Joel 2

1 Blow 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 comes, for it is close at hand:

Blow a horn in Zion, And shout in My holy hill, All inhabitants of the earth tremble, For the Day of YHWH is coming, for [it is] near!

2 A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn spreading on the mountains, a great and strong people; there has never been the like, neither will there be any more after them, even to the years of many generations.

A day of darkness and thick darkness, A day of cloud and thick darkness, As darkness spread on the mountains, A people numerous and mighty, Like there has not been from of old, And after it there is not again—Until the years of generation and generation.

3 A fire devours before them, and behind them, a flame burns. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them, a desolate wilderness. Yes, and no one has escaped them.

Before it fire has consumed, And after it a flame burns, As the Garden of Eden [is] the land before it, And after it a wilderness—a desolation! And also there has not been to it an escape,

4 Their appearance is as the appearance of horses, and they run as horsemen.

As the appearance of horses [is] its appearance, And as horsemen, so they run.

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

As the noise of chariots, they skip on the tops of the mountains, As the noise of a flame of fire devouring stubble, As a mighty people set in array for battle.

6 At their presence the peoples are in anguish. All faces have grown pale.

Pained are peoples from its face, All faces have gathered paleness.

7 They run like mighty men. They climb the wall like warriors. They each march in his line, and they do not swerve off course.

They run as mighty ones, As men of war they go up a wall, And they each go in his own ways, And they do not change their paths.

8 One does not jostle another. They each march in their own path. They burst through the defenses and do not break ranks.

And each does not press his brother, They each go on in his way, If they fall by the missile, they are not cut off.

9 They rush on the city. They run on the wall. They climb up into the houses. They enter in at the windows like thieves.

In the city they run to and fro, On the wall they run, Into houses they go up by the windows, They go in as a thief.

10 The earth quakes before them. The heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

At their face the earth has trembled, The heavens have shaken, Sun and moon have been black, And stars have gathered up their shining.

11 The LORD thunders his voice before his army, for his forces are very great; for he is strong who obeys his command; for the day of the LORD is great and very awesome, and who can endure it?

And YHWH has given forth His voice before His force, For His camp [is] very great, For mighty [is] the doer of His word, For great [is] the Day of YHWH—very fearful, And who bears it?

12 “Yet even now,” says the LORD, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”

“And also now,” a declaration of YHWH, “Turn back to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, and with weeping, And with lamentation.”

13 Tear your heart and not your garments, and turn to the LORD, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.

And tear your heart, and not your garments, And turn back to your God YHWH, For He [is] gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and abundant in kindness, And relenting from evil.

14 Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to the LORD, your God.

Who knows—He turns back, Indeed—He has relented, And He has left behind Him a blessing, A present and drink-offering of your God YHWH?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly.

Blow a horn in Zion, Sanctify a fast—proclaim a restraint.

16 Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who nurse from breasts. Let the bridegroom go out of his room, and the bride out of her chamber.

Gather the people, sanctify an assembly, Assemble the aged, Gather infants and sucklings of the breasts, Let a bridegroom go out from his inner chamber, And a bride out of her closet.

17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “Spare your people, LORD, and do not give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Let the priests weep between the porch and the altar, servants of YHWH, And let them say: “Have pity, O YHWH, on Your people, And do not give Your inheritance to reproach, To the ruling over them of nations, Why do they say among peoples, Where [is] their God?”

18 Then the LORD was jealous for his land, and had pity on his people.

And let YHWH be zealous for His land, And have pity on His people.

19 The LORD answered his people, “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

Let YHWH answer and say to His people, “Behold, I am sending to you the grain, And the new wine, and the oil, And you have been satisfied with it, And I make you no longer a reproach among nations,

20 But I will remove the northern army far away from you, and will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea; and its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things.

And the northern I put far off from you, And have driven him to a land dry and desolate, With his face toward the Eastern Sea, And his rear to the Western Sea, And his stink has come up, And his stench comes up, For he has exerted himself to work.”

21 Land, do not be afraid. Be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things.

Do not fear, O land! Be glad and rejoice, For YHWH has exerted Himself to work.

22 Do not be afraid, you animals of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness spring up, for the tree bears its fruit. The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.

Do not fear, O livestock of the field! For pastures of a wilderness have sprung up, For the tree has borne its fruit, Fig tree and vine have given their strength!

23 “Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD, your God; for he gives you the early rain in just measure, and he causes the rain to come down for you, the early rain and the latter rain, as before.

And you sons of Zion, Be glad and rejoice in your God YHWH, For He has given to you the Teacher for righteousness, And causes a shower to come down to you, Early rain and spring rain [as] in the beginning.

24 The threshing floors will be full of wheat, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

And the floors have been full [with] pure grain, And the presses have overflown [with] new wine and oil.

25 I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar, my great army, which I sent among you.

“And I have repaid to you the years that the locust consumed, The cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, My great force that I sent against you.

26 You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied, and will praise the name of the LORD, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people will never again be disappointed.

And you have eaten, eating and being satisfied, And have praised the Name of your God YHWH, Who has dealt with you wonderfully, And My people are not ashamed for all time.

27 You will know that I am among Israel, and that I am the LORD, your God, and there is no one else; and my people will never again be disappointed.

And you have known that I [am] in the midst of Israel, And I [am] your God YHWH, and there is none else, And My people are not ashamed for all time.

28 “It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions.

And it has come to pass afterward, I pour out My Spirit on all flesh, And your sons and your daughters have prophesied, Your old men dream dreams, Your young men see visions.

29 And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days, I will pour out my Spirit.

And also on the menservants and on the maidservants, In those days I pour out My Spirit.

30 I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, fire, and pillars of smoke.

And I have given wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood, and fire, and columns of smoke.

31 The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.

The sun is turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, Before the coming of the Day of YHWH, The great and the fearful.

32 It will happen that whoever will call on the LORD’s name shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the remnant, those whom the LORD calls.

And it has come to pass, Everyone who calls on the Name of YHWH is delivered, For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there is an escape, As YHWH has said, And among the remnants whom YHWH is calling!”