Joel 2:1-11

The army of locusts

1 Blow the trumpet in Zion.

Tell the people on the Lord's hill that they must watch for trouble.

All the people who live in this country will be afraid.

They will be afraid because the day of the Lord is coming.

It is very near.

2 That day will be sad and dark.

There will be dark clouds.

A great big army is coming.

It comes across the sky like light in the morning.

A great army like this has never come before.

And it will never come again in future years.

3 Fire goes in front of the army.

It burns everything behind them.

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

Behind them it is like a desert.

They leave nothing behind them.

4 They look like horses.

And they run fast to the war.

5 Their noise is like the noise of many feet.

They jump over the mountains

as fast as fire burns dry grass.

They are like a great army ready for a fight.

6 Nations that see them are very afraid.

Every face changes colour.

7 They run together like an army into a fight.

They climb walls like soldiers.

They march on in a straight line.

They do not turn away.

8 They do not push each other away.

Each one of them goes straight on.

You can put weapons in their path

but they go straight on.

9 They run towards the city.

They run along the wall.

They climb into houses.

They go through the windows like robbers.

10 The earth in front of them moves.

The sky itself moves.

The sun and moon are dark

and the stars do not give any light.

11 The Lord shouts aloud

as he leads his army.

We cannot count his soldiers.

Those who obey him are very strong.

The day of the Lord is powerful.

It makes us afraid.

Not many of us will be alive after it has gone.