The Terrible Visitation

(A)Blow a trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm on My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
For the (B)day of the Lord is coming;
Indeed, it is near,
A day of (C)darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness.
As dawn is spread over the mountains,
So there is a (D)great and mighty people;
There has (E)never been anything like it,
Nor will there be again after it
To the years of many generations.
A (F)fire consumes before them,
And behind them a flame devours.
The land is (G)like the Garden of Eden before them,
But a (H)desolate wilderness behind them,
And nothing at all escapes them.
Their (I)appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like war horses, so they run.
[a]With a (J)noise as of chariots
They leap about on the tops of the mountains,
Like the [b]crackling of a (K)flame of fire consuming the stubble,
Like a mighty people drawn up for battle.
Before them the people are in (L)anguish;
All (M)faces [c]turn pale.
They run like warriors,
They climb the wall like soldiers;
And each of them (N)marches [d]in line,
Nor do they lose their way.
They do not crowd each other,
Every warrior of them marches in his path;
When they [e]burst through the [f]defenses,
They do not break ranks.
They storm the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the (O)houses,
They (P)enter through the windows like a thief.
10 Before them the earth (Q)quakes,
The heavens tremble,
The (R)sun and the moon become dark,
And the stars lose their brightness.
11 The Lord (S)utters His voice before (T)His army;
His camp is indeed very great,
For (U)mighty is one who carries out His word.
The (V)day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome,
And (W)who can endure it?
12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
(X)Return to Me with all your heart,
And with (Y)fasting, weeping, and mourning;
13 And (Z)tear your heart and not merely (AA)your garments.”
Now return to the Lord your God,
For He is (AB)gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in mercy
And (AC)relenting of catastrophe.
14 Who knows, (AD)He might turn and relent,
And leave a (AE)blessing behind Him,
Resulting in (AF)a grain offering and a drink offering
For the Lord your God.
15 (AG)Blow a trumpet in Zion,
(AH)Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,
16 Gather the people, (AI)sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and the nursing infants.
Have the (AJ)groom come out of his room
And the bride out of her bridal chamber.
17 Let the priests, the Lords ministers,
Weep (AK)between the porch and the altar,
And let them say, “[g](AL)Spare Your people, Lord,
And do not make Your inheritance a (AM)disgrace,
With the nations jeering at them.
Why should those among the peoples say,
(AN)Where is their God?’”

Deliverance Promised

18 Then the Lord [h]will be (AO)zealous for His land,
And [i]will have (AP)compassion for His people.
19 The Lord [j]will answer and say to His people,
“Behold, I am going to (AQ)send you grain, new wine, and oil,
And you will be satisfied in full with [k]them;
And I will (AR)never again make you a disgrace among the nations.
20 But I will remove the (AS)northern army far from you,
And I will drive it into a dry and desolate land,
Its advance guard into the (AT)eastern sea,
And its rear guard into the (AU)western sea.
And its (AV)stench will ascend and its odor of decay will come up,
Because it has done great things.”

21 (AW)Do not fear, land; shout for joy and rejoice,
For the Lord has done (AX)great things.
22 Do not fear, animals of the field,
For the (AY)pastures of the wilderness have turned green,
For the tree has produced its fruit,
The fig tree and the vine have yielded [l]in full.
23 So shout for joy, you (AZ)sons of Zion,
And (BA)rejoice in the Lord your God;
For He has (BB)given you [m]the early rain for your vindication.
And He has brought down for you the rain,
The [n]early and [o](BC)latter rain [p]as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain,
And the vats will (BD)overflow with the new wine and oil.
25 “Then I will compensate you for the years
That the [q]swarming (BE)locust has eaten,
The creeping locust, the stripping locust, and the gnawing locust—
My great army which I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to (BF)eat and be satisfied,
And you will (BG)praise the name of the Lord your God,
Who has (BH)dealt wondrously with you;
Then My people will (BI)never be put to shame.
27 So you will (BJ)know that I am in the midst of Israel,
And that I am the Lord your God
And there is (BK)no other;
And My people will never be (BL)put to shame.

The Promise of the Spirit

28 [r](BM)It will come about after this
That I will (BN)pour out My Spirit on all [s](BO)mankind;
And your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will have dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
29 And even on the (BP)male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

The Day of the Lord

30 I will [t](BQ)display wonders in the sky and on the earth,
Blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
31 The (BR)sun will be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the (BS)great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
32 And it will come about that (BT)everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
Will [u]be saved;
For (BU)on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who (BV)escape,
Just as the Lord has said,
Even among the (BW)survivors whom the Lord calls.

Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:5 Lit Like the noise of chariots
  2. Joel 2:5 Lit sound
  3. Joel 2:6 Or become flushed
  4. Joel 2:7 Lit in his ways
  5. Joel 2:8 Lit fall
  6. Joel 2:8 Lit weapon, prob. javelin
  7. Joel 2:17 Or Look compassionately on
  8. Joel 2:18 Or was zealous
  9. Joel 2:18 Or had compassion
  10. Joel 2:19 Or answered and said
  11. Joel 2:19 Lit it
  12. Joel 2:22 Lit their wealth
  13. Joel 2:23 I.e., autumn; or possibly the teacher for righteousness
  14. Joel 2:23 I.e., autumn
  15. Joel 2:23 I.e., spring
  16. Joel 2:23 As in ancient versions; MT in the first
  17. Joel 2:25 Or migratory
  18. Joel 2:28 Ch 3:1 in Heb
  19. Joel 2:28 Lit flesh
  20. Joel 2:30 Lit give
  21. Joel 2:32 Or flee to safety

An Army of Locusts

Blow the trumpet(A) in Zion;(B)
    sound the alarm on my holy hill.(C)

Let all who live in the land tremble,
    for the day of the Lord(D) is coming.
It is close at hand(E)
    a day of darkness(F) and gloom,(G)
    a day of clouds(H) and blackness.(I)
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
    a large and mighty army(J) comes,
such as never was in ancient times(K)
    nor ever will be in ages to come.

Before them fire(L) devours,
    behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,(M)
    behind them, a desert waste(N)
    nothing escapes them.
They have the appearance of horses;(O)
    they gallop along like cavalry.
With a noise like that of chariots(P)
    they leap over the mountaintops,
like a crackling fire(Q) consuming stubble,
    like a mighty army drawn up for battle.

At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;(R)
    every face turns pale.(S)
They charge like warriors;(T)
    they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line,(U)
    not swerving(V) from their course.
They do not jostle each other;
    each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defenses
    without breaking ranks.
They rush upon the city;
    they run along the wall.
They climb into the houses;(W)
    like thieves they enter through the windows.(X)

10 Before them the earth shakes,(Y)
    the heavens tremble,(Z)
the sun and moon are darkened,(AA)
    and the stars no longer shine.(AB)
11 The Lord(AC) thunders(AD)
    at the head of his army;(AE)
his forces are beyond number,
    and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
The day of the Lord is great;(AF)
    it is dreadful.
    Who can endure it?(AG)

Rend Your Heart

12 “Even now,” declares the Lord,
    “return(AH) to me with all your heart,(AI)
    with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

13 Rend your heart(AJ)
    and not your garments.(AK)
Return(AL) to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and compassionate,(AM)
slow to anger and abounding in love,(AN)
    and he relents from sending calamity.(AO)
14 Who knows? He may turn(AP) and relent(AQ)
    and leave behind a blessing(AR)
grain offerings and drink offerings(AS)
    for the Lord your God.

15 Blow the trumpet(AT) in Zion,(AU)
    declare a holy fast,(AV)
    call a sacred assembly.(AW)
16 Gather the people,
    consecrate(AX) the assembly;
bring together the elders,(AY)
    gather the children,
    those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom(AZ) leave his room
    and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests, who minister(BA) before the Lord,
    weep(BB) between the portico and the altar.(BC)
Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.
    Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,(BD)
    a byword(BE) among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?(BF)’”

The Lord’s Answer

18 Then the Lord was jealous(BG) for his land
    and took pity(BH) on his people.

19 The Lord replied[a] to them:

“I am sending you grain, new wine(BI) and olive oil,(BJ)
    enough to satisfy you fully;(BK)
never again will I make you
    an object of scorn(BL) to the nations.

20 “I will drive the northern horde(BM) far from you,
    pushing it into a parched and barren land;
its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea
    and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.
And its stench(BN) will go up;
    its smell will rise.”

Surely he has done great things!
21     Do not be afraid,(BO) land of Judah;
    be glad and rejoice.(BP)
Surely the Lord has done great things!(BQ)
22     Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
    for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.(BR)
The trees are bearing their fruit;
    the fig tree(BS) and the vine(BT) yield their riches.(BU)
23 Be glad, people of Zion,
    rejoice(BV) in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
    because he is faithful.(BW)
He sends you abundant showers,(BX)
    both autumn(BY) and spring rains,(BZ) as before.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
    the vats will overflow(CA) with new wine(CB) and oil.

25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts(CC) have eaten(CD)
    the great locust and the young locust,
    the other locusts and the locust swarm[b]
my great army(CE) that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,(CF)
    and you will praise(CG) the name of the Lord your God,
    who has worked wonders(CH) for you;
never again will my people be shamed.(CI)
27 Then you will know(CJ) that I am in Israel,
    that I am the Lord(CK) your God,
    and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.(CL)

The Day of the Lord

28 “And afterward,
    I will pour out my Spirit(CM) on all people.(CN)
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,(CO)
    your old men will dream dreams,(CP)
    your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants,(CQ) both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days.(CR)
30 I will show wonders in the heavens(CS)
    and on the earth,(CT)
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness(CU)
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.(CV)
32 And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord(CW) will be saved;(CX)
for on Mount Zion(CY) and in Jerusalem
    there will be deliverance,(CZ)
    as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors(DA)
    whom the Lord calls.[c](DB)

Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:19 Or Lord will be jealous … / and take pity … / 19 The Lord will reply
  2. Joel 2:25 The precise meaning of the four Hebrew words used here for locusts is uncertain.
  3. Joel 2:32 In Hebrew texts 2:28-32 is numbered 3:1-5.