Joel 2
1 Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all who live in the land tremble for the day of the Lord is coming—it's definitely near!
Blow ye a horn in Zion, sound an alarm in my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land, tremble, —for coming is the day of Yahweh, for it is near!—
2 It's a gloomy day of darkness, a day of thick clouds and heavy shadows. Like the dawn spreading over the mountains, an army appears, so large and powerful that there has never ever been anything like it before, nor will there ever be anything like it again.
A day of obscurity and deep gloom, a day of cloud, and thick darkness, as dusk, spread over the mountains, —a people, many and bold, like whom, hath not been from age-past times, and, after whom, shall not be again unto the years of generation after generation.
3 Fire blazes in front of them, behind them flames are burning. In front of them the land looks like the Garden of Eden, behind them is a desert of total desolation: not a single survivor remains.
Before him, hath a fire, devoured, and, after him, shall a flame, consume, —As the garden of Eden, is the land before him, but, after him, a desert most desolate, Moreover also, escape, giveth he none.
4 They have the appearance of horses; they charge like cavalry.
As the appearance of horses, is his appearance, and, as war-horses, so, shall they run:
5 Listen to the sound: they are like rumbling chariots leaping over the mountain tops, they are like crackling flames burning stubble, they are like a mighty army marching in formation into battle.
Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains, shall they rattle along, like the noise of a flame of fire, devouring dry straw, —like a people bold, arrayed for battle.
6 Terror seizes all those in their path; all the people's faces grow pale.
Because of him, shall peoples’, be in anguish, —all faces, have withdrawn their colour.
7 They attack like mighty warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march as one, never breaking ranks.
Like heroes, shall they run, like men of war, shall they mount a wall, —and, every one—along his own road, shall they march along, and shall not change their paths;
8 They do not jostle one another, they stay on track; and even if some are cut down, they are not stopped.
Nor, against each other, shall they strike, Each—on his own highway, shall they march, —though, in among the weapons, they fall, they shall not stop.
9 They rush to and fro in the city; they run along the walls; they climb into houses, entering through the windows like thieves.
Upon the city, shall they leap, on the wall, shall they run, up the houses, shall they climb, —through the windows, shall they enter, like a thief,
10 The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble, the sun and the moon grow dark, the stars stop shining.
Before him, hath quaked the earth, have trembled the heavens, —the sun and the moon, have become dark, and, the stars, have withdrawn their shining;
11 The Lord shouts his commands at the head of his army. His camp his immense, and those who carry out his orders are powerful. The day of the Lord is totally terrifying—who can stand it?
And, Yahweh, hath uttered his voice, before his host, for great indeed is his camp, for bold is he who executeth his word, —for great is the day of Yahweh, and awful exceedingly, Who then shall endure it?
12 “Yet even now,” says the Lord, “Come back to me while there is still time. Come to me with all your heart, with fasting and prayer.
Even now, therefore, urgeth Yahweh, Turn ye unto me, with all your heart, —and with fasting and with weeping, and with lamentation;
13 Repent in your minds, and not by tearing your clothes.” Come back to the Lord your God for he is gracious and kind. He is slow to get angry and full of faithful love, and changes his mind about sending punishment.
And rend your heart, and not your garments, turn therefore, unto Yahweh your God, —for, gracious and full of compassion, is he, slow to anger, and abundant in loving- kindness, and will grieve over calamity.
14 Who knows? Maybe he will change his mind, leaving behind a blessing so that you will be able to make grain and wine offerings to the Lord your God.
Who knoweth, he may turn and grieve, —and leave behind him, a blessing, a meal-offering and a drink-offering, to Yahweh your God?
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast; call a solemn assembly.
Blow ye a horn, in Zion, —hallow a fast, call a solemn assembly:
16 Gather the people together: the elders, the children, even the babies. Let the bridegroom leave his room; let the bride leave her room.
Gather the people, hallow a convocation, collect the elders, gather the children, and the sucklings of the breasts, —let the bridegroom, come forth, from his chamber, and the bride from her bower:
17 Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar of the Temple. Let them say, “Lord, please take pity on your people, and do not let your inheritance be disgraced, ruled over by foreign nations, so that the people of these nations could ask, ‘Where is their God?’”
