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!

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.

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,

4 As the appearance of horses [is] its appearance, And as horsemen, so they run.

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.

6 Pained are peoples from its face, All faces have gathered paleness.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.”

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.

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?

15 Blow a horn in Zion, Sanctify a fast—proclaim a restraint.

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.

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?”

18 And let YHWH be zealous for His land, And have pity on 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,

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.”

21 Do not fear, O land! Be glad and rejoice, For YHWH has exerted Himself to work.

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!

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.

24 And the floors have been full [with] pure grain, And the presses have overflown [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.

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.

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.

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.

29 And also on the menservants and on the maidservants, In those days I pour out My Spirit.

30 And I have given wonders in the heavens and in 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.

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!”