Joel 2:1-11

God warns the people about an army of locusts

1 Make a loud noise with a trumpet in Zion!

Do this on my holy hill to warn people of danger.

All the people who live in this country should shake with fear.

They should be afraid

because the day of the Lord will soon come.

Yes, it is very near!

2 It will be completely dark on that day.

Black clouds will cover the whole earth.

A great army is coming.

Like darkness it covers the mountains.

No army has ever been as powerful as this one is.

There will never be an army like it in the future.

3 As they move, they destroy everything in front of them.

It is like a fire all around them.

The land in front of them is like the Garden of Eden.

But behind them, it becomes like an empty desert.

Nothing can escape from them.

4 They look like horses.

They are like horses that are running to a battle.

5 They make a noise like chariots

as they jump over the tops of the mountains.

They make the sound of a fire

as it burns dry grass.

They are like a great army

that is preparing for a battle.

6  Nations are very afraid when they see this army.

Everyone's face becomes white with fear.

7 The great army runs forward to attack.

Like soldiers, they climb over the walls of cities.

They march forward in their proper places.

They do not change their direction.

8 They do not push against each other.

Each one of them goes straight forward.

No weapons are able to stop them

as they move forward together.

9 They quickly attack a city

and they run over its walls.

They climb into the houses.

as they go through the windows like robbers.

10 The earth shakes as they move forward.

Even the sky itself shakes.

The sun and moon become dark.

The stars no longer give any light.

11 The Lord's voice shouts like thunder

as he leads his army.

His soldiers are too many to count.

They obey all his commands.

The day of the Lord is great and terrible!

It seems that nobody will remain alive.