Bilingual reading

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 the LORD comes, for it is close at hand:

A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn spreading on the mountains, a great and strong people; there has never been the like, neither will there be any more after them, even to the years of many generations.

A fire devours before them, and behind them, a flame burns. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them, a desolate wilderness. Yes, and no one has escaped them.

Their appearance is as the appearance of horses, and they run as horsemen.

Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains, they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, like a strong people set in battle array.

At their presence the peoples are in anguish. All faces have grown pale.

They run like mighty men. They climb the wall like warriors. They each march in his line, and they don’t swerve off course.

One doesn’t jostle another. They each march in their own path. They burst through the defenses and don’t break ranks.

They rush on the city. They run on the wall. They climb up into the houses. They enter in at the windows like thieves.

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

The LORD thunders his voice before his army, for his forces are very great; for he is strong who obeys his command; for the day of the LORD is great and very awesome, and who can endure it?

“Yet even now,” says the LORD, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”

Tear your heart and not your garments, and turn to the LORD, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.

Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to the LORD, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly.

Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who nurse from breasts. Let the bridegroom go out of his room, and the bride out of her chamber.

Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “Spare your people, LORD, and don’t give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Then the LORD was jealous for his land, and had pity on his people.

The LORD answered his people, “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

But I will remove the northern army far away from you, and will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea; and its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things.

Land, don’t be afraid. Be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things.

Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness spring up, for the tree bears its fruit. The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.

“Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD, your God; for he gives you the early rain in just measure, and he causes the rain to come down for you, the early rain and the latter rain, as before.

The threshing floors will be full of wheat, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar, my great army, which I sent among you.

You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied, and will praise the name of the LORD, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people will never again be disappointed.

You will know that I am among Israel, and that I am the LORD, your God, and there is no one else; and my people will never again be disappointed.

“It will happen afterward, 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.

And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days, I will pour out my Spirit.

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

The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.

It will happen that whoever will call on the LORD’s name shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the remnant, those whom the LORD calls.

أُنفُخوا في البوقِ في صِهْيون وٱهتِفوا في جَبَلِ قُدْسي ولْيَرْتَعِدْ جَميعُ سُكَّانِ الأَرض فإِنَّ يَومَ الرَّبِّ آتٍ وهو قَريب

يَومَ ظُلمَةٍ ودَيجور يَومَ غُيومٍ وغَمامٍ مُظلِم. كما يَنتَشِرُ الفَجرُ على الجِبال شَعبٌ كَثيرٌ مُقتَدِر لم يَكُنْ لَه شَبيهٌ مُنذُ الأَزَل ولَن يَكونَ لَه مِن بَعدُ إِلى سِني جيلٍ وجيل

قُدَّامَه النَّارُ تَأكُل وخَلفَه اللَّهيبُ يُحرِق قُدَّامَه الأَرضُ كَجنَّةِ عَدنٍ وخَلفَه قَفرُ خَراب ولا يَنْجو مِنه شَيء

كمَنظَرِ الخَيلِ مَنظَرُه ومِثلَ الفُرسانِ يُسرِعون

كَصوتِ المَركَبات على رُؤُوسِ الجِبالِ يَقفِزون كَصوتِ لَهيبِ النَّارِ الآكِلَة القَشّ وكشَعْبٍ مُقتَدِرٍ مُصطَفٍّ لِلقِتال

مِن وَجهِه يَرتَعِدُ الشُّعوب وجَميعُ الوُجوهِ قد شَحُبَت

كالأَبْطالِ يُسرِعون وكرِجالِ الحَربِ يَتَسَلَّقونَ السُّور وكُلٌّ مِنهم يَسيرُ في طَريقِه ولا يَحيدُ عن سُبُلِه

ولا يُزاحِمُ أَحَدٌ أَخاه بل يَسيرونَ كُلُّ واحِدٍ في طَريقِه ومِن خِلالِ السِّهامِ يَهجُمون ولا يَتَبَدَّدون

يَثِبونَ إِلى المَدينَة ويُسرِعونَ إِلى السُّور ويَصعَدونَ إِلى البُيوت ويَدخُلونَ مِنَ النَّوافِذِ كالسَّارِق

مِن وَجهِه ٱرتَعَدَتِ الأَرض ورَجَفَتِ السَّمٰوات وأَظلَمَتِ الشَّمسُ والقَمَر وسَحَبَتِ الكَواكِبُ ضِياءَها