Between the porch and the altar, let the priests, weep, the attendants of Yahweh, —and let them say—Look with pity, O Yahweh, upon thy people, and do not deliver thine inheritance to reproach, that the nations, should mock them, Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?
18 Now the Lord is very protective of his land and takes pity on his people.
And Yahweh became jealous for his land, —and took pity on his people;
19 The Lord will reply, saying to his people, “Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil, and you will be satisfied. You will no longer be a disgrace among the foreign nations.
Then answered Yahweh, and said to his people: —Behold me! sending you the corn, and the new wine and the oil, so shall ye be satisfied therewith; and I will not make you, any more, a reproach among the nations.
20 I will remove from you the army from the north; I will drive them into the desolate wilderness—the front into the eastern sea, and the rear into the western sea. The stench of the dead army will rise up—a real stink—for it has done terrible things.”
And, the Northerner, will I remove far from you, and drive him into a land parched and desolate, with, his face, toward the eastern sea, and, his rear, toward the hinder sea, —then shall come up his ill odour, yea his stench, shall ascend, because he hath shown himself great in doing.
21 Don't be afraid, people of the land! Be happy and celebrate, for the Lord has done incredible things!
Be not thou afraid, O soil, —exult and rejoice, because Yahweh, hath shown himself great, in doing.
22 Don't be afraid, wild animals! For the pastures of the wilderness are turning green. The trees are fruiting again—the fig trees and the grapevines are producing a good crop.
Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field, for sprouted have the pastures of the wilderness, —for, the tree, hath borne its fruit, the fig-tree and the vine, have yielded their wealth.
23 People of Jerusalem! Celebrate and be happy in the Lord your God because he has given you rain to show his goodness. As before he sends the autumn and the spring rains.
Ye sons of Zion, then, exult and be glad in Yahweh your God, for he hath given you the seed-rain, in right manner, —Yea he hath caused to descend for you a down-pour, of seed-rain and of the harvest-rain in the first month;
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain, the vats will overflow with new wine and olive oil.
So shall the threshing-floors, be filled, with corn, —and the vats, overflow, with new wine and oil.
25 “I will give back to you what you lost over the years to the swarming, hopping, destroying, and cutting locusts, this great army that I sent against you.
Then will I make good to you the years which were eaten by the swarming locust, the grass locust, and the corn locust and the creeping locust, —even my great army, which I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, and you will be satisfied, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God who has done miracles for you. My people will never again be ashamed.
And ye shall eat and eat, and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of Yahweh your God, who hath dealt with you wondrously, —so shall my people, not be abashed, unto times age-abiding.
27 You will know that I am in the midst of my people Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other. My people will never again be ashamed.
So shall ye know that, in the midst of Israel, I am, and that, I, Yahweh, am your God, and none else, —and my people, shall not be abashed, unto times age-abiding.
28 After this I will pour out my spirit on everyone. Your sons and daughters will be my prophets, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.
And it shall come to pass, afterwards, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters, shall prophesy, —your old men, shall dream, dreams, your young men, shall see, visions;
29 In those days I will also pour out my spirit on male slaves and female slaves.
Moreover also, upon the servants and upon the handmaids—in those days, will I pour out my spirit;
30 I will place wonders in the heavens and on earth: blood, and fire, and columns of smoke.
And I will set forth wonders in the heavens, and in the earth, —blood, and fire, and columns of smoke:
31 The sun will turn dark, and the moon will turn red like blood at the coming of the great and fearful day of the Lord.”
The sun, shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, —before the coming of the great and awful day of Yahweh.
32 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, rescued from Mount Zion and Jerusalem, as the Lord has said—these are among the survivors the Lord has called.
And it shall come to pass, whosoever, shall call on the name of Yahweh, shall be delivered, —For in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, shall be a delivered remnant, just as Yahweh hath said, and among the survivors, whom Yahweh doth call.
