Joel 2

1 Blow ye the cornet in Zion, and sound an alarm on my holy mount; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh;

Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all who live in the land tremble for the day of the Lord is coming—it's definitely near!

2 It is a day of darkness and of gloom, a day of clouds and of tempestuous obscurity, like the morning-dawn spread out upon the mountains: a people numerous and strong, the like of which hath never been and after it there will be none any more, even to the years of all coming generations.

It's a gloomy day of darkness, a day of thick clouds and heavy shadows. Like the dawn spreading over the mountains, an army appears, so large and powerful that there has never ever been anything like it before, nor will there ever be anything like it again.

3 Before it devoureth a fire; and behind it singeth a flame: like the garden of 'Eden was the land before it [came], and after it is a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing escapeth from it.

Fire blazes in front of them, behind them flames are burning. In front of them the land looks like the Garden of Eden, behind them is a desert of total desolation: not a single survivor remains.

4 Like the appearance of horses is its appearance; and like horsemen, so do they run.

They have the appearance of horses; they charge like cavalry.

5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains do they leap; they are like the noise of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, as a strong people arrayed for a battle.

Listen to the sound: they are like rumbling chariots leaping over the mountain tops, they are like crackling flames burning stubble, they are like a mighty army marching in formation into battle.

6 At its presence the people are much pained: all the faces are covered with blackness.

Terror seizes all those in their path; all the people's faces grow pale.

7 Like mighty men do they run; like men of war they climb up a wall; and they march every one on his own ways, and they turn not aside on their paths.

They attack like mighty warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march as one, never breaking ranks.

8 And they do not press one another; every one on his beaten track do they go forward: and they pass through between war-like weapons, and change not their purpose.

They do not jostle one another, they stay on track; and even if some are cut down, they are not stopped.

9 Into the city they hasten forward; on the wall they run; into the houses they climb up; through the windows they make their entrance like a thief.

They rush to and fro in the city; they run along the walls; they climb into houses, entering through the windows like thieves.

10 Before them trembleth the earth; the heavens quake; the sun and the moon are obscured, and the stars withdraw their brightness.

The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble, the sun and the moon grow dark, the stars stop shining.

11 And the Lord uttereth his voice before his army; for very numerous is his camp; for strong is he that executeth his word; for great is the day of the Lord and very terrible; and who is able to endure it?

The Lord shouts his commands at the head of his army. His camp his immense, and those who carry out his orders are powerful. The day of the Lord is totally terrifying—who can stand it?

12 But even now also, saith the Lord, return ye fully to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

“Yet even now,” says the Lord, “Come back to me while there is still time. Come to me with all your heart, with fasting and prayer.

13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and return unto the Lord your God; for gracious and merciful is he, long suffering, and of great kindness, and he bethinketh himself of the evil.

Repent in your minds, and not by tearing your clothes.” Come back to the Lord your God for he is gracious and kind. He is slow to get angry and full of faithful love, and changes his mind about sending punishment.

14 He that is conscious [of guilt], let him return and repent: when [the plague] may leave behind it a blessing; even a meat-offering and a drink-offering unto the Lord your God.

Who knows? Maybe he will change his mind, leaving behind a blessing so that you will be able to make grain and wine offerings to the Lord your God.

15 Blow the cornet in Zion, sanctify a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly;

Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast; call a solemn assembly.

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

Gather the people together: the elders, the children, even the babies. Let the bridegroom leave his room; let the bride leave her room.

17 Between the porch and the altar let the priests weep, the ministers of the Lord, and let them say, Spare, O Lord, thy people, and give not up thy heritage to reproach, for nations to make a by-word of them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar of the Temple. Let them say, “Lord, please take pity on your people, and do not let your inheritance be disgraced, ruled over by foreign nations, so that the people of these nations could ask, ‘Where is their God?’”

18 And the Lord was zealous for his land, and he had pity for his people.

Now the Lord is very protective of his land and takes pity on his people.

19 And the Lord answered and said unto his people, “Behold, I will send you the corn, and the young wine, and the oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will not give you up any more to be a reproach among the nations:

The Lord will reply, saying to his people, “Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil, and you will be satisfied. You will no longer be a disgrace among the foreign nations.

20 And the host of the north will I remove far away from you, and I will drive it off into a land barren and desolate, with its advance toward the eastern sea, and its rereward toward the western sea; and its stench shall ascend, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things.”

I will remove from you the army from the north; I will drive them into the desolate wilderness—the front into the eastern sea, and the rear into the western sea. The stench of the dead army will rise up—a real stink—for it has done terrible things.”

21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice; for the Lord hath done great things.

Don't be afraid, people of the land! Be happy and celebrate, for the Lord has done incredible things!

22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness have become green; for the tree beareth its fruit, the fig-tree and the vine yield their strength.

Don't be afraid, wild animals! For the pastures of the wilderness are turning green. The trees are fruiting again—the fig trees and the grapevines are producing a good crop.

23 And ye children of Zion, be glad, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he hath given you the first rain in beneficence, and he hath caused to come down for you the rain, the first rain, and the latter rain in the first [month].

People of Jerusalem! Celebrate and be happy in the Lord your God because he has given you rain to show his goodness. As before he sends the autumn and the spring rains.

24 And the threshing-floors are full of corn, and the vats overflow with young wine and oil.

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

25 And I will repay to you the years [in] which the locust hath eaten [all], with the cankerworm, and the cricket, and the caterpillar, my great army, which I had sent against you.

“I will give back to you what you lost over the years to the swarming, hopping, destroying, and cutting locusts, this great army that I sent against you.

26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall not be made ashamed unto eternity.

You will have plenty to eat, and you will be satisfied, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God who has done miracles for you. My people will never again be ashamed.

27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else; and my people shall not be made ashamed unto eternity.

You will know that I am in the midst of my people Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other. My people will never again be ashamed.

28 And it shall come to pass after this, that I will pour out my spirit over all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: your old men shall dream dreams: your young men shall see visions:

After this I will pour out my spirit on everyone. Your sons and daughters will be my prophets, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.

29 And also over the men-servants and over the maid-servants in those days will I pour out my spirit.

In those days I will also pour out my spirit on male slaves and female slaves.

30 And I will display wonderful tokens in the heavens and on the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

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

31 The sun shall be changed into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the day of the Lord, the great and the terrible.

The sun will turn dark, and the moon will turn red like blood at the coming of the great and fearful day of the Lord.”

32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall escape; for on mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and among the remnant whom the Lord calleth.

Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, rescued from Mount Zion and Jerusalem, as the Lord has said—these are among the survivors the Lord has called.