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Locusts and an Enemy Army
2
1 Sound the trumpet on Zion,
the Lord's sacred hill.
Warn everyone to tremble!
The judgment day of the Lord
is coming soon.
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2
  Chapter recording
List of all recordings of KJV
1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound 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;  trumpet: or, cornet
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2 It will be dark and gloomy
with storm clouds overhead.
Troops will cover the mountains
like thunderclouds.
No army this powerful
has ever been gathered before
or will ever be again.
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2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. of many...: Heb. of generation and generation
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3 Fiery flames surround them;
no one escapes.
Before they invaded,
the land was like Eden;
now only a desert remains.
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3 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 nothing shall escape them.
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4 They look like horses 
and charge like cavalry.
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4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
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5 They roar over mountains
like noisy chariots,
or a mighty army
ready for battle.
They are a forest fire
that feasts on straw.
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5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
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6 The very sight of them
is frightening. h 2.6 The very ... frightening: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
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6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. blackness: Heb. pot
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7 They climb over walls
like warriors;
they march in columns
and never turn aside.
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7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
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8 They charge straight ahead,
without pushing each other;
even arrows and spears
cannot make them retreat.
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8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. sword: or, dart
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9 They swarm over city walls
and enter our homes;
they crawl in through windows,
just like thieves.
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9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.
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10 They make the earth tremble
and the heavens shake;
the sun and moon turn dark,
and stars stop shining.
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10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
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11 The Lord God leads this army
of countless troops,
and they obey his commands.
The day of his judgment
is so terrible
that no one can stand it.
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11 And the LORD shall utter 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?
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The Lord's Invitation
12 The Lord said:
It isn't too late.
You can still return to me
with all your heart.
Start crying and mourning!
Go without eating.
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12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
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13 Don't rip your clothes
to show your sorrow.
Instead, turn back to me
with broken hearts.
I am merciful, kind, and caring.
I don't easily lose my temper,
and I don't like to punish.
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13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
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14 I am the Lord your God.
Perhaps I will change my mind
and treat you with mercy.
Then you will be blessed
with enough grain and wine
for offering sacrifices to me.
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14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
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15 Sound the trumpet on Zion!
Call the people together.
Show your sorrow
by going without food.
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15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
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16 Make sure that everyone
is fit to worship me. i 2.16 fit to worship me: This required going through certain kinds of ceremonies.
Bring adults, children, babies,
and even bring newlyweds
from their festivities.
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16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
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17 Tell my servants, the priests, 2.17 1Macc 7.36
to cry inside the temple
and to offer this prayer
near the altar: j 2.17 inside ... altar: The Hebrew text has “between the porch and the altar,” which is the place where the priests usually prayed for the people.
“Save your people, Lord God!
Don't let foreign nations
make jokes about us.
Don't let them laugh and ask,
‘Where is your God?’ ”
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17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, 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 heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? rule over: or, use a byword against
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The Lord Will Bless the Land
18 The Lord was deeply concerned
about his land
and had pity on his people.
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18 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
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19 In answer to their prayers
he said,
“I will give you enough grain,
wine, and olive oil
to satisfy your needs.
No longer will I let you
be insulted by the nations.
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19 Yea, the LORD will answer and say 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 heathen:
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20 An army attacked from the north,
but I will chase it
into a scorching desert.
There it will rot and stink
from the Dead Sea
to the Mediterranean.”
The Lord works wonders
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20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things. hath...: Heb. hath magnified to do
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21 and does great things.
So tell the soil to celebrate
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21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. will...: Heb. hath magnified to do
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22 and wild animals
to stop being afraid.
Grasslands are green again;
fruit trees and fig trees
are loaded with fruit.
Grapevines are covered
with grapes.
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22 Be 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.
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23 People of Zion, k 2.23 Zion: Jerusalem.
celebrate in honor
of the Lord your God!
He is generous and has sent
the autumn and spring rains
in the proper seasons. l 2.23 in ... seasons: Or “as he used to do.”
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23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. the former rain moderately: or, a teacher of righteousness moderately: Heb. according to righteousness
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24 Grain will cover
your threshing places;
jars will overflow
with wine and olive oil.
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24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
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The Lord Will Rescue His People
25 I, the Lord your God,
will make up for the losses
caused by those swarms
and swarms of locusts m 2.25 swarms ... locusts: See the note at 1.4.
I sent to attack you.
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25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
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26 My people, you will eat
until you are satisfied.
Then you will praise me
for the wonderful things
I have done.
Never again will you
be put to shame.
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26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
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27 Israel, you will know
that I stand at your side.
I am the Lord your God—
there are no other gods.
Never again will you
be put to shame.
The Lord Will Work Wonders
The Lord said:
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27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
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28 Later, I will give my Spirit
to everyone.
Your sons and daughters
will prophesy.
Your old men
will have dreams,
and your young men
will see visions.
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28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that 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 men shall see visions:
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29 In those days I will even give
my Spirit to my servants,
both men and women.
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29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
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30 I will work wonders
in the sky above
and on the earth below.
There will be blood and fire
and clouds of smoke.
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30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
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31 The sun will turn dark,
and the moon
will be as red as blood
before that great
and terrible day
when I appear.
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31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
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32 Then the Lord will save everyone who faithfully worships him. He has promised there will be survivors on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and among them will be his chosen ones.
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32 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 shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
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© 1999 American Bible Society |
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