¹ Blow ye the trumpet in Sion, sound an alarm in my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: because the day of the Lord cometh, because it is nigh at hand,

² A day of darkness, and of gloominess, a day of clouds and whirlwinds: a numerous and strong people as the morning spread upon the mountains: the like to it hath not been from the beginning, nor shall be after it even to the years of generation and generation.

³ Before the face thereof a devouring fire, and behind it a burning flame: the land is like a garden of pleasure Before it, and behind it a desolate wilderness, neither is there any one that can escape it.

⁴ The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses, and they shall run like horsemen.

⁵ They shall leap like the noise of chariots upon the tops of mountains, like the noise of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, as a strong people prepared to battle.

⁶ At their presence the people shall be in grievous pains: all faces shall be made like a kettle.

⁷ They shall run like valiant men: like men of war they shall scale the wall: the men shall march every one on his way, and they shall not turn aside from their ranks.

⁸ No one shall press upon his brother: they shall walk every one in his path: yea, and they shall fall through the windows, and shall take no harm.

⁹ They shall enter into the city: they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up the houses, they shall come in at the windows as a thief.

¹⁰ At their presence the earth hath trembled, the heavens are moved: the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their shining.

¹¹ And the Lord hath uttered his voice before the face of his army: for his armies are exceeding great, for they are strong and execute his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible: and who can stand it?

¹² Now therefore saith the Lord: Be converted to me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning.

¹³ And rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to repent of the evil.

¹⁴ Who knoweth but he will return, and forgive, and leave a blessing behind him, sacrifice and libation to the Lord your God?

¹⁵ Blow the trumpet in Sion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly,

¹⁶ Gather together the people, sanctify the church, assemble the ancients, Gather together the little ones, and them that suck at the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth from his bed, and the bride out of her bride chamber.

¹⁷ Between the porch and the altar the priests the Lord's ministers shall weep, and shall say: Spare, O Lord, spare thy people: and give not thy inheritance to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them. Why should they say among the nations: Where is their God?

¹⁸ The Lord hath been zealous for his land, and hath spared his people.

¹⁹ And the Lord answered and said to his people: Behold I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and you shall be filled with them: and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

²⁰ And I will remove far off from you the northern enemy: and I will drive him into a land unpassable, and desert, with his face towards the east sea, and his hinder part towards the utmost sea: and his stench shall ascend, and his rottenness shall go up, because he hath done proudly.

²¹ Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice: for the Lord hath done great things.

²² Fear not, ye beasts of the fields: for the beautiful places of the wilderness are sprung, for the tree hath brought forth its fruit, the fig tree, and the vine have yielded their strength.

²³ And you, O children of Sion, rejoice, and be joyful in the Lord your God: because he hath given you a teacher of justice, and he will make the early and the latter rain to come down to you as in the beginning.

²⁴ And the floors shall be filled with wheat, and the presses shall overflow with wine and oil.

²⁵ And I will restore to you the ears which the locust, and the bruchus, and the mildew, and the palmerworm have eaten; my great host which I sent upon you.

²⁶ And you shall eat in plenty, and shall be filled: and you shall praise the name of the Lord your God, who hath done wonders with you, and my people shall not be confounded for ever.

²⁷ And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: and I am the Lord your God, and there is none besides: and my people shall not be confounded for ever.

²⁸ And it shall come to pass after this, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

²⁹ Moreover upon my servants and handmaids in those days I will pour forth my spirit.

³⁰ And I will shew wonders in heaven; and in earth, blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke.

³¹ The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood: before the great and dreadful day of the Lord doth come.

³² And it shall come to pass, that every one that shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved: for in mount Sion, and in Jerusalem shall be salvation, as the Lord hath said, and in the residue whom the Lord shall call.

¹ The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "See now, the place where we dwell before you is too small for us.

² Please let us go to the Jordan, and every man take a beam from there, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell." He answered, "go!"

³ One said, "Please be pleased to go with your servants." He answered, "I will go."

⁴ So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.

⁵ But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water. Then he cried, and said, "Alas, my master! For it was borrowed."

⁶ The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" He showed him the place. He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float.

⁷ He said, "Take it." So he put out his hand and took it.

⁸ Now the king of Syria was warring against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, "My camp will be in such and such a place."

⁹ The man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, "Beware that you not pass such a place; for the Syrians are coming down there."

¹⁰ The king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once nor twice.

¹¹ The heart of the king of Syria was very troubled about this. He called his servants, and said to them, "Won't you show me which of us is for the king of Israel?"

¹² One of his servants said, "No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom."

¹³ He said, "Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him." It was told him, saying, "Behold, he is in Dothan."

¹⁴ Therefore he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night, and surrounded the city.

¹⁵ When the servant of the man of God had risen early, and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. His servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"

¹⁶ He answered, "Don't be afraid; for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

¹⁷ Elisha prayed, and said, "Yahweh, please open his eyes, that he may see." Yahweh opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.

¹⁸ When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, "Please strike this people with blindness." He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

¹⁹ Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." He led them to Samaria.

²⁰ It happened, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, "Yahweh, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." Yahweh opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

²¹ The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, "My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?"

²² He answered, "You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master."

²³ He prepared great feast for them. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. The bands of Syria stopped raiding the land of Israel.

²⁴ It happened after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.

²⁵ There was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.

²⁶ As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, "Help, my lord, O king!"

²⁷ He said, "If Yahweh doesn't help you, from where could I help you? From of the threshing floor, or from the winepress?"

²⁸ The king said to her, "What ails you?" She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.'

²⁹ So we boiled my son, and ate him: and I said to her on the next day, 'Give your son, that we may eat him;' and she has hidden her son."

³⁰ It happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes (now he was passing by on the wall); and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth underneath on his flesh.

³¹ Then he said, "God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stay on him this day."

³² But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Then the king sent a man from before him; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, "Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Behold, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Isn't the sound of his master's feet behind him?"

³³ While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, "Behold, this evil is from Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?"