Joel 2

1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on my holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming, for it is near.

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 A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As blackness spreading on the mountains a great and powerful people; there has never been the like, neither will there be any more after them, even after the years of many 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 A fire devours before them, and behind them, a flame burns. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them, a desolate wilderness. Yes, and no one has escaped them.

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 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses, and as 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 the mountains do they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, as a mighty people drawn up for 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 their presence the peoples are in anguish. All faces have grown pale.

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

7 They run like mighty men. They climb the wall like warriors. They each march in his line, and they do not swerve off course.

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

8 Neither does one jostle another; they march everyone in his path, and they burst through the defenses, and do not break ranks.

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

9 They rush on the city. They run on the wall. They climb up into the houses. They enter in at the windows like thieves.

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

10 The earth quakes before them. The heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

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

11 The LORD thunders his voice before his army; for his forces are very great; for he is strong who obeys his command; for the day of the LORD is great and very awesome, and who can 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 "Yet even now," says the LORD, "turn 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 Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to the LORD, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.

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 Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to 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 trumpet in Zion. Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly.

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

16 Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who suck the breasts. Let the bridegroom go forth from his room, and the bride out of her chamber.

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

17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, "Spare your people, LORD, and do not give your heritage to mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, '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 Then the LORD was jealous for his land, And had pity on his people.

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

19 The LORD answered his people, "Look, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will eat and you will be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you 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 But I will remove the northern army far away from you, and will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea; and its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise." Surely he has 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 Land, do not be afraid. Be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things.

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

22 Do not be afraid, you animals of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness spring up, for the tree bears 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 "Be glad then, you people of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD, your God; for he gives you the former rain in just measure, and he causes the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain, as before.

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

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

25 I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar, my great army, which I sent among 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 You will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, and will praise the name of the LORD, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people will never be put to shame.

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 You will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD, your God, and there is no one else; and my people will never be put to shame.

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 afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will 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 on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

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

30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, 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 will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

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 will happen that whoever will call on the name of the LORD shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the remnant, those whom the LORD calls.

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.