Joel 2

1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion; Sound an alarm in my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble! For the day of Jehovah cometh, for it is near!

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 gloominess, A day of clouds, and thick darkness. As the morning light spreadeth itself upon the mountains, There cometh a numerous people and a strong; Like them there have been none of old time, And after them there shall not be, Even to the years of many generations.

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 A fire devoureth before them, And behind them a flame burneth; The land is as the garden of Eden before them. And behind them a desolate wilderness! Yea, nothing escapeth them.

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 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, And like horsemen do they run;

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

5 Like rattling chariots they leap on the tops of the mountains; Like the crackling flame of fire, which devoureth stubble; Like a mighty host set in battle array.

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 Before them the people tremble, And all faces gather blackness.

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

7 They run like mighty men; They climb the wall like warriors; They march every one on his way; They change not their paths.

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 One doth not thrust another; They march every one in his path, And though they rush among weapons, they are not wounded.

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 They run through the city; They run upon the wall; They go up into the houses; They enter in at the windows, like a thief.

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 The earth quaketh before them, And the heavens tremble; The sun and the moon are darkened, And the stars withdraw their shining.

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 Jehovah uttereth his voice before his army; For very great is his host; Yea, it is mighty, executing his word; The day of Jehovah is great, and very terrible; Who shall be able to bear it?

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 Yet even now, saith Jehovah, Turn ye to me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning!

“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 rend your hearts, and not your garments, And turn to Jehovah your God, For he is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness, And repenteth of a threatened evil.

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 knoweth but he will turn and repent, And leave a blessing behind him, Even a flour-offering and a drink-offering for Jehovah your God.

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 ye the trumpet in Zion; Appoint yea fast; proclaim a solemn assembly!

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

16 Gather the people; appoint a congregation; Assemble the elders; Gather the children and the sucklings! Let the bridegroom come forth from his chamber, And the bride from her nuptial bed!

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, the servants of Jehovah, Weep between the porch and the altar, And say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, And give not thine inheritance to reproach, And to be a by-word to the nations! Why should they say among the nations, Where is their God?

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 Then will Jehovah be zealous for his land, And have compassion on his people,

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

19 Yea, Jehovah will answer, and say to his people, Behold, I will send you corn, And new wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; And I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

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 I will remove far from you the northern host, And I will drive it into a dry and desolate land; Its van toward the Eastern sea, And its rear toward the Western sea. And its scent shall come up, And its ill savor shall come up, Because it hath done great things.

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 Fear not, O land, exult and rejoice, For Jehovah hath done great things!

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

22 Fear not, O ye beasts of the field, For the pastures of the desert spring up, For the tree beareth its fruit; The fig-tree and the vine yield their strength!

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, O ye sons of Zion, exult, And rejoice in Jehovah your God! For he giveth you the former rain in just measure, And causeth showers to come down upon you, Even the former rain, and the latter rain, as aforetime.

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 threshing-floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.

And the floors have been full [with] pure grain, And the presses have overflown [with] new wine and oil.

25 And I will restore to you the years Which the swarming-locust hath eaten, The licking-locust, the consuming-locust, and the gnawing-locusts, My great army, which I sent among you.

“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 Ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, And praise the name of Jehovah your God, Who hath dealt wondrously with you; And my people shall never be put to shame.

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 Ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, And that I am Jehovah, your God, and none else; And my people shall never be put to shame.

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 shall come to pass afterward, That I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.

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 Upon the men-servants also, and upon the handmaids, Will I pour out my spirit in those days.

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

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

And I have given wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood, and fire, and columns of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the day of Jehovah cometh, The great and the terrible day. Then whoever calleth on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered;

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 For upon mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, shall be deliverance, As Jehovah hath spoken; And among the remnant, whom Jehovah shall call.

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!”