⁴ The sound ^(A)of a tumult is on the mountains
    as of a great multitude!
The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,
    of nations gathering together!
^(B)The Lord of hosts is mustering
    a host for battle.
^5 (C)They come from a distant land,
    from the end of the heavens,
the Lord and the weapons of his indignation,
    to destroy the whole land.^[a]

^6 (D)Wail, for ^(E)the day of the Lord is near;
    as destruction from the Almighty^[b] it will come!
⁷ Therefore all hands will be feeble,
    and every human heart ^(F)will melt.
⁸ They will be dismayed:
    ^(G)pangs and agony will seize them;
    ^(H)they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.
They will look aghast at one another;
    their faces will be aflame.

⁹ Behold, ^(I)the day of the Lord comes,
    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,
to make the land a desolation
    and ^(J)to destroy its sinners from it.
^10 (K)For the stars of the heavens and their constellations
    will not give their light;
^(L)the sun will be dark at its rising,
    and the moon will not shed its light.
¹¹ I will punish ^(M)the world for its evil,
    and the wicked for their iniquity;
I will ^(N)put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,
    ^(O)and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.
¹² I will make ^(P)people more rare than fine gold,
    and mankind than the ^(Q)gold of Ophir.
¹³ Therefore ^(R)I will make the heavens tremble,
    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,
at the wrath of the Lord of hosts
    in the day of his fierce anger.
¹⁴ And like a hunted gazelle,
    or like sheep with none to gather them,
^(S)each will turn to his own people,
    and each will flee to his own land.
¹⁵ Whoever is found will be thrust through,
    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.
^16 (T)Their infants will be dashed in pieces
    before their eyes;
their houses will be plundered
    and their wives ravished.

¹⁷ Behold, ^(U)I am stirring up the Medes against them,
    who have no regard for silver
    and do not delight in gold.