The Skeptics Annotated Bible (684 page)

14 Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,

15 Alas for the day! for
the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

(1.15) “The day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.”

16 Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?

17 The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.

(1.18-20) The animals are perplexed and cry out to God after he torments them by burning their food and drying up the rivers.

18
How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

(1.18)
“How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.”

19 O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the
fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.

(1.19)
“Fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.”

20
The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

(1.20)
“The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.”

2
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain:
let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

(2.1)
“Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand.”

2
A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness
, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

(2.2)
“A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness”
The day of the Lord will be dark and gloomy —like a northern Idaho spring day.

3
A fire devoureth before them
; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and
nothing shall escape
them.

(2.3) “A fire devoureth before them … nothing shall escape.” On the day of the Lord, everything and everyone will be burned to death.

4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.

5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

6 Before their face
the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

(2.6) “The people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.”

7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:

8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and
when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

(2.8) “When they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.” People will try to commit suicide but will not be able to.