Joel 2:1-14 (HCSB)
​¹ Blow the horn in Zion;
sound the alarm on My holy mountain!
Let all the residents of the land tremble,
for the Day of the LORD is coming;
in fact, it is near —
² a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and dense overcast,
like the dawn spreading over the mountains;
a great and strong people appears,
such as never existed in ages past
and never will again
in all the generations to come.
³ A fire destroys in front of them,
and behind them a flame devours.
The land in front of them
is like the Garden of Eden,
but behind them,
it is like a desert wasteland;
there is no escape from them.
⁴ Their appearance is like that of horses,
and they gallop like war horses.
⁵ They bound on the tops of the mountains.
Their sound is like the sound of chariots,
like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble,
like a mighty army deployed for war.
⁶ Nations writhe in horror before them;
all faces turn pale.
⁷ They attack as warriors attack;
they scale walls as men of war do.
Each goes on his own path,
and they do not change their course.
⁸ They do not push each other;
each man proceeds on his own path.
They dodge the arrows, never stopping.
⁹ They storm the city;
they run on the wall;
they climb into the houses;
they enter through the windows like thieves.
¹⁰ The earth quakes before them;
the sky shakes.
The sun and moon grow dark,
and the stars cease their shining.
¹¹ The LORD raises His voice
in the presence of His army.
His camp is very large;
Those who carry out His command are powerful.
Indeed, the Day of the LORD is terrible and dreadful —
who can endure it?
¹² Even now —
this is the LORD’S declaration —
turn to Me with all your heart,
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
¹³ Tear your hearts,
not just your clothes,
and return to the LORD your God.
For He is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger, rich in faithful love,
and He relents from sending disaster.
¹⁴ Who knows? He may turn and relent
and leave a blessing behind Him,
so you can offer grain and wine
to the LORD your God.