16. Bring the people together. Call for a special meeting. Bring together the old men, the children, and the small babies still at their mothers’ breasts. Let the bride and her new husband come from their bedroom.
17. Let the priests, the Lord’S servants, cry between the porch and the altar. All of them should say this: “Lord, have mercy on your people. Don’t let your people be put to shame. Don’t let other people tell jokes about your people. Don’t let the other nations laugh at us and say, ‘Where is their God?’”
18. Then the Lord cared very much about his land. He felt sorry for his people.
19. The Lord spoke to his people. He said, “I will send you grain, wine, and oil. You will have plenty. I will not shame you among the nations anymore.
20. No, I will force the people from the north to leave your land and make them go into a dry, empty land. Some of them will go to the eastern sea and some to the western sea. They did such terrible things, but they will be like a dead and rotting body. There will be such a terrible smell!”
21. Land, don’t be afraid. Be happy and full of joy. The Lord will do great things.
22. Animals of the field, don’t be afraid. The desert pastures will grow grass. The trees will grow fruit. The fig trees and the vines will grow plenty of fruit.
23. So be happy, people of Zion. Be joyful in the Lord your God. He is good and will give you rain. He will send the early rains and the late rains as before.
24. The threshing floors will be filled with wheat, and the barrels will overflow with wine and olive oil.
25. “I, the Lord, sent my army against you. The swarming locusts and the hopping locusts and the destroying locusts and the cutting locusts ate everything you had. But I will pay you back for those years of trouble.
26. Then you will have plenty to eat. You will be full. You will praise the name of the Lord your God. He has done wonderful things for you. My people will never again be ashamed.
27. You will know that I am with Israel. You will know that I am the Lord your God. There is no other God. My people will never be ashamed again.”
28. “After this, I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions.
29. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants, both men and women.
30. I will work wonders in the sky and on the earth. There will be blood, fire, and thick smoke.
31. The sun will be changed into darkness, and the moon will be as red as blood. Then the great and fearful day of the Lord will come!