Joel 2
1 Blow a horn in Zion, And shout in My holy hill, All inhabitants of the earth tremble, For the Day of YHWH is coming, for [it is] near!
Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near—
2 A day of darkness and thick darkness, A day of cloud and thick darkness, As darkness spread on the mountains, A people numerous and mighty, Like there has not been from of old, And after it there is not again—Until the years of generation and generation.
a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.
3 Before it fire has consumed, And after it a flame burns, As the Garden of Eden [is] the land before it, And after it a wilderness—a desolation! And also there has not been to it an escape,
Before them a fire devours, and behind them a flame scorches. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland— surely nothing will escape them.
4 As the appearance of horses [is] its appearance, And as horsemen, so they run.
Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like swift steeds.
5 As the noise of chariots, they skip on the tops of the mountains, As the noise of a flame of fire devouring stubble, As a mighty people set in array for battle.
With a sound like that of chariots they bound over the mountaintops, like the crackling of fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for battle.
6 Pained are peoples from its face, All faces have gathered paleness.
Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale.
7 They run as mighty ones, As men of war they go up a wall, And they each go in his own ways, And they do not change their paths.
They charge like mighty men; they scale the walls like men of war. Each one marches in formation, not swerving from the course.
8 And each does not press his brother, They each go on in his way, If they fall by the missile, they are not cut off.
They do not jostle one another; each proceeds in his path. They burst through the defenses, never breaking ranks.
9 In the city they run to and fro, On the wall they run, Into houses they go up by the windows, They go in as a thief.
They storm the city; they run along the wall; they climb into houses, entering through windows like thieves.
10 At their face the earth has trembled, The heavens have shaken, Sun and moon have been black, And stars have gathered up their shining.
Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness.
11 And YHWH has given forth His voice before His force, For His camp [is] very great, For mighty [is] the doer of His word, For great [is] the Day of YHWH—very fearful, And who bears it?
The LORD raises His voice in the presence of His army. Indeed, His camp is very large, for mighty are those who obey His command. For the Day of the LORD is great and very dreadful. Who can endure it?
12 “And also now,” a declaration of YHWH, “Turn back to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, and with weeping, And with lamentation.”
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”
13 And tear your heart, and not your garments, And turn back to your God YHWH, For He [is] gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and abundant in kindness, And relenting from evil.
So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.
14 Who knows—He turns back, Indeed—He has relented, And He has left behind Him a blessing, A present and drink-offering of your God YHWH?
Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him— grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.
15 Blow a horn in Zion, Sanctify a fast—proclaim a restraint.
Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a sacred assembly.
16 Gather the people, sanctify an assembly, Assemble the aged, Gather infants and sucklings of the breasts, Let a bridegroom go out from his inner chamber, And a bride out of her closet.
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests weep between the porch and the altar, servants of YHWH, And let them say: “Have pity, O YHWH, on Your people, And do not give Your inheritance to reproach, To the ruling over them of nations, Why do they say among peoples, Where [is] their God?”
Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
18 And let YHWH be zealous for His land, And have pity on His people.
Then the LORD became jealous for His land, and He spared His people.
19 Let YHWH answer and say to His people, “Behold, I am sending to you the grain, And the new wine, and the oil, And you have been satisfied with it, And I make you no longer a reproach among nations,
And the LORD answered His people: “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and by them you will be satisfied. I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.
20 And the northern I put far off from you, And have driven him to a land dry and desolate, With his face toward the Eastern Sea, And his rear to the Western Sea, And his stink has come up, And his stench comes up, For he has exerted himself to work.”
The northern army I will drive away from you, banishing it to a barren and desolate land, its front ranks into the Eastern Sea, and its rear guard into the Western Sea. And its stench will rise; its foul odor will ascend. For He has done great things.
21 Do not fear, O land! Be glad and rejoice, For YHWH has exerted Himself to work.
Do not be afraid, O land; rejoice and be glad, for the LORD has done great things.
22 Do not fear, O livestock of the field! For pastures of a wilderness have sprung up, For the tree has borne its fruit, Fig tree and vine have given their strength!
Do not be afraid, O beasts of the field, for the open pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and vine yield their best.
23 And you sons of Zion, Be glad and rejoice in your God YHWH, For He has given to you the Teacher for righteousness, And causes a shower to come down to you, Early rain and spring rain [as] in the beginning.
Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for He has given you the autumn rains for your vindication. He sends you showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.
24 And the floors have been full [with] pure grain, And the presses have overflown [with] new wine and oil.
The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
25 “And I have repaid to you the years that the locust consumed, The cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, My great force that I sent against you.
I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts— the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust — My great army that I sent against you.
26 And you have eaten, eating and being satisfied, And have praised the Name of your God YHWH, Who has dealt with you wonderfully, And My people are not ashamed for all time.
You will have plenty to eat, until you are satisfied. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you. My people will never again be put to shame.
27 And you have known that I [am] in the midst of Israel, And I [am] your God YHWH, and there is none else, And My people are not ashamed for all time.
Then you will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.
28 And it has come to pass afterward, I pour out My Spirit on all flesh, And your sons and your daughters have prophesied, Your old men dream dreams, Your young men see visions.
And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29 And also on the menservants and on the maidservants, In those days I pour out My Spirit.
Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
30 And I have given wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood, and fire, and columns of smoke.
I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.
31 The sun is turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, Before the coming of the Day of YHWH, The great and the fearful.
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.
32 And it has come to pass, Everyone who calls on the Name of YHWH is delivered, For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there is an escape, As YHWH has said, And among the remnants whom YHWH is calling!”
And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant called by the LORD.
