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 Jehovah cometh, for it is at hand;

Blow the trumpet in Zion, wail on my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land be stirred up. For the day of the Lord is on its way; for it is near:

2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and gross darkness, as the dawn spread upon the mountains; — a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after them, to the years of generations and generations.

a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and whirlwinds. Like the morning reaching over the mountains, they are a numerous and strong people. Nothing like them has existed since the beginning, nor will exist after them, even in the years of generation upon generation.

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

Before their face is a devouring fire, and behind them is a burning flame. The land before them is like a lush garden, and behind them is a desolate desert, and there is no one who can escape them.

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

Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and they will rush forward like horsemen.

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

Like the sound of a four-horse chariot, they will leap over the tops of the mountains. Like the sound of a burning flame devouring stubble, they are as a strong people prepared for battle.

6 Before them the peoples are in anguish: all faces turn pale.

Before their face, the people will be tortured; each one’s appearance will retreat, as if into a jar.

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

They will rush forward, as if they were strong. Like valiant warriors, they will ascend the wall. The men will advance, each one on his own way, and they will not turn aside from their path.

8 Neither doth one press upon another; they march every one in his path; and fall amid weapons, but are not wounded.

And each one will not hem in his brother; every one will walk in his own rough path. Moreover, they will drop through the breach and not be harmed.

9 They spread themselves over the city; they run upon the wall; they climb up into the houses; they enter in by the windows like a thief.

They will advance into the city; they will rush through the wall. They will scale the houses; they will go in through the windows, like a thief.

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

Before their face, the earth has trembled, the heavens have been moved. The sun and moon have been obscured, and the stars have retracted their splendor.

11 And Jehovah uttereth his voice before his army; for his camp is very great; for strong is he that executeth his word: for the day of Jehovah is great and very terrible; and who can bear it?

And the Lord has bestowed his voice before the face of his army. For its military camps are very numerous; for they are strong and they carry out his word. For the day of the Lord is great and so very terrible, and who can withstand it?

12 Yet even now, saith Jehovah, turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning;

Now, therefore, the Lord says: “Be converted to me with your whole heart, in fasting and weeping and mourning.”

13 and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving-kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

And rend your hearts, and not your garments, and convert to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and merciful, patient and full of compassion, and steadfast despite ill will.

14 Who knoweth? He might return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, an oblation and a drink-offering for Jehovah your God?

Who knows if he might convert and forgive, and bequeath a blessing after him, a sacrifice and a libation to the Lord your God?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, hallow a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly;

Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call an assembly.

16 gather the people, hallow the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride from her closet.

Gather the people, sanctify the church, unite the elders, gather together the little ones and infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom depart from his bed, and the bride from her bridal chamber.

17 Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare, O Jehovah, thy people, and give not thine inheritance to reproach, that they should be a byword of the nations. Wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?

Between the vestibule and the altar, the priests, the ministers of the Lord, will weep, and they will say: “Spare, O Lord, spare your people. And do not bequeath your inheritance into disgrace, so that the nations would rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

18 Then Jehovah will be jealous for his land, and will have pity on his people.

The Lord has been zealous for his land, and he has spared his people.

19 And Jehovah will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I send you corn, and new wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

And the Lord responded, and he said to his people: “Behold, I will send you grain and wine and oil, and you will again be filled with them. And I will no longer give you disgrace among the Gentiles.

20 And I will remove far off from you him [that cometh] from the north, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, his face toward the eastern sea, and his rear toward the hinder sea; and his stench shall come up, and his ill odour shall come up, for he hath exalted himself to do great things.

And he who is from the North, I will drive far from you. And I will expel him into an impassable land, and into the desert, with his face opposite the Eastern sea, and his furthest part towards the furthest sea. And his stench will ascend, and his rottenness will ascend, because he has acted arrogantly.

21 — Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for Jehovah doeth great things.

Earth, do not be afraid. Exult and rejoice. For the Lord has great esteem for what he has done.

22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring; for the tree beareth its fruit; the fig-tree and the vine yield full increase.

Animals of the countryside, do not be afraid. For the beauty of the wilderness has sprung forth. For the tree has borne its fruit. The fig tree and the vine have bestowed their virtue.

23 And ye, children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he giveth you the early rain in due measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the early rain, and the latter rain at the beginning [of the season].

And you, sons of Zion, exult and rejoice in the Lord your God. For he has given you a teacher of justice, and he will make the early and the late rains descend to you, just as it was in the beginning.

24 And the floors shall be full of corn, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.

And the threshing floors will be filled with grain, and the presses will overflow with wine and oil.

25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you.

And I will repay you for the years which the locust, and the beetle, and the mildew, and the caterpillar consumed: my great strength which I sent upon you.

26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of Jehovah your God, who hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

And you will eat with enjoyment, and you will be satisfied, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked miracles with you, and my people will not be confounded forever.

27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, Jehovah, [am] your God, and there is none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

And you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and I am the Lord your God, and there is no other, and my people will not be confounded forever.

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

And after this, it will happen that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy; your elders will dream dreams, and your youths will see visions.

29 Yea, even upon the bondmen and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit.

Moreover, in those days I will pour out my spirit upon my servants and handmaids.

30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

And I will grant wonders in the sky and on earth: blood and fire and the vapor of smoke.

31 The sun shall be changed to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come.

The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord shall arrive.

32 And it shall be that whosoever shall call upon the name of Jehovah shall be saved: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as Jehovah hath said, and for the residue whom Jehovah shall call.

And it will happen that everyone who will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. For on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and in the remnant whom the Lord will call, there will be salvation, just as the Lord has said.