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, and sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble in fear, for the day of Yahweh is coming; indeed, 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.

It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. Like the dawn that spreads on the mountains, a large and mighty army is approaching. There has never been an army like it, and there never will be again, even after many generations.

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.

A fire is consuming everything in front of it, and behind it a flame is burning. The land is like the garden of Eden in front of it, but behind it there is a ruined wilderness. Indeed, nothing will escape from it.

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

The army's appearance is like horses, and they run 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.

They jump with a noise like that of chariots on the tops of the mountains, like the noise of fiery flames that devour the stubble, like a mighty army ready for battle.

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

At their presence people are in anguish and all their faces become pale.

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 run like mighty warriors; they climb the walls like soldiers; they march, every one in step, and do not break their ranks.

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.

Neither does one thrust another aside; they march, each in his path; they break through the defenses and do not fall out of line.

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 rush on the city, they run on the wall, they climb in the houses, and they go through the windows like thieves.

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,

The earth shakes in front of them, the heavens tremble, the sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars stop shining.

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?

Yahweh raises his voice in front of his army, for his warriors are very numerous; for they are strong, those who carry out his commands. For the day of Yahweh is great and very terrible. Who can survive 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,

“Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “Return to me with all your heart. Fast, weep, and mourn.”

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.

Tear your heart and not only your garments, and return to Yahweh your God. For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abundant in covenant faithfulness, and he would like to turn from inflicting punishment.

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? Will he perhaps turn and have compassion, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for Yahweh your God?

15 Blowe the trumpet in Zion, sanctifie a fast, call a solemne assembly.

Blow the trumpet in Zion, call for a holy fast, and call a holy 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, call for the holy assembly. Assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegrooms come out of their rooms, and the brides out of their bridal chambers.

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?

Let the priests, the servants of Yahweh, weep between the porch and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Yahweh, and do not make your inheritance into an object of scorn, that the nations mock them. Why should they say among the nations, 'Where is their God?'”

18 Then will the Lord be ielous ouer his land, and spare his people.

Then Yahweh was zealous for his land and had pity on 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,

Yahweh answered his people, “Look, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil. You will be satisfied with them, and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations.

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.

I will remove the northern attackers far from you, and will drive them into a dry and abandoned land. The front of their army will go into the eastern sea, and the rear into the western sea. Its stench will rise, and its bad smell will rise.” Indeed, he has done great things.

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

Do not fear, land, be glad and rejoice, for Yahweh will do great things.

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.

Do not fear, beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness will sprout, the trees will bear their fruit, and the fig trees and the vines will yield their full harvest.

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.

Be glad, people of Zion, and rejoice in Yahweh your God. For he will give you the autumn rain in due course and bring down showers for you, the autumn rain and the spring rain as before.

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

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

“I will restore to you the years of crops that the swarming locust has eaten —the great locust, the devouring locust, and the destroying locust— my mighty army that I sent among 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.

You will eat plentifully and be full, and praise the name of Yahweh your God, who has done wonders among you, and I will never again bring shame on my people.

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.

You will know that I am among Israel, and that I am Yahweh your God, and there is none else, and I will never bring shame on my people.

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,

It will come about 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.

29 And also vpon the seruants, and vpon the maydes in those dayes wil I powre my Spirit.

Also on servants and female servants, in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

30 And I will shewe wonders in the heauens and in the earth: blood and fire, and pillars of smoke.

I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood, fire, and pillars 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 turn into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes.

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.

It will be that everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as Yahweh has said, and among the survivors, those whom Yahweh calls.