Study Desk

Blow the horn in Zion;^(a) sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the residents of the land tremble, for the Day of the Lord is coming;^(b) in fact, it is near—

a day of darkness and gloom,^(c) a day of clouds and dense overcast,^(d) like the dawn spreading over the mountains; a great and strong people^(e) appears, such as never existed in ages past^(f) and never will again in all the generations to come.^(g)

A fire destroys^[a] in front of them,^(h) and behind them a flame devours. The land in front of them is like the Garden of Eden,⁽ⁱ⁾ but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland;^(j) there is no escape from them.

Their appearance is like that of horses,^(k) and they gallop like war horses.

They bound on the tops of the mountains. Their sound is like the sound of chariots,^(l) like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble,^(m) like a mighty army deployed for war.

Nations writhe in horror before them;⁽ⁿ⁾ all faces turn pale.

They attack as warriors attack; they scale walls as men of war do. Each goes on his own path,^(o) and they do not change their course.

They do not push each other; each man proceeds on his own path. They dodge the arrows, never stopping.

They storm the city; they run on the wall; they climb into the houses;^(p) they enter through the windows like thieves.^(q)

The earth quakes before them;^(r) the sky shakes. The sun and moon grow dark,^(s) and the stars cease their shining.^(t)

The Lord raises His voice^(u) in the presence of His army.^(v) His camp is very large; Those who carry out His command are powerful.^(w) Indeed, the Day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful^(x)— who can endure it?^(y)