Joel 2

Christian Standard Bible

2 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion;^(A)
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the residents of the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming;^(B)
in fact, it is near—
² a day of darkness and gloom,^(C)
a day of clouds and total darkness,^(D)
like the dawn spreading over the mountains;
a great and strong people^(E) appears,
such as never existed in ages past^(F)
and never will again
in all the generations to come.^(G)

³ A fire devours in front of them,^(H)
and behind them a flame blazes.
The land in front of them
is like the garden of Eden,^(I)
but behind them,
it is like a desert wasteland;^(J)
there is no escape from them.
⁴ Their appearance is like that of horses,^(K)
and they gallop like war horses.
⁵ They bound on the tops of the mountains.
Their sound is like the sound of chariots,^(L)
like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble,^(M)
like a mighty army deployed for war.

⁶ Nations writhe in horror before them;^(N)
all faces turn pale.
⁷ They attack as warriors attack;
they scale walls as men of war do.
Each goes on his own path,^(O)
and they do not change their course.
⁸ They do not push each other;
each proceeds on his own path.
They dodge the arrows, never stopping.
⁹ They storm the city;
they run on the wall;
they climb into the houses;^(P)
they enter through the windows like thieves.^(Q)

¹⁰ The earth quakes before them;^(R)
the sky shakes.
The sun and moon grow dark,^(S)
and the stars cease their shining.^(T)
11 The Lord makes his voice heard^(U)
in the presence of his army.^(V)
His camp is very large;
those who carry out his command are powerful.^(W)
Indeed, the day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful^(X)—
who can endure it?^(Y)

¹⁵ Blow the ram’s horn in Zion!^(AH)
Announce a sacred fast;^(AI)
proclaim a solemn assembly.
¹⁶ Gather the people;
sanctify the congregation;^(AJ)
assemble the aged;^[a](AK)
gather the infants,
even babies nursing at the breast.
Let the groom leave his bedroom,^(AL)
and the bride her honeymoon chamber.
¹⁷ Let the priests,^(AM) the Lord’s ministers,
weep between the portico and the altar.^(AN)
Let them say,
“Have pity on your people, Lord,^(AO)
and do not make your inheritance a disgrace,^(AP)
an object of scorn among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’” ^(AQ)

²⁰ I will drive the northerner far from you^(AV)
and banish him to a dry and desolate land,
his front ranks into the Dead Sea,^(AW)
and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea.^(AX)
His stench will rise;
yes, his rotten smell will rise,^(AY)
for he has done astonishing things.

²¹ Don’t be afraid, land;^(AZ)
rejoice and be glad,
for the Lord has done astonishing things.^(BA)
22 Don’t be afraid, wild animals,
for the wilderness pastures have turned green,^(BB)
the trees bear their fruit,
and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
²³ Children of Zion,^(BC) rejoice and be glad
in the Lord your God,^(BD)
because he gives you the autumn rain^[b]
for your vindication.^[c](BE)
He sends showers for you,
both autumn and spring rain^(BF) as before.
²⁴ The threshing floors will be full of grain,^(BG)
and the vats will overflow
with new wine and fresh oil.

²⁵ I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust ate,^(BH)
the young locust, the destroying locust,
and the devouring locust—
my great army that I sent against you.
²⁶ You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied.^(BI)
You will praise the name of the Lord your God,^(BJ)
who has dealt wondrously with you.^(BK)
My people will never again be put to shame.^(BL)
27 You will know that I am present in Israel^(BM)
and that I am the Lord your God,
and there is no other.^(BN)
My people will never again be put to shame.^(BO)