Joel 2

Blow the trumpet in Zion,

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 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 devours before 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.

Their appearance is as the appearance of horses,

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

Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains, they leap,

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.

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

They run like mighty men.

They charge like mighty men; they scale the walls like men of war. Each one marches in formation, not swerving from the course.

One doesn’t jostle another.

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

They rush on the city.

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

The earth quakes before them.

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

The LORD thunders his voice before his army,

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,” says the LORD, “turn to me with all your heart,

“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”

Tear your heart and not your garments,

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 knows? He may turn and relent,

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

Blow the trumpet in Zion!

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

Gather the people.

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,

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 the LORD was jealous for his land,

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

The LORD answered his people,

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 the northern army far away from you,

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.

Land, don’t be afraid.

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

Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field;

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, you children of Zion,

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.

The threshing floors will be full of wheat,

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

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,

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.

You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied,

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.

You will know that I am amongst Israel,

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.

“It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

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.

And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days,

Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:

I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns (note: LXX clouds or billows) of smoke.

The sun will be turned into darkness,

The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome (note: Or dreadful; LXX glorious) Day of the LORD.

It will happen that whoever will call on the LORD’s name shall be saved;

And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved (note: Cited in Acts 2:17–21 and Romans 10:13); for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant called by the LORD.