORD for help will be saved.

As the LORD has said,

‘Some in Jerusalem will escape;

those whom I choose will survive.’ ”

“At that time I will restore

the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem.

₂I will gather all the nations

and bring them to the Valley of Judgement.

There I will judge them

for all they have done to my people.

They have scattered the Israelites in foreign countries

and divided up Israel, my land.

₃They threw dice to decide

who would get the captives.

They sold boys and girls into slavery

to pay for prostitutes and wine.

₉“Make this announcement among the nations:

‘Prepare for war;

call your warriors;

gather all your soldiers and march!

₁₀Hammer the points of your ploughs into swords

and your pruning knives into spears.

Even the weak must fight.

₁₁Hurry and come,

all you surrounding nations,

and gather in the valley.’ ”

Send down, O LORD, your army to attack them.

₁₂“The nations must get ready

and come to the Valley of Judgement.

There I, the LORD, will sit to judge

all the surrounding nations.

₁₃They are very wicked;

cut them down like corn

at harvest time;

crush them as grapes are crushed

in a full winepress

until the wine runs over.”

₁₄Thousands and thousands

are in the Valley of Judgement.

It is there that the day of the LORD

will soon come.

₁₅The sun and the moon grow dark,

and the stars no longer shine.

₁₆The LORD roars from Mount Zion;

his voice thunders from Jerusalem;

earth and sky tremble.

But he will defend his people.

₁₇“Then, Israel, you will know that I am the LORD your God.

I live on Zion, my sacred hill.

Jerusalem will be a sacred city;

foreigners will never conquer it again.

₁₈“At that time the mountains will be covered with vineyards,

and cattle will be found on every hill;

there will be plenty of water for all the streams of Judah.

A stream will flow from the Temple of the LORD,

and it will water the Valley of Acacia.

₁₉“Egypt will become a desert,

and Edom a ruined waste,

because they attacked the land of Judah

and killed its innocent people.

_20-21I will avenge those who were killed;

I will not spare the guilty.

But Judah and Jerusalem will be inhabited for ever,

and I, the LORD, will live on Mount Zion.”

₁I thank you, LORD, with all my heart;

I sing praise to you before the gods.

₂I face your holy Temple,

bow down, and praise your name

because of your constant love and faithfulness,

because you have shown that your name and your commands are supreme.

₃You answered me when I called to you;

with your strength you strengthened me.

₄All the kings in the world will praise you, LORD,

because they have heard your promises.

₅They will sing about what you have done

and about your great glory.

₆Even though you are so high above,

you care for the lowly,

and the proud cannot hide from you.

₇When I am surrounded by troubles,

you keep me safe.

You oppose my angry enemies

and save me by your power.

₈You will do everything you have promised;

LORD, your love is eternal.

Complete the work that you have begun.

₁₇‘This is what I will do in the last days, God says:

I will pour out my Spirit on everyone.

Your sons and daughters will proclaim my message;

your young men will see visions,

and your old men will have dreams.

₁₈Yes, even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will proclaim my message.

₁₉I will perform miracles in the sky above

and wonders on the earth below.

There will be blood, fire, and thick smoke;

₂₀the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will turn red as blood,

before the great and glorious Day of the Lord comes.

₂₁And then, whoever calls out to the Lord for help will be saved.’

‘I saw the Lord before me at all times;

he is near me, and I will not be troubled.

₂₆And so I am filled with gladness,

and my words are full of joy.

And I, mortal though I am,

will rest assured in hope,

₂₇because you will not abandon me in the world of the dead;

you will not allow your faithful servant to rot in the grave.

₂₈You have shown me the paths that lead to life,

and your presence will fill me with joy.’

‘He was not abandoned in the world of the dead;

his body did not rot in the grave.’

‘The Lord said to my Lord:

Sit here at my right

₃₅until I put your enemies as a footstool under your feet.’