14  The great day of the Lord is near,

near and hastening fast;

the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;

the mighty man cries aloud there.

15  A day of wrath is that day,

a day of distress and anguish,

a day of ruin and devastation,

^pa day of darkness and gloom,

^qa day of clouds and thick darkness,

16  a day of trumpet blast and battle cry

against the fortified cities

and against the lofty battlements.

17  ^rI will bring distress on mankind,

so that they shall walk ^slike the blind,

because they have sinned against the Lord;

their blood shall be poured out like dust,

and their flesh like dung.

18  Neither their silver nor their gold

shall be able to deliver them

^ton the day of the wrath of the Lord.

^uIn the fire of his jealousy,

all the earth shall be consumed;

for a full and sudden end

he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

8  “Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord,

“for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.

For my decision is to gather nations,

to assemble kingdoms,

to ^qpour out upon them my indignation,

all my burning anger;

for ^rin the fire of my jealousy

all the earth shall be consumed.

9  “For at that time ^sI will change the speech of the peoples

to a pure speech,

that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord

and serve him with one accord.

10  From beyond the rivers of ^tCush

my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones,

shall bring my offering.