²     a day of darkness^(A) and gloom,^(B)
    a day of clouds^(C) and blackness.^(D)
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
    a large and mighty army^(E) comes,
such as never was in ancient times^(F)
    nor ever will be in ages to come.

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.

¹⁴ The great day of the Lord^(A) is near^(B)—
    near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
    the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
¹⁵ That day will be a day of wrath—
    a day of distress and anguish,
        a day of trouble and ruin,
    a day of darkness^(C) and gloom,
        a day of clouds and blackness^(D)—

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.

¹⁰ Before them the earth shakes,^(A)
    the heavens tremble,^(B)
the sun and moon are darkened,^(C)
    and the stars no longer shine.^(D)
11 The Lord^(E) thunders^(F)
    at the head of his army;^(G)
his forces are beyond number,
    and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
The day of the Lord is great;^(H)
    it is dreadful.
    Who can endure it?^(I)

⁵ With a noise like that of chariots^(A)
    they leap over the mountaintops,
like a crackling fire^(B) consuming stubble,
    like a mighty army drawn up for battle.