Joel 2

1 Sound the trumpet in Sion, make a proclamation in my holy mountain, and let all the inhabitants of the land be confounded: for the day of the Lord is near;

Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near—

2 for a day of darkness and gloominess is near, a day of cloud and mist: a numerous and strong people shall be spread upon the mountains as the morning; there has not been from the beginning one like it, and after it there shall not be again even to the years of many generations.

a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.

3 Before them is a consuming fire, and behind them is a flame kindled: the land before them is as a paradise of delight, and behind them a desolate plain: and there shall none of them escape.

Before them a fire devours, and behind them a flame scorches. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland— surely nothing will escape them.

4 Their appearance is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they pursue.

Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like swift steeds.

5 As the sound of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, and as the sound of a flame of fire devouring stubble, and as a numerous and strong people setting themselves in array for battle.

With a sound like that of chariots they bound over the mountaintops, like the crackling of fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for battle.

6 Before them shall the people be crushed: every face [shall be] as the blackness of a cauldron.

Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale.

7 As warriors shall they run, and as men of war shall they mount on the walls; and each shall move in his [right] path, and they shall not turn aside from their tracks:

They charge like mighty men; they scale the walls like men of war. Each one marches in formation, not swerving from the course.

8 and not one shall stand aloof from his brother: they shall go on weighed down with their arms, and they fall upon their weapons, yet shall they in no wise be destroyed.

They do not jostle one another; each proceeds in his path. They burst through the defenses, never breaking ranks.

9 They shall seize upon the city, and run upon the walls, and go up upon the houses, and enter in through the windows as thieves.

They storm the city; they run along the wall; they climb into houses, entering through windows like thieves.

10 Before them the earth shall be confounded, and the sky shall be shaken: the sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their light.

Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness.

11 And the Lord shall utter his voice before his host: for his camp is very great: for the execution of his words is mighty: for the day of the Lord is great, very glorious, and who shall be able to [resist] it?

The LORD raises His voice in the presence of His army. Indeed, His camp is very large, for mighty are those who obey His command. For the Day of the LORD is great and very dreadful. Who can endure it?

12 Now therefore, says the Lord your God, turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with lamentation:

“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”

13 and rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God: for he is merciful and compassionate, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy, and repents of evils.

So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.

14 Who knows if he will return, and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meat-offering and a drink-offering to the Lord your God?

Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him— grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.

15 Sound the trumpet in Sion, sanctify a fast, proclaim a [solemn] service:

Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a sacred assembly.

16 gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the infants at the breast: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.

17 Between the porch and the altar let the priests that minister to the Lord weep, and say, Spare your people, O Lord, and give not your heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them, lest they should say amongst the heathen, Where is their God?

Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

18 But the Lord was jealous of his land, and spared his people.

Then the LORD became jealous for His land, and He spared His people.

19 And the Lord answered and said to his people, Behold, I [will] send you corn, and wine, and oil, and you shall be satisfied with them: and I will no longer make you a reproach amongst the Gentiles.

And the LORD answered His people: “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and by them you will be satisfied. I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.

20 And I will chase away from you the northern [adversary], and will drive him away into a dry land, and I will sink his face in the former sea, and his back parts in the latter sea, and his ill savour shall come up, and his stink come up, because he has wrought great things.

The northern army I will drive away from you, banishing it to a barren and desolate land, its front ranks into the Eastern Sea, and its rear guard into the Western Sea. And its stench will rise; its foul odor will ascend. For He has done great things.

21 Be of good courage, O land; rejoice and be glad: for the Lord has done great things.

Do not be afraid, O land; rejoice and be glad, for the LORD has done great things.

22 Be of good courage, you beasts of the plain, for the plains of the wilderness have budded, for the trees have borne their fruit, the fig tree and the vine have yielded their strength.

Do not be afraid, O beasts of the field, for the open pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and vine yield their best.

23 Rejoice then and be glad, you children of Sion, in the Lord your God: for he has given you food fully, and he will rain on you the early and the latter rain, as before.

Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for He has given you the autumn rains for your vindication. He sends you showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.

24 And the floors shall be filled with corn, and the presses shall overflow with wine and oil.

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

25 And I will recompense you for the years which the locust, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, and the cankerworm have eaten, [even] my great army, which I sent against you.

I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts— the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust — My great army that I sent against you.

26 And you shall eat abundantly, and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of the Lord your God [for the things] which he has wrought wonderfully with you: and my people shall not be ashamed for ever.

You will have plenty to eat, until you are satisfied. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you. My people will never again be put to shame.

27 And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and [that] I am the Lord your God, and [that] there is none else beside me; and my people shall no more be ashamed for ever.

Then you will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.

28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

29 And on my servants and on [my] handmaids in those days will I pour out of my Spirit.

Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

30 And I will show wonders in heaven, and upon the earth, blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke.

I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord come.

The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.

32 And it shall come to pass [that] whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved: for in mount Sion and in Jerusalem shall the saved one be as the Lord has said, and they that have glad tidings preached to them, whom the Lord has called.

And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant called by the LORD.