Joel 2
1 Blow ye a trumpet in Zion, And shout ye in My holy hill, Tremble do all inhabitants of the earth, For coming is the day of Jehovah, 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 it there hath not been from of old, And after it there is not again — till 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 consumed hath fire, And after it burn doth a flame, As the garden of Eden [is] the land before it, And after it a wilderness — a desolation! And also an escape there hath not been to it,
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, on the tops of the mountains they skip, 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 From its face pained are peoples, All faces have gathered paleness.
Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale.
7 As mighty ones they run, As men of war they go up a wall, And each in his own ways they do go, And they embarrass not 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 his brother they press not, Each in his way they go on, If by the missile they fall, 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 trembled hath the earth, Shaken have the heavens, 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 Jehovah hath given forth His voice before His force, For very great [is] His camp, For mighty [is] the doer of His word, For great [is] the day of Jehovah — very fearful, And who doth bear 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 — an affirmation of Jehovah, Turn ye back unto 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 rend your heart, and not your garments, And turn back unto Jehovah your God, For gracious and merciful [is] He, Slow to anger, and abundant in kindness, And He hath repented concerning the 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 knoweth — He doth turn back, Yea — He hath repented, And He hath left behind Him a blessing, A present and libation of Jehovah your God?
Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him— grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.
15 Blow ye a trumpet 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, Go out let a bridegroom 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 Between the porch and the altar weep let the priests, ministrants of Jehovah, And let them say: 'Have pity, O Jehovah, on Thy people, And give not Thy 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 Jehovah 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 Jehovah answer and say to His people, 'Lo, I am sending to you the corn, And the new wine, and the oil, And ye have been satisfied with it, And I make you no more 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 unto a land dry and desolate, With his face unto the eastern sea, And his rear unto the western sea, And come up hath his stink, And come up doth his stench, For he hath 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! joy and rejoice, For Jehovah hath 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 cattle of the field! For sprung forth have pastures of a wilderness, For the tree hath 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 ye sons of Zion, joy and rejoice, In Jehovah your God, For He hath given to you the Teacher for righteousness, And causeth to come down to you a shower, Sprinkling and gathered — 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 full have been the floors [with] pure corn, And overflown have the presses [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 recompensed to you the years That consume did the locust, the cankerworm, And the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, My great force that I did send 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 ye have eaten, eating and being satisfied, And have praised the name of Jehovah your God, Who hath dealt with you wonderfully, And not ashamed are My people to the age.
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 ye have known that in the midst of Israel [am] I, And I [am] Jehovah your God, and there is none else, And not ashamed are My people to the age.
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 hath come to pass afterwards, I do pour out My Spirit on all flesh, And prophesied have your sons and your daughters, Your old men do dream dreams, Your young men do 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 men-servants, and on the maid-servants, In those days I do 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 Jehovah, 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 hath come to pass, Every one who calleth in the name of Jehovah is delivered, For in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there is an escape, As Jehovah hath said, And among the remnants whom Jehovah 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.
