An Army of Locusts
1Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sound the alarm on my holy hill.
Let all who live in the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming.
It is close at hand—
2a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness.
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
a large and mighty army comes,
such as never was in ancient times
nor ever will be in ages to come.
3Before them fire devours,
behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,
behind them, a desert waste—
nothing escapes them.
4They have the appearance of horses;
they gallop along like cavalry.
5With a noise like that of chariots
they leap over the mountaintops,
like a crackling fire consuming stubble,
like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
6At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;
every face turns pale.
7They charge like warriors;
they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line,
not swerving from their course.
8They do not jostle each other;
each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defenses
without breaking ranks.
9They rush upon the city;
they run along the wall.
They climb into the houses;
like thieves they enter through the windows.
10Before them the earth shakes,
the heavens tremble,
the sun and moon are darkened,
and the stars no longer shine.
11The Lord thunders
at the head of his army;
his forces are beyond number,
and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
The day of the Lord is great;
it is dreadful.
Who can endure it?
Rend Your Heart
12“Even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
13Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.
14Who knows? He may turn and relent
and leave behind a blessing—
grain offerings and drink offerings
for the Lord your God.
15Blow the trumpet in Zion,
declare a holy fast,
call a sacred assembly.
16Gather the people,
consecrate the assembly;
bring together the elders,
gather the children,
those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room
and the bride her chamber.
17Let the priests, who minister before the Lord,
weep between the portico and the altar.
Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.
Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,
a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’ ”
The Lord’s Answer
18Then the Lord was jealous for his land
and took pity on his people.
19The Lord replied2:18,19 Or Lord will be jealous… / and take pity… / 19 The Lord will reply to them:
“I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil,
enough to satisfy you fully;
never again will I make you
an object of scorn to the nations.
20“I will drive the northern horde far from you,
pushing it into a parched and barren land;
its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea
and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.
And its stench will go up;
its smell will rise.”
Surely he has done great things!
21Do not be afraid, land of Judah;
be glad and rejoice.
Surely the Lord has done great things!
22Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.
The trees are bearing their fruit;
the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.
23Be glad, people of Zion,
rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
because he is faithful.
He sends you abundant showers,
both autumn and spring rains, as before.
24The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
25“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm2:25 The precise meaning of the four Hebrew words used here for locusts is uncertain.—
my great army that I sent among you.
26You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has worked wonders for you;
never again will my people be shamed.
27Then you will know that I am in Israel,
that I am the Lord your God,
and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.
The Day of the Lord
28“And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
29Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
32And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
whom the Lord calls.2:32 In Hebrew texts 2:28-32 is numbered 3:1-5.
耶和華審判的日子
1你們要在錫安吹響號角，
在我的聖山上發出警訊，
此地的居民都要顫抖，
因為耶和華的日子將要來臨，
已經近了。
2那是昏暗陰沉的日子，
是烏雲密佈的日子。
來了一支空前絕後、強盛無比的大軍，
牠們像曙光一樣佈滿山嶺。
3牠們前面有燎原之火，
後面有熊熊烈焰。
牠們到來之前，
大地就像伊甸園；
牠們過去之後，
大地變成荒涼的曠野。
地上的一切都逃不過這一場浩劫。
4牠們的形狀像馬，
疾馳如戰馬，
5在山嶺上跳躍奔騰，
如隆隆戰車，
好像烈火吞噬乾草的聲音，
又如大軍列陣備戰。
6百姓一看到牠們，就驚慌失措，
面如死灰。
7牠們快速奔跑像勇士，
攀登城牆如戰士，
有條不紊地前進。
8隊伍整齊，各行其道，
長驅直入，勢不可擋。
9牠們衝向城邑，躥上城牆，
爬進房屋，
如盜賊般破窗而入。
10所到之處，
天搖地動，
日月昏暗，
星辰無光。
11耶和華向祂的軍隊發號施令，
祂的隊伍不計其數，
執行祂命令的是勁旅。
耶和華的日子偉大而可畏，
誰能承受得住呢？
呼籲人民悔改
12耶和華說：
「現在你們要禁食、哭泣、哀號，
全心回轉歸向我。」
13你們要撕心般地痛悔，
而不是撕裂衣服。
歸向你們的上帝耶和華吧，
因為祂有恩典、好憐憫，
不輕易發怒，
充滿慈愛，
不忍心降災禍。
14或許祂轉念心生憐憫，
給你們留下祝福，
使你們可以再次向你們的上帝耶和華獻上素祭和奠祭。
有誰知道呢？
15要在錫安山吹響號角，
宣佈禁食的聖日，
舉行莊嚴的聚會。
16要招聚老人，
聚集孩童和吃奶的嬰兒；
要吩咐新郎出洞房、
新娘出內室；
要召集全體人民，
讓會眾潔淨自己。
17讓事奉耶和華的祭司站在聖殿門廊和祭壇中間，
哭泣懇求說：
「耶和華啊，
求你顧惜你的子民，
不要讓外族人侮辱、
譏笑你的產業說，
『他們的上帝在哪裡呢？』」
再賜祝福
18耶和華篤愛祂的土地，
祂憐憫自己的子民。
19祂回應他們說：
「我必賜五穀、新酒和橄欖油給你們，
使你們飽足，
不再讓你們受列國的羞辱。
20我要使北方的軍隊遠離你們，
把他們驅逐到一個乾旱荒蕪的地方，
把他們的領頭部隊趕進死海，
再把他們的殿後部隊趕進地中海，
那時他們必臭氣沖天、
惡味上騰，
因為耶和華為你們行了大事。」
21土地啊，不要害怕，
倒要歡喜快樂；
因為耶和華行了大事。
22田野的走獸啊，不要害怕，
因為青草鋪遍了曠野，
樹木也結滿了果子，
無花果樹和葡萄樹都結實纍纍。
23錫安的人民啊，
你們要快樂，
因你們的上帝耶和華而喜樂。
因為祂按時2·23 「按時」希伯來文是「按公義」。降下甘霖，
像從前一樣賜給你們秋雨和
春雨。
24麥場必堆滿五穀，
酒槽裡的酒和油槽裡的油必滿溢。
25「我派蝻蟲、蚱蜢、螞蚱
和蝗蟲大軍在那些年所吃掉的，
我要補償你們。
26你們必吃得飽足，
並讚美你們的上帝耶和華的名，
因祂為你們行了奇事。
我的子民永遠不會再蒙羞。
27這樣，你們就知道我在以色列，
知道我是你們的上帝耶和華，
除我以外別無他神。
我的子民永遠不會再蒙羞。
28「以後，我要將我的靈澆灌所有的人。
你們的兒女要說預言，
老人要做異夢，
青年要見異象。
29在那些日子，
我要將我的靈澆灌我的奴僕和婢女。
30「我要在天上地下行奇事，你們將看見血、火和煙柱。 31太陽要變得昏暗，月亮要變得血紅。在耶和華偉大而可畏的日子來臨以前，這些事都會發生。 32那時候，凡求告耶和華之名的人都必得救，因為在錫安山，在耶路撒冷城，必有逃脫災難的人，耶和華所呼召的人必倖存下來，正如耶和華所言。」
