bandmen are ashamed, the vinedressers howl 442 Or, ashamed the field is perished. 3 Or, elders Or, The hus up, the oil languisheth. the oil languisheth. 'Be ashamed, O ye husbandmen, howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; for the harvest of The vine is 2withered, 12 and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field are withered: for joy is withered away from the sons of men. Gird yourselves with sackcloth, and lament, ye 13 priests; howl, ye ministers of the altar; come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meal offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, 14 gather the 'old men and all the inhabitants of the land unto the house of the LORD your God, Alas for the day! 15 and cry unto the LORD. for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as destruction from the Almighty shall it come. Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, 16 joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seeds 'rot under their clods; the garners 17 are laid desolate, the barns are broken down: How do the beasts 18 for the corn is withered. groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate. O LORD, to thee 19 do I cry for the fire hath devoured the 'pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. Yea, the 20 beasts of the field pant unto thee: for the water brooks are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness. 4 Heb. Shaddai. 5 Or, shrivel 6 Or, suffer punishment 7 Or, folds 2 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound 1 2 an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds horses and thick darkness, as the dawn spread upon the mountains; a great people and a strong, there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after them, even to the years of 3 many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and 4 none hath escaped them. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as 5 1horsemen, so do they run. Like the noise of 1Or, warchariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set 6 in battle array. At their At their presence the peoples are in anguish all faces are waxed pale. 7 They run like mighty men; they climb the wall like men of war; and they march every one on his ways, and they break not their 8 ranks. Neither doth one thrust another; they march every one in his path: and they burst through the weapons, and break not off their 9 course. They leap upon the city; they run upon the wall; they climb up into the houses; they enter in at the windows like a thief. 10 The earth quaketh before them; the heavens tremble: the sun and the moon are darkened, II and the stars withdraw their shining: and the LORD uttereth his voice before his army; for his camp is very great; for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? 12 Yet even now, saith the LORD, turn ye unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and 13 with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and plenteous Or, when they the weapons, they de Or, are not fall around 3 wounded 1 Or, elders 2 Or, use a byword against them in mercy, and repenteth him of the evil. Who 14 knoweth whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, 15 call a solemn assembly: gather the people, 16 sanctify the congregation, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, 17 weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? Then was the LORD jealous for his land, 18 and had pity on his people. And the LORD 19 answered and said unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations: but 20 I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren 3 Or, with his and desolate, his forepart into the eastern forepart 4 Or, toward 5 Or, in (or for) righteousness sea, and his hinder part into the western sea; and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things. Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice; 21 for the LORD hath done great things. Be 22 not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. Be glad then, ye children 23 of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD God: for he giveth you the former rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you your the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, 24 'in the first month. And the floors shall be 1Or, at the 25 wine and oil. And I will restore to you the 28 Heb.] And it shall come to pass afterward, that [Ch. iii, 1 in I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young 29 men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days 30 will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, The sun 31 and fire, and pillars of smoke. remnant whom &c. shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day 32 of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as the LORD hath said, and among 3 Or, in the the remnant those whom the LORD doth call. 31 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Heb.] 2 Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley See ver. 12. of Jehoshaphat; and I will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, I [Ch. iv. 1 in 4 my silver 5 and parted my land. And they have cast 3 I Proclaim ye this among the nations; pre-9 pare war stir up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your 10 pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, am strong. Haste ye, and come, all ye nations II round about, and gather yourselves together: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the nations bestir themselves, 12 and come up to the valley of 'Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the "harvest 13 is ripe come, 'tread ye; for the winepress is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley 14 of decision! for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision, The sun and the 15 |