193 lines
4.8 KiB
Markdown
193 lines
4.8 KiB
Markdown
# Chapter 2
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1. Blow the ram's horn in Zion;
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sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
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Let all the residents of the land tremble,
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for the day of the Lord is coming;
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in fact, it is near--
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2. a day of darkness and gloom,
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a day of clouds and total darkness,
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like the dawn spreading over the mountains;
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a great and strong people appears,
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such as never existed in ages past
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and never will again
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in all the generations to come.
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3. A fire devours in front of them,
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and behind them a flame blazes.
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The land in front of them
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is like the garden of Eden,
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but behind them,
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it is like a desert wasteland;
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there is no escape from them.
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4. Their appearance is like that of horses,
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and they gallop like war horses.
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5. They bound on the tops of the mountains.
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Their sound is like the sound of chariots,
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like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble,
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like a mighty army deployed for war.
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6. Nations writhe in horror before them;
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all faces turn pale.
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7. They attack as warriors attack;
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they scale walls as men of war do.
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Each goes on his own path,
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and they do not change their course.
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8. They do not push each other;
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each proceeds on his own path.
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They dodge the arrows, never stopping.
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9. They storm the city;
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they run on the wall;
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they climb into the houses;
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they enter through the windows like thieves.
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10. The earth quakes before them;
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the sky shakes.
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The sun and moon grow dark,
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and the stars cease their shining.
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11. The Lord makes his voice heard
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in the presence of his army.
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His camp is very large;
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those who carry out his command are powerful.
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Indeed, the day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful--
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who can endure it?
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God's Call for Repentance
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12. Even now--
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this is the Lord's declaration--
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turn to me with all your heart,
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with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
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13. Tear your hearts,
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not just your clothes,
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and return
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to the Lord your God.
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For he is gracious and compassionate,
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slow to anger, abounding in faithful love,
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and he relents from sending disaster.
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14. Who knows? He may turn and relent
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and leave a blessing behind him,
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so you can offer a grain offering and a drink offering
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to the Lord your God.
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15. Blow the ram's horn in Zion!
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Announce a sacred fast;
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proclaim a solemn assembly.
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16. Gather the people;
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sanctify the congregation;
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assemble the aged;
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gather the infants,
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even babies nursing at the breast.
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Let the groom leave his bedroom,
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and the bride her honeymoon chamber.
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17. Let the priests, the Lord's ministers,
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weep between the portico and the altar.
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Let them say,
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"Have pity on your people, Lord,
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and do not make your inheritance a disgrace,
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an object of scorn among the nations.
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Why should it be said among the peoples,
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'Where is their God?'"
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God's Response to His People
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18. Then the Lord became jealous for his land and spared his people.
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19. The Lord answered his people:
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Look, I am about to send you
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grain, new wine, and fresh oil.
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You will be satiated with them,
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and I will no longer make you
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a disgrace among the nations.
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20. I will drive the northerner far from you
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and banish him to a dry and desolate land,
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his front ranks into the Dead Sea,
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and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea.
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His stench will rise;
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yes, his rotten smell will rise,
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for he has done astonishing things.
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21. Don't be afraid, land;
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rejoice and be glad,
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for the Lord has done astonishing things.
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22. Don't be afraid, wild animals,
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for the wilderness pastures have turned green,
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the trees bear their fruit,
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and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
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23. Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad
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in the Lord your God,
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because he gives you the autumn rain
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for your vindication.
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He sends showers for you,
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both autumn and spring rain as before.
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24. The threshing floors will be full of grain,
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and the vats will overflow
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with new wine and fresh oil.
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25. I will repay you for the years
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that the swarming locust ate,
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the young locust, the destroying locust,
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and the devouring locust--
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my great army that I sent against you.
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26. You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied.
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You will praise the name of the Lord your God,
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who has dealt wondrously with you.
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My people will never again be put to shame.
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27. You will know that I am present in Israel
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and
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that I am the Lord your God,
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and there is no other.
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My people will never again be put to shame.
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God's Promise of His Spirit
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28. After this
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I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity;
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then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
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your old men will have dreams,
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and your young men will see visions.
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29. I will even pour out my Spirit
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on the male and female slaves in those days.
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30. I will display wonders
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in the heavens and on the earth:
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blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
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31. The sun will be turned to darkness
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and the moon to blood
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before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
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32. Then everyone who calls
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on the name of the Lord
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will be saved,
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for there will be an escape
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for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
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as the Lord promised,
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among the survivors the Lord calls.
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