<p class="poetry">Rush forth with<n id="1" /> the sickle, for the harvest is ripe!p> <p class="poetry">Come, stomp the grapes,<n id="2" /> for the winepress is full!p> <p class="poetry">The vats overflow.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, their evil is great!<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Blow the trumpet<n id="1" /> in Zion;p> <p class="poetry">sound the alarm signal on my holy mountain!p> <p class="poetry">Let all the inhabitants of the land shake with fear,p> <p class="poetry">for the day of the <sc>Lordsc> is about to come.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed,<n id="2" /> it is near!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Do not fear, wild animals!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For the pastures of the wilderness are again green with grass.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, the trees bear their fruit;p> <p class="poetry">the fig tree and the vine yield to their fullest.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">The voice of the <sc>Lordsc> thunders<n id="1" /> as he leads his army.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, his warriors<n id="3" /> are innumerable;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Surely his command is carried out!<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Yes, the day of the <sc>Lordsc> is awesome<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">and very terrifying &#8211; who can survive<n id="7" /> it?p>

<p class="poetry">Wake up, you drunkards,<n id="1" /> and weep!p> <p class="poetry">Wail, all you wine drinkers,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because the sweet wine<n id="3" /> has been taken away<n id="4" /> from you.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">The crops of the fields<n id="1" /> have been destroyed.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">The ground is in mourning because the grain has perished.p> <p class="poetry">The fresh wine has dried up;p> <p class="poetry">the olive oil languishes.p>

<p class="poetry">Be distressed,<n id="1" /> farmers;p> <p class="poetry">wail, vinedressers, over the wheat and the barley.p> <p class="poetry">For the harvest of the field has perished.p>

<p class="poetry">How awful that day will be!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For the day of the <sc>Lordsc> is near;p> <p class="poetry">it will come as destruction from the Divine Destroyer.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">The grains of seed<n id="1" /> have shriveled beneath their shovels.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Storehouses have been decimatedp> <p class="poetry">and granaries have been torn down, for the grain has dried up.p>

<p class="poetry">Do not fear, my land!p> <p class="poetry">Rejoice and be glad,p> <p class="poetry">because the <sc>Lordsc> has accomplished great things!p>

<t /><p class="poetry"><v id="(4:1)" /><n id="1" /> For look! In those<n id="2" /> days and at that timep> <p class="poetry">I will return the exiles<n id="3" /> to Judah and Jerusalem.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Crowds, great crowds are in the valley of decision,p> <p class="poetry">for the day of the <sc>Lordsc> is near in the valley of decision!<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">For a nation<n id="1" /> has invaded<n id="2" /> our<n id="3" /> land.p> <p class="poetry">There are so many of them they are too numerous to count.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Their teeth are like those<n id="5" /> of a lion;p> <p class="poetry">they tear apart their prey like a lioness.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">The vine has dried up;p> <p class="poetry">the fig tree languishes &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">the pomegranate, date, and apple<n id="1" /> as well.p> <p class="poetry">In fact,<n id="2" /> all the trees of the field have dried up.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, the joy of the people<n id="3" /> has dried up!p>

<p class="poetry">Get dressed<n id="1" /> and lament, you priests!p> <p class="poetry">Wail, you who minister at the altar!p> <p class="poetry">Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you servants of my God,p> <p class="poetry">because no one brings grain offerings or drink offeringsp> <p class="poetry">to the temple of your God anymore.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Listen to the cattle groan!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The herds of livestock wander around in confusion<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because they have no pasture.p> <p class="poetry">Even the flocks of sheep are suffering.p>

<p class="poetry">To you, O <sc>Lordsc>, I call out for help,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for fire<n id="2" /> has burned up<n id="3" /> the grassy pastures,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">flames have razed<n id="5" /> all the trees in the fields.p>

<p class="poetry">Even the wild animals<n id="1" /> cry out to you;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">for the river beds<n id="3" /> have dried up;p> <p class="poetry">fire has destroyed<n id="4" /> the grassy pastures.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">Citizens of Zion,<n id="1" /> rejoice!p> <p class="poetry">Be glad because of what the <sc>Lordsc> your God has done!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For he has given to you the early rains<n id="3" /> as vindication.p> <p class="poetry">He has sent<n id="4" /> to you the rains &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">both the early and the late rains<n id="5" /> as formerly.p>

<p class="poetry">You will be convinced that I am in the midst of Israel.p> <p class="poetry">I am the <sc>Lordsc> your God; there is no other.p> <p class="poetry">My people will never again be put to shame.p>