Joel 2

1 Blow a horn in Zion, And shout in My holy hill, All inhabitants of the earth tremble, For the Day of YHWH is coming, for [it is] near!

Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on my holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of Jehovah is coming, for it is near.

2 A day of darkness and thick darkness, A day of cloud and thick darkness, As darkness spread on the mountains, A people numerous and mighty, Like there has not been from of old, And after it there is not again—Until the years of generation and generation.

A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As blackness spreading on the mountains a great and powerful people; there has never been the like, neither will there be any more after them, even after the years of many generations.

3 Before it fire has consumed, And after it a flame burns, As the Garden of Eden [is] the land before it, And after it a wilderness—a desolation! And also there has not been to it an escape,

A fire devours before them, and behind them, a flame burns. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them, a desolate wilderness. Yes, and no one has escaped them.

4 As the appearance of horses [is] its appearance, And as horsemen, so they run.

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

5 As the noise of chariots, they skip on the tops of the mountains, As the noise of a flame of fire devouring stubble, As a mighty people set in array for battle.

Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, as a mighty people drawn up for battle.

6 Pained are peoples from its face, All faces have gathered paleness.

At their presence the peoples are in anguish. All faces have grown pale.

7 They run as mighty ones, As men of war they go up a wall, And they each go in his own ways, And they do not change their paths.

They run like mighty men. They climb the wall like warriors. They each march in his line, and they do not swerve off course.

8 And each does not press his brother, They each go on in his way, If they fall by the missile, they are not cut off.

Neither does one jostle another; they march everyone in his path, and they burst through the defenses, and do not break ranks.

9 In the city they run to and fro, On the wall they run, Into houses they go up by the windows, They go in as a thief.

They rush on the city. They run on the wall. They climb up into the houses. They enter in at the windows like thieves.

10 At their face the earth has trembled, The heavens have shaken, Sun and moon have been black, And stars have gathered up their shining.

The earth quakes before them. The heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

11 And YHWH has given forth His voice before His force, For His camp [is] very great, For mighty [is] the doer of His word, For great [is] the Day of YHWH—very fearful, And who bears it?

Jehovah thunders his voice before his army; for his forces are very great; for he is strong who obeys his command; for the day of Jehovah is great and very awesome, and who can endure it?

12 “And also now,” a declaration of YHWH, “Turn back to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, and with weeping, And with lamentation.”

"Yet even now," says Jehovah, "turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning."

13 And tear your heart, and not your garments, And turn back to your God YHWH, For He [is] gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and abundant in kindness, And relenting from evil.

Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Jehovah, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.

14 Who knows—He turns back, Indeed—He has relented, And He has left behind Him a blessing, A present and drink-offering of your God YHWH?

Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to Jehovah, your God.

15 Blow a horn in Zion, Sanctify a fast—proclaim a restraint.

Blow the trumpet in Zion. Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly.

16 Gather the people, sanctify an assembly, Assemble the aged, Gather infants and sucklings of the breasts, Let a bridegroom go out from his inner chamber, And a bride out of her closet.

Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who suck the breasts. Let the bridegroom go forth from his room, and the bride out of her chamber.

17 Let the priests weep between the porch and the altar, servants of YHWH, And let them say: “Have pity, O YHWH, on Your people, And do not give Your inheritance to reproach, To the ruling over them of nations, Why do they say among peoples, Where [is] their God?”

Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, "Spare your people, Jehovah, and do not give your heritage to mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"

18 And let YHWH be zealous for His land, And have pity on His people.

Then Jehovah was jealous for his land, And had pity on his people.

19 Let YHWH answer and say to His people, “Behold, I am sending to you the grain, And the new wine, and the oil, And you have been satisfied with it, And I make you no longer a reproach among nations,

Jehovah answered his people, "Look, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will eat and you will be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

20 And the northern I put far off from you, And have driven him to a land dry and desolate, With his face toward the Eastern Sea, And his rear to the Western Sea, And his stink has come up, And his stench comes up, For he has exerted himself to work.”

But I will remove the northern army far away from you, and will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea; and its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise." Surely he has done great things.

21 Do not fear, O land! Be glad and rejoice, For YHWH has exerted Himself to work.

Land, do not be afraid. Be glad and rejoice, for Jehovah has done great things.

22 Do not fear, O livestock of the field! For pastures of a wilderness have sprung up, For the tree has borne its fruit, Fig tree and vine have given their strength!

Do not be afraid, you animals of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness spring up, for the tree bears its fruit. The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.

23 And you sons of Zion, Be glad and rejoice in your God YHWH, For He has given to you the Teacher for righteousness, And causes a shower to come down to you, Early rain and spring rain [as] in the beginning.

"Be glad then, you people of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah, your God; for he gives you the former rain in just measure, and he causes the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain, as before.

24 And the floors have been full [with] pure grain, And the presses have overflown [with] new wine and oil.

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

25 “And I have repaid to you the years that the locust consumed, The cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, My great force that I sent against you.

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar, my great army, which I sent among you.

26 And you have eaten, eating and being satisfied, And have praised the Name of your God YHWH, Who has dealt with you wonderfully, And My people are not ashamed for all time.

You will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, and will praise the name of Jehovah, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people will never be put to shame.

27 And you have known that I [am] in the midst of Israel, And I [am] your God YHWH, and there is none else, And My people are not ashamed for all time.

You will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Jehovah, your God, and there is no one else; and my people will never be put to shame.

28 And it has come to pass afterward, I pour out My Spirit on all flesh, And your sons and your daughters have prophesied, Your old men dream dreams, Your young men see visions.

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.

29 And also on the menservants and on the maidservants, In those days I pour out My Spirit.

And also on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

30 And I have given wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood, and fire, and columns of smoke.

And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, fire, and pillars of smoke.

31 The sun is turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, Before the coming of the Day of YHWH, The great and the fearful.

The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of Jehovah comes.

32 And it has come to pass, Everyone who calls on the Name of YHWH is delivered, For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there is an escape, As YHWH has said, And among the remnants whom YHWH is calling!”

And it will happen that whoever will call on the name of Jehovah shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as Jehovah has said, and among the remnant, those whom Jehovah calls.