²⁵ “I will repay you for the years the locusts^(A) have eaten^(B)—
    the great locust and the young locust,
    the other locusts and the locust swarm^[a]—
my great army^(C) that I sent among you.

Let all who live in the land tremble,
    for the day of the Lord^(D) is coming.
It is close at hand^(E)—
²     a day of darkness^(F) and gloom,^(G)
    a day of clouds^(H) and blackness.^(I)
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
    a large and mighty army^(J) comes,
such as never was in ancient times^(K)
    nor ever will be in ages to come.

³ Before them fire^(L) devours,
    behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,^(M)
    behind them, a desert waste^(N)—
    nothing escapes them.
⁴ They have the appearance of horses;^(O)
    they gallop along like cavalry.
⁵ With a noise like that of chariots^(P)
    they leap over the mountaintops,
like a crackling fire^(Q) consuming stubble,
    like a mighty army drawn up for battle.

⁶ At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;^(R)
    every face turns pale.^(S)
7 They charge like warriors;^(T)
    they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line,^(U)
    not swerving^(V) from their course.
⁸ They do not jostle each other;
    each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defenses
    without breaking ranks.
⁹ They rush upon the city;
    they run along the wall.
They climb into the houses;^(W)
    like thieves they enter through the windows.^(X)

¹⁰ Before them the earth shakes,^(Y)
    the heavens tremble,^(Z)
the sun and moon are darkened,^(AA)
    and the stars no longer shine.^(AB)
11 The Lord^(AC) thunders^(AD)
    at the head of his army;^(AE)
his forces are beyond number,
    and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
The day of the Lord is great;^(AF)
    it is dreadful.
    Who can endure it?^(AG)

⁶ A nation has invaded my land,
    a mighty army without number;^(A)
it has the teeth^(B) of a lion,
    the fangs of a lioness.
⁷ It has laid waste^(C) my vines
    and ruined my fig trees.^(D)
It has stripped off their bark
    and thrown it away,
    leaving their branches white.

³⁴ He spoke,^(A) and the locusts came,^(B)
    grasshoppers^(C) without number;^(D)
35 they ate up every green thing in their land,
    ate up the produce of their soil.

⁴⁶ He gave their crops to the grasshopper,^(A)
    their produce to the locust.^(B)