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 a horn in Zion, sound an alarm in my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord comes, for near is

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.

the day of darkness and gloom, the day of cloud and thick darkness! Like the light of dawn scattered over the mountains, a people great and powerful; its like has not been from of old, neither will be any more after it, even to the years of coming ages.

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 the fire devours, and behind them a flame burns; like the garden of Eden is the land before them, and after them it is a desolate desert, nothing escapes them.

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

Their appearance is as the appearance of horses, and like horsemen they charge.

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.

Like the sound of chariots on the tops of the mountains they leap, like the crackle of flames devouring stubble, like a mighty people preparing for battle.

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

Peoples are in anguish before them, all faces grow 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:

Like mighty men they run, like warriors they mount up a wall, they march each by himself, they break not their ranks,

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.

none jostles the other. They march each in his path. They fall upon the weapons without breaking.

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 scour the city, they run on the wall. They climb up into the houses. Like a thief they enter the windows.

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.

Earth trembles before them, the sky quakes, the sun and moon become dark, and the stars withdraw their shining;

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?

and the Lord utters his voice before his army, for his host is exceedingly great. Mighty is he who performs his word. For great is the day of the Lord, it is terrible, 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:

But now this is the message of the Lord: Turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting and 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.

rend your hearts and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God; for he indeed is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and plenteous in love, and relents of the evil.

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 but he will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal and drink-offering for the Lord your God.

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

Blow a horn in Zion, sanctify a fast, summon an 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, make holy the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and the infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom come forth from his chamber, and the bride from her bridal tent.

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?

Between the porch and the altar, let the priests, the ministers of the Lord weep aloud, let them say: Spare, the Lord, your people. Make not your heritage an object of reproach, for the heathen to mock them. Why should it be said among the nations, ‘Where is their God?’

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

Then the Lord became deeply concerned for his land, and took pity upon 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 and said to his people: I will send you grain, wine, and oil. You will be satisfied. I will not make you again an object of scorn 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.

I will remove far from you the northern foe, and I will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its front into the eastern sea, and its rear to the western sea. And from it a stench will arise. He has done great things!

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

Fear not, land, exult. Rejoice 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.

Fear not, animals of the field. For the pastures of the wilderness are putting forth new grass, for the trees bear their fruit, fig tree and vine yield full harvest.

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, then, children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the early rain in just measure, and poured down upon you the winter rain, and sent the latter rain 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 which the swarming locust has eaten. The hopping, the destroying, and the cutting locusts, my great army which I sent among you, and my people will never again be put to shame.

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 eat your food and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt so wonderfully by you,

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.

and you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, that I am the Lord your God and none else, and 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.

Afterwards, I will pour out my spirit on everyone. Your sons and your 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.

and even on your male and female slaves in those days, I will pour out my spirit.

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

And I will show signs in the sky and on earth: Blood and fire and pillars 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 into darkness, and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and terrible 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.

But whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, even as the Lord has said, and among the fugitives those whom the Lord calls.