1. Blow ye the shofar in Tziyon, and sound an alarm on My Har Kodesh; let all the yoshvei ha'aretz tremble; for the Yom Hashem cometh, for it is near at hand;
2. A day of choshech and of gloominess, a day of anan (cloud) and of thick darkness, as the shachar (dawn) spread upon the mountains; an am rav (great people, army) and strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of dor v'dor.
3. An eish devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth; ha'aretz is as the Gan Eden before them, and behind them a desolate midbar; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
4. The appearance of them is as the appearance of susim; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
5. Like the noise of merkavot (chariots) on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of eish that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people drawn up in milchamah (battle).
6. Before their face, the amim (nations) shall be in anguish; every face turns pale.
7. They shall run like gibborim; they shall climb the chomah (wall) like anshei milchamah; and they shall march every one in formation, and they shall not swerve from their course;
8. Neither shall one push another; they shall walk every one in his own column; and when they burst through defenses, they shall not break ranks.
9. They shall run to and fro in the ir (city); they shall run upon the chomah, they shall climb up into the batim (houses); they shall enter in at the windows like the ganav.
10. The eretz shall quake before them; the Shomayim shall tremble; the shemesh and the yarei'ach shall be dark, and the kokhavim shall withdraw their shining;
11. And Hashem shall utter His voice before His army; His machaneh (camp) is very great; for the executor of His devar (word, command) is strong; for the Yom Hashem is gadol and very terrible; and who can endure it?
12. Therefore also now, saith Hashem, turn ye back to Me with all your lev, and with tzom, and with weeping, and with mourning;