Joel 2

1 Blowe the trumpet in Zion, and shoute in mine holy mountaine: let all the inhabitants of the lande tremble: for the day of the Lord is come: 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 darkenesse, and of blacknesse, a day of cloudes, and obscuritie, as the morning spred vpon the mountaines, so is there a great people, and a mighty: there was none like it from the beginning, neither shalbe any more after it, vnto the yeeres of many 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 deuoureth before him, and behinde him a flame burneth vp: the land is as the garden of Eden before him, and behinde him a desolate wildernesse, so that nothing shall escape him.

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 beholding of him is like the sight of horses, and like the horsemen, so shall they runne.

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

5 Like the noyse of charrets in the toppes of the mountaines shall they leape, like the noyse of a flame of fire that deuoureth the stubble, and as a mightie people prepared to the battel.

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 his face shall the people tremble: all faces shall gather blackenesse.

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

7 They shall runne like strong men, and goe vp to the wall like men of warre, and euery man shall goe forward in his wayes, and they shall not stay in their paths.

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 shall one thrust another, but euery one shall walke in his path: and when they fall vpon the sword, they shall not be 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 shall runne to and from in the citie: they shall runne vpon the wall: they shall clime vp vpon the houses, and enter in at ye windowes like ye thiefe.

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 shall tremble before him, ye heauens shall shake, the sunne and the moone shalbe darke, and the starres shall 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 the Lord shall vtter his voyce before his hoste: for his hoste is very great: for he is strog that doeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can abide 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 Therefore also now the Lord sayth, Turne you vnto 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 rent your heart, and not your clothes: and turne vnto the Lord your God, for he is gratious, and mercifull, slowe to anger, and of great kindnes, and repenteth him of the euill.

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, is he wil returne and repent and leaue a blessing behinde him, euen a meate offring, and a drinke offring vnto ye Lord 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 Blowe the trumpet in Zion, sanctifie a fast, call a solemne assembly.

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

16 Gather the people: sanctifie the congregation, gather the elders: assemble the children, and those that sucke the breastes: let the bridegrome go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her bride chamber.

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 Priestes, the ministers of the Lord weepe betweene the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and giue not thine heritage into reproche that the heathen should rule ouer them. Wherefore should they say among the people, 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 will the Lord be ielous ouer his land, and spare his people.

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

19 Yea, the Lord wil answere and say vnto his people, Beholde, I will send you corne, and wine, and oyle, and you shalbe satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproche among the heathen,

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 But I will remooue farre off from you the Northren armie, and I will driue him into a land, barren and desolate with his face toward the East sea, and his end to the vtmost sea, and his stinke shall come vp, and his corruption shall ascend, because he hath exalted himselfe to do this.

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 Feare not, O land, but be glad, and reioyce: for the Lord wil do great things.

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

22 Be not afrayde, ye beastes of the fielde: for the pastures of the wildernesse are greene: for the tree beareth her fruite: the figge tree and the vine do giue their force.

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 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and reioyce in the Lord your God: for he hath giuen you the rayne of righteousnes, he wil cause to come downe for you the rayne, euen the first raine, and the latter raine in the first moneth.

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 barnes shalbe full of wheate, and the presses shall abound with wine and oyle.

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

25 And I will render you the yeeres that the grashopper hath eaten, the canker worme and the caterpiller and the palmer worme, my great hoste 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 So you shall eate and be satisfied and praise the Name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt marueilously with you: and my people shall neuer 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 Ye shall also know, that I am in the middes of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and none other, and my people shall neuer 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 afterward will I powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh: and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie: your olde men shall dreame dreames, and your yong 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 And also vpon the seruants, and vpon the maydes in those dayes wil I powre my Spirit.

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

30 And I will shewe wonders in the heauens and in 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 sunne shalbe turned into darkenesse, and the moone into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord 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 But whosoeuer shall call on the Name of the Lord, shalbe saued: for in mount Zion, and in Ierusale shalbe deliuerance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant, whom the Lord 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.