وجَهَرَ الرَّبُّ بِصَوتِه أَمامَ جَيشِه لِأَنَّ عَسكَرَه كَثيرٌ جِدًّا مُقتَدِرٌ يُنَفِّذُ كَلِمَتَه لِأَنَّه عَظيمٌ يَومُ الرَّبِّ وهائِلٌ جِدًّا فمَنِ الَّذي يُطيقُه؟

فالآنَ، يَقولُ الرَّبّ: «إِرجِعوا إِلَيَّ بِكُلِّ قُلوبِكم وبِالصَّومِ والبُكاءِ والٱنتِحاب»

مَزِّقوا قُلوبَكم لا ثِيابَكم وٱرجِعوا إِلى الرَّبِّ إِلٰهكم فإِنَّه حَنونٌ رَحيم طَويلُ الأَناةِ كَثيرُ الرَّحمَة ونادِمٌ على الشَّرّ

لَعَلَّه يَرجِعُ ويَندَم ويُبْقي وَراءَه بَرَكَةً وتَقدِمَةً وسَكيبًا لِلرَّبِّ إِلٰهِكم

أُنفُخوا في البوقِ في صِهْيون وأَوصوا بِصَومٍ مُقَدَّس ونادوا بِٱحتِفال

إِجمَعوا الشَّعبَ وقَدِّسوا الجَماعَة وٱجمَعوا الشُّيوخ وٱجمَعوا الأَطفالَ وراضِعي الأَثْداء ولْيَخرُجِ العَريسُ مِن مُخدَعِه والعَروسُ مِن خِدرِها

بَينَ الرِّواقِ والمَذبَح لِيَبْكِ الكَهَنَةُ خُدَّامُ الرَّبّ ولْيَقولوا: «أَشفِقْ يا رَبُّ على شَعبِكَ ولا تَجْعَلْ ميراثَكَ عارًا فتَسخَرُ مِنهُمُ الأُمَم لِماذا يُقالُ في الشُّعوبِ: أَينَ إِلٰهُهم»

لقَد غارَ الرَّبُّ على أَرضِه وأَشفَقَ على شَعْبِه

وأَجابَ الرَّبُّ وقالَ لِشَعْبِه: «هاءَنَذا مُرسِلٌ إِلَيكُم القَمحَ والنَّبيذَ والزَّيتَ فتَشبَعون مِنها ولا أَجعَلُكم بَعدَ اليَومِ عارًا في الأُمَم

بل أُبعِدُ الشَّمالِيَّ عنكم وأَدحَرُه إِلى أَرضٍ قاحِلَةٍ مُقفِرَة ومُقَدَّمَتُه إِلى بَحرِ الشَّرْق ومُؤَخَّرتُه إِلى بَحرِ الغَرْب فيَصعَدُ نَتنُه ورائِحَتُه الخَبيثَة (لِأَنَّه قد تَعاظَمَ في عَمَلِه)

لا تَخافي أَيَّتُها الأَرض بلِ ٱفرَحي وٱبتَهِجي فإِنَّ الرَّبَّ قد تَعاظَمَ في عَمَلِه

لا تَخافي يا بَهائِمَ الحُقول فإِنَّ مَراعِيَ البَرِّيَّةِ قدِ ٱخضَرَّت والشَّجَرَ حَمَلَ ثَمَرَه والتِّينَةَ والكَرمَةَ أَعطَيَتا ثَروَتهما

يا بَني صِهيونَ ٱفرَحوا وٱبتَهِجوا بِالرَّبِّ إِلٰهِكم لِأَنَّه أَعْطاكم مَطَرَ الخَريفِ لِأَجْلِ البِرّ وأَنزَلَ لَكمُ المَطَر مَطَرَ الخَريفِ ومَطَرَ الرَّبيع كما في الشَّهرِ الأَوَّل

فستَمتَلِئُ البَيادِرُ قَمْحًا وتَفيضُ المَعاصِرُ نَبيذًا وزَيتًا

وأُعَوِّضُكمُ السِّنينَ الَّتي ٱلتَهَمَها الجَراد واللَّاحِسُ والقاضِمُ والقارِض جَيشِيَ العَظيمُ الَّذي أَرسَلتُه علَيكم

فتَأكُلونَ أَكلًا وتَشبَعون وتُسَبِّحونَ ٱسمَ الرَّبِّ إِلٰهِكم الَّذي صَنَعَ العَجائِبَ لَكم (ولا يَخْزى شَعْبي لِلأَبَد)

فتَعلَمونَ أَنِّي في وَسْطِ إِسْرائيل وأَنِّي أَنا الرَّبُّ إِلٰهُكم ولَيسَ هُناكَ غَيري ولا يَخْزى شَعْبي لِلأَبَد