Joel 2

Blow ye the horn in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain; Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD cometh, For it is at hand;

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—

A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, As blackness spread upon the mountains; A great people and a mighty, There hath not been ever the like, Neither shall be any more after them, Even to the years of many generations.

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.

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

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.

The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; And as horsemen, so do they run.

Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like swift steeds.

Like the noise of chariots, On the tops of the mountains do they leap, Like the noise of a flame of fire That devoureth the stubble, As a mighty people set in battle array.

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.

At their presence the peoples are in anguish; All faces have gathered blackness.

Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale.

They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; And they move on every one in his ways, And they entangle 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.

Neither doth one thrust another, They march every one in his highway; And they break through the weapons, And suffer no harm.

They do not jostle one another; each proceeds in his path. They burst through the defenses, never breaking ranks.

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

They storm the city; they run along the wall; they climb into houses, entering through windows like thieves.

Before them the earth quaketh, The heavens tremble; The sun and the moon are become black, And the stars withdraw their shining.

Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness.

And the LORD uttereth His voice before His army; For His camp is very great, For he is mighty that executeth His word; For great is the day of the LORD and very terrible; And who can abide 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?

Yet even now, saith the LORD, Turn ye 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.”

And rend your heart, and not your garments, And turn unto the LORD your God; For He is gracious and compassionate, long-suffering, and abundant in mercy, And repenteth Him of 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 (note: Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion; the range of meaning includes love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and mercy, as well as loyalty to a covenant.). And He relents from sending disaster.

Who knoweth whether He will not turn and repent, And leave a blessing behind Him, Even a meal-offering and a drink-offering Unto the LORD your God?

Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him—grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.

Blow the horn in Zion, Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly;

Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a sacred assembly.

Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children, And those that suck the breasts; Let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, And the bride out of her pavilion.

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.

Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say: ‘Spare thy people, O LORD, And give not Thy heritage to reproach, That the nations should make them a byword: Wherefore should they say among the 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?’”

Then was the LORD jealous for His land, And had pity on His people.

Then the LORD became jealous for His land, and He spared His people.

And the LORD answered and said unto His people: ‘Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, And ye shall be satisfied therewith; And I will no more make you a reproach among the 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.

But I will remove far off from you the northern one, And will drive him into a land barren and desolate, With his face toward the eastern sea, And his hinder part toward the western sea; that his foulness may come up, and his ill savour may come up, because he hath done great things.’

The northern army I will drive away from you, banishing it to a barren and desolate land, its front ranks into the Eastern (note: That is, the Mediterranean Sea, also called the Great Sea)an class="annot-tooltip" tabindex="0" data-tooltip="That is, the Dead Sea" title="That is, the Dead Sea">Sea (note: That is, the Dead 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.

Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice; for the LORD hath done great things.

Do not be afraid, O land; rejoice and be glad, for the LORD has done great things.

Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth its fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield 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 (note: Literally their strength).

Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God; For He giveth you the former rain in just measure, And He causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, at the first.

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.

And the floors shall be full of corn, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

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

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpiller, and the palmer-worm, My great army which I sent among you. .

I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust (note: The precise identification of the four kinds of insects mentioned here is uncertain.)—My great army that I sent against you.

And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be ashamed.

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.

And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and there is none else; and My people shall never be ashamed.

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.