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 trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble in fear, for the day of Yahweh 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.
It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. Like the dawn that spreads on the mountains, a large and mighty army is approaching. There has never been an army like it, and there never will be again, even after many generations.
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,
A fire is consuming everything in front of it, and behind it a flame is burning. The land is like the garden of Eden in front of it, but behind it there is a ruined wilderness. Indeed, nothing will escape from it.
4 As the appearance of horses [is] its appearance, And as horsemen, so they run.
The army's appearance is like horses, and they run like horsemen.
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.
They jump with a noise like that of chariots on the tops of the mountains, like the noise of fiery flames that devour the stubble, like a mighty army ready for battle.
6 From its face pained are peoples, All faces have gathered paleness.
At their presence people are in anguish and all their faces become 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 run like mighty warriors; they climb the walls like soldiers; they march, every one in step, and do not break their ranks.
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.
Neither does one thrust another aside; they march, each in his path; they break through the defenses and do not fall out of line.
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 rush on the city, they run on the wall, they climb in the houses, and they go through the 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.
The earth shakes in front of them, the heavens tremble, the sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars stop shining.
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?
Yahweh raises his voice in front of his army, for his warriors are very numerous; for they are strong, those who carry out his commands. For the day of Yahweh is great and very terrible. Who can survive 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,” says Yahweh, “Return to me with all your heart. Fast, weep, and mourn.”
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.
Tear your heart and not only your garments, and return to Yahweh your God. For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abundant in covenant faithfulness, and he would like to turn from inflicting punishment.
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? Will he perhaps turn and have compassion, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for Yahweh your God?
15 Blow ye a trumpet in Zion, Sanctify a fast — proclaim a restraint.
Blow the trumpet in Zion, call for a holy fast, and call a holy 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, call for the holy assembly. Assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegrooms come out of their rooms, and the brides out of their bridal chambers.
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, the servants of Yahweh, weep between the porch and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Yahweh, and do not make your inheritance into an object of scorn, that the nations mock them. Why should they say among the nations, 'Where is their God?'”
18 And let Jehovah be zealous for His land, And have pity on His people.
Then Yahweh was zealous for his land and had pity on 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,
Yahweh answered his people, “Look, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil. You will be satisfied with them, and I will no longer make you a disgrace 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.
I will remove the northern attackers far from you, and will drive them into a dry and abandoned land. The front of their army will go into the eastern sea, and the rear into the western sea. Its stench will rise, and its bad smell will rise.” Indeed, he has done great things.
21 Do not fear, O land! joy and rejoice, For Jehovah hath exerted Himself to work.
Do not fear, land, be glad and rejoice, for Yahweh will do 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 fear, beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness will sprout, the trees will bear their fruit, and the fig trees and the vines will yield their full harvest.
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, people of Zion, and rejoice in Yahweh your God. For he will give you the autumn rain in due course and bring down showers for you, the autumn rain and the spring rain 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 wheat, 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 restore to you the years of crops that the swarming locust has eaten —the great locust, the devouring locust, and the destroying locust— my mighty army that I sent among 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 eat plentifully and be full, and praise the name of Yahweh your God, who has done wonders among you, and I will never again bring shame on my people.
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.
You will know that I am among Israel, and that I am Yahweh your God, and there is none else, and I will never bring shame on my people.
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.
It will come about afterward that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your 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.
Also on servants and female servants, in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
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, fire, and pillars 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 turn into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes.
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!
It will be that everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as Yahweh has said, and among the survivors, those whom Yahweh calls.
