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 YHWH is coming, for it is near.

Synge ye with a trumpe in Sion, yelle ye in myn hooli hil. Alle the dwelleris of erthe be disturblid; for the dai of the Lord cometh,

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.

for the dai of derknessis and of myist is niy, the dai of cloude and of whirlewynde. As the morewtid spred abrood on hillis, a myche puple and strong. Noon was lijk it fro the bigynnyng, and after it schal not be, til in to yeeris of generacioun and of generacioun.

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.

Bifore the face therof schal be fier deuourynge, and after it schal be brennynge flawme; as a gardyn of liking the lond schal be bifor him, and wildirnesse of desert schal be after him, and noon is that schal ascape him.

4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses, and as horsemen, so do they run.

The lokyng of hem schal be as the lokyng of horsis, and as horse men so thei schulen renne.

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.

As the sown of cartis on the heedis of hillis thei schulen skippe; as the sowne of the flawme of fier deuourynge stobil, as a strong puple maad redi to batel.

6 At their presence the peoples are in anguish. All faces have grown pale.

Puplis schulen be turmentid of the face therof, alle facis schulen be dryuun in to a pot.

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.

As stronge men thei schulen renne, as men werriours thei schulen stie on the wal. Men schulen go in her weies, and thei schulen not bowe awei fro her pathis.

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

Ech man schal not make streyt his brother, ech man schal go in his path; but also thei schulen falle doun bi wyndows, and schulen not be hirt.

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.

Thei schulen entre in to the citee, thei schulen renne on the wal; thei schulen stie on housis, thei schulen entre as a niyt theef bi wyndows.

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

The erthe tremblide of his face, heuenys weren mouyd, the sunne and the moone weren maad derk, and sterris withdrowen her schynyng.

11 YHWH thunders his voice before his army; for his forces are very great; for he is strong who obeys his command; for the day of YHWH is great and very awesome, and who can endure it?

And the Lord yaf his vois bifor the face of his oost, for hise oostis ben ful manye; for tho ben stronge, and doen the word of hym. For the dai of the Lord is greet, and ful ferdful, and who schal suffre it?

12 "Yet even now," says YHWH, "turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning."

Now therfor seith the Lord, Be ye conuertid to me in al youre herte, in fastyng, and wepyng, and weilyng;

13 Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to YHWH, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.

and kerue ye youre hertis, and not youre clothis, and be ye conuertid to youre Lord God, for he is benygne, and merciful, pacient, and of myche merci, and abidynge, ether foryyuynge, on malice.

14 Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to YHWH, your God.

Who woot, if God be conuertid, and foryyue, and leeue blessyng aftir hym? sacrifice and moist sacrifice to oure Lord God.

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion. Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly.

Synge ye with a trumpe in Sion, halewe ye fastyng, clepe ye cumpany; gadere ye togidere the puple, halewe ye the chirche,

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.

gadere ye togidere elde men, gadere ye togidere litle children, and soukynge the brestis; a spouse go out of his bed, and a spousesse of hir chaumbre.

17 Let the priests, the ministers of YHWH, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, "Spare your people, YHWH, and do not give your heritage to mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"

Prestis, the mynystris of the Lord, schulen wepe bitwixe the porche and the auter, and schulen seie, Lord! spare thou, spare thi puple, and yyue thou not thin eritage in to schenschipe, that naciouns be lordis of hem. Whi seien thei among puplis, Where is the God of hem?

18 Then YHWH was jealous for his land, And had pity on his people.

The Lord louyde gelousli his lond, and sparide his puple.

19 YHWH 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.

And the Lord answeride, and seide to his puple, Lo! Y schal sende to you wheete, and wyn, and oile, and ye schulen be fillid with tho; and Y schal no more yyue you schenschipe among hethene men.

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.

And Y schal make hym that is at the north fer fro you; and Y schal cast hym out in to a lond with out weie, and desert; his face ayens the eest see, and the laste part therof at the last see; and the stynk therof schal stie, and the root therof schal stie, for he dide proudli.

21 Land, do not be afraid. Be glad and rejoice, for YHWH has done great things.

Erthe, nyle thou drede, make thou ful out ioye, and be glad; for the Lord magnefiede that he schulde do.

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.

Beestis of the cuntrei, nyle ye drede, for the faire thingis of desert buriowneden; for the tre brouyte his fruyt, the fige tre and vyner yauen her vertu.

23 "Be glad then, you people of Zion, and rejoice in YHWH, 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.

And the sones of Sion, make ye ful out ioie, and be ye glad in youre Lord God, for he yaf to you a techere of riytfulnesse, and he schal make morewtid reyn and euentid reyn to come doun to you, as in the bigynnyng.

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

And cornflooris schulen be fillid of wheete, and pressours schulen flowe with wyn, and oile.

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.

And Y schal yelde to you the yeris whiche the locuste, bruke, and rust, and wort worm, my greet strengthe, eet, which Y sente in to you.

26 You will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, and will praise the name of YHWH, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people will never be put to shame.

And ye schulen ete etyng, and ye schulen be fillid; and ye schulen herie the name of youre Lord God, that made merueils with you; and my puple schal not be schent with outen ende.

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

And ye schulen wite, that Y am in the myddis of Israel; and Y am youre Lord God, and `noon is more; and my puple schal not be schent with outen ende.

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.

And it schal be, aftir these thingis Y schal schede out my spirit on ech man, and youre sones and youre douytris schulen profesie; youre elde men schulen dreme dremes, and youre yonge men schulen se visiouns.

29 And also on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

But also Y schal schede out my spirit on my seruauntis, and handmaydis, in tho daies;

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

and Y schal yyue grete wondris in heuene, and in erthe, blood, and fier, and the heete of smoke.

31 The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of YHWH comes.

The sunne schal be turned in to derknessis, and the moone in to blood, bifor that the greet dai and orrible of the Lord come.

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

And it schal be, ech that clepith to helpe the name of the Lord, schal be saaf; for whi saluacioun schal be in the hil of Sion and in Jerusalem, as the Lord seide, and in the residue men, whiche the Lord clepith.