The Army of Locusts
(Amos 7:1–9)

1Blow the shofar in Zion,

and give a shout on the mountain of My holiness!

Let all those dwelling in the land tremble,

for the day of YHWH is coming;

indeed, it is near—

2a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and thick darkness,

like dawn spreading over the mountains,

a people great and strong,

the like has not been from of old,

and after them will not be again, even to years of generation and generation.

3Before its face a fire devours,

and behind them burns a flame;

like the garden of Eden is the land before its face,

and behind it a wilderness of desolation—

and surely nothing shall escape from them.

4Like the appearance of horses is its appearance,

and like steeds† so they run.

5As with the sound of chariots

over the tops of mountains, they leap;

like the sound of a flaming fire devouring the stubble,

like a strong people arrayed for battle.

6Before its face the peoples writhe;

all faces gather paleness.

7Like mighty men they run,

like men of war they climb the wall,

and a man in his ways marches,

and they do not swerve from their paths.

8A man and his brother do not jostle,

each man marches in his path;

between the weapon they lunge;

they are not cut down.

9Into the city they rush,

on the wall they run;

into the houses they come up,

and at the windows they come in like a thief.

10Before their faces quakes the earth;

the heavens quake;

the sun and moon grow dark,

and the stars withdraw their brightness.

11And YHWH gives forth His voice

before the face of His army,

for exceedingly large is His camp,

for strong is the One doing His word,

for great is the day of YHWH and very fearsome—

and who can endure it?

Return with All Your Heart

12“Even now,”

a declaration of YHWH,

“May you turn to Me with all your⁺ heart,

and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”

13And rend your⁺ heart and not your⁺ garments.

May you return to YHWH your⁺ God,

for He is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger, and great in loving devotion,†

and relenting from harm.

14Who knows if He will turn and relent,

and will leave behind Him a blessing—

a grain offering and a drink offering

for YHWH your⁺ God?

15Blow the shofar in Zion.

Consecrate a fast;

call a solemn assembly.

16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation,

assemble the elders, gather the infants

and those suckling the breasts;

let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,

and the bride from her chamber.

17Between the porch and the altar,

let the priests weep, those ministering to YHWH,

and let them say, “Have pity, O YHWH, on Your people,

and do not give Your heritage to reproach

for the ruling over them by the nations.

Why should they say among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?’”

Restoration Promised

18And YHWH will be jealous for His land,

and He will have pity on His people.

19And YHWH will answer and say to His people,

“Behold, I am sending to you⁺

the grain and the new wine and the oil,

and you⁺ will be satisfied with them,

and I will give you⁺ no longer

to reproach among the nations.

20And the northern I will put far away from you⁺,

and I will drive him away into a land of dryness and desolation,

with his face toward the Eastern Sea,†

and his back toward the western sea;†

and his stench will come up,

and his smell will rise up,

for He has been great in doing.

21You should not fear, O land;

be glad and rejoice,

for YHWH has been great in doing.

22You⁺ shall not be afraid, O beasts of the field;

for the pastures of the wilderness have sprouted,

for the tree has borne its fruit,

the fig tree and the vine give forth their strength.†

23And you sons of Zion,

rejoice and be glad in YHWH your⁺ God,

for He gives to you⁺ the early rain

for vindication,

and He brings down for you⁺ the rain—

the early rain and the latter rain as at first.

24Will be full and the threshing floors of wheat,

and the wine vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

25And I will restore to you⁺ the years that he has eaten—

the swarming locust, the young locust,

and the destroying locust, and the devouring locust†—

My great army that I have sent among you⁺.

26You⁺ will have eat your⁺ fill

and be satisfied,

and you⁺ will praise the name of YHWH your⁺ God,

who has worked over you⁺ to do wonders,

and My people will not be put to shame

forever.

27And you⁺ will know that I am in the midst of Israel,

and that I am YHWH your⁺ God,

and there is no other;

and My people will not be put to shame

forever.

I Will Pour Out My Spirit
(Acts 2:14–36)

28And it will come to pass after this, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh,

and your⁺ sons and your⁺ daughters will prophesy;

your⁺ old men will dream dreams,

your⁺ young men will see visions.

29And even on the menservants and on the maidservants,

I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

30And I will give wonders in the heavens and on the earth—

blood and fire and columns† of smoke.

31The sun will be turned to darkness,

and the moon to blood,

before the coming of of the great and awesome† day of YHWH.

32And it will come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of YHWH

will be saved.†

For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem

there will be escape—according to that which YHWH has said—

and among those remaining whom YHWH is calling.

Footnotes:

4 Or like charioteers or like cavalry
13 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion; the range of meaning includes love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and mercy, as well as loyalty to a covenant.
20 That is, the Dead Sea
20 That is, the Mediterranean Sea, also called the Great Sea
22 Or their best
25 The precise identification of the four kinds of insects mentioned here is uncertain.
30 LXX clouds or billows
31 Or dreadful; LXX glorious
32 Cited in Acts 2:17–21 and Romans 10:13