Chapter 2

  Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of Jehovah cometh, for it is at hand;  

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  a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and gross darkness, as the dawn spread upon the mountains; -- a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after them, to the years of generations and generations.  

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  A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame burneth; the land is as a garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness: yea, and nothing escapeth them.  

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  The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so they run.  

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  Like the noise of chariots, on the tops of the mountains, 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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  Before them the peoples are in anguish: all faces turn pale.  

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  They run like mighty men; they climb the wall like men of war; and they march every one on his ways, and break not their ranks.  

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  Neither doth one press upon another; they march every one in his path; and fall amid weapons, but are not wounded.  

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  They spread themselves over the city; they run upon the wall; they climb up into the houses; they enter in by the windows like a thief.  

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  The earth quaketh before them; the heavens tremble; the sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.  

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  And Jehovah uttereth his voice before his army; for his camp is very great; for strong is he that executeth his word: for the day of Jehovah is great and very terrible; and who can bear it?  

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  Yet even now, saith Jehovah, turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning;  

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  and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving-kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.  

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  Who knoweth? He might return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, an oblation and a drink-offering for Jehovah your God?  

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  Blow the trumpet in Zion, hallow a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly;  

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  gather the people, hallow the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride from her closet.  

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  Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare, O Jehovah, thy people, and give not thine inheritance to reproach, that they should be a byword of the nations. Wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?  

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  Then Jehovah will be jealous for his land, and will have pity on his people.  

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  And Jehovah will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I send you corn, and new wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.  

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  And I will remove far off from you him [that cometh] from the north, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, his face toward the eastern sea, and his rear toward the hinder sea; and his stench shall come up, and his ill odour shall come up, for he hath exalted himself to do great things.  

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  -- Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for Jehovah doeth great things.  

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  Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring; for the tree beareth its fruit; the fig-tree and the vine yield full increase.  

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  And ye, children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he giveth you the early rain in due measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the early rain, and the latter rain at the beginning [of the season].  

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  And the floors shall be full of corn, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.  

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  And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you.  

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  And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of Jehovah your God, who hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.  

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  And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, Jehovah, [am] your God, and there is none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.  

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  And it shall come to pass afterwards [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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  Yea, even upon the bondmen and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit.  

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  And I will shew wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.  

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  The sun shall be changed to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come.  

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  And it shall be that whosoever shall call upon the name of Jehovah shall be saved: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as Jehovah hath said, and for the residue whom Jehovah shall call.  

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