Joel 2
1 Synge ye with a trumpe in Sion, yelle ye in myn hooli hil. Alle the dwelleris of erthe be disturblid; for the dai of the Lord cometh,
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!
2 for the dai of derknessis and of myist is niy, the dai of cloude and of whirlewynde. As the morewtid spred abrood on hillis, a myche puple and strong. Noon was lijk it fro the bigynnyng, and after it schal not be, til in to yeeris of generacioun and of generacioun.
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.
3 Bifore the face therof schal be fier deuourynge, and after it schal be brennynge flawme; as a gardyn of liking the lond schal be bifor him, and wildirnesse of desert schal be after him, and noon is that schal ascape him.
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.
4 The lokyng of hem schal be as the lokyng of horsis, and as horse men so thei schulen renne.
They have the appearance of horses; they charge like cavalry.
5 As the sown of cartis on the heedis of hillis thei schulen skippe; as the sowne of the flawme of fier deuourynge stobil, as a strong puple maad redi to batel.
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.
6 Puplis schulen be turmentid of the face therof, alle facis schulen be dryuun in to a pot.
Terror seizes all those in their path; all the people's faces grow pale.
7 As stronge men thei schulen renne, as men werriours thei schulen stie on the wal. Men schulen go in her weies, and thei schulen not bowe awei fro her pathis.
They attack like mighty warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march as one, never breaking ranks.
8 Ech man schal not make streyt his brother, ech man schal go in his path; but also thei schulen falle doun bi wyndows, and schulen not be hirt.
They do not jostle one another, they stay on track; and even if some are cut down, they are not stopped.
9 Thei schulen entre in to the citee, thei schulen renne on the wal; thei schulen stie on housis, thei schulen entre as a niyt theef bi wyndows.
They rush to and fro in the city; they run along the walls; they climb into houses, entering through the windows like thieves.
10 The erthe tremblide of his face, heuenys weren mouyd, the sunne and the moone weren maad derk, and sterris withdrowen her schynyng.
The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble, the sun and the moon grow dark, the stars stop shining.
11 And the Lord yaf his vois bifor the face of his oost, for hise oostis ben ful manye; for tho ben stronge, and doen the word of hym. For the dai of the Lord is greet, and ful ferdful, and who schal suffre it?
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?
12 Now therfor seith the Lord, Be ye conuertid to me in al youre herte, in fastyng, and wepyng, and weilyng;
“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.
13 and kerue ye youre hertis, and not youre clothis, and be ye conuertid to youre Lord God, for he is benygne, and merciful, pacient, and of myche merci, and abidynge, ether foryyuynge, on malice.
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.
14 Who woot, if God be conuertid, and foryyue, and leeue blessyng aftir hym? sacrifice and moist sacrifice to oure Lord God.
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.
15 Synge ye with a trumpe in Sion, halewe ye fastyng, clepe ye cumpany; gadere ye togidere the puple, halewe ye the chirche,
Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast; call a solemn assembly.
16 gadere ye togidere elde men, gadere ye togidere litle children, and soukynge the brestis; a spouse go out of his bed, and a spousesse of hir chaumbre.
Gather the people together: the elders, the children, even the babies. Let the bridegroom leave his room; let the bride leave her room.
17 Prestis, the mynystris of the Lord, schulen wepe bitwixe the porche and the auter, and schulen seie, Lord! spare thou, spare thi puple, and yyue thou not thin eritage in to schenschipe, that naciouns be lordis of hem. Whi seien thei among puplis, Where is the God of hem?
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?’”
18 The Lord louyde gelousli his lond, and sparide his puple.
Now the Lord is very protective of his land and takes pity on his people.
19 And the Lord answeride, and seide to his puple, Lo! Y schal sende to you wheete, and wyn, and oile, and ye schulen be fillid with tho; and Y schal no more yyue you schenschipe among hethene men.
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.
20 And Y schal make hym that is at the north fer fro you; and Y schal cast hym out in to a lond with out weie, and desert; his face ayens the eest see, and the laste part therof at the last see; and the stynk therof schal stie, and the root therof schal stie, for he dide proudli.
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.”
21 Erthe, nyle thou drede, make thou ful out ioye, and be glad; for the Lord magnefiede that he schulde do.
Don't be afraid, people of the land! Be happy and celebrate, for the Lord has done incredible things!
22 Beestis of the cuntrei, nyle ye drede, for the faire thingis of desert buriowneden; for the tre brouyte his fruyt, the fige tre and vyner yauen her vertu.
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.
23 And the sones of Sion, make ye ful out ioie, and be ye glad in youre Lord God, for he yaf to you a techere of riytfulnesse, and he schal make morewtid reyn and euentid reyn to come doun to you, as in the bigynnyng.
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.
24 And cornflooris schulen be fillid of wheete, and pressours schulen flowe with wyn, and oile.
The threshing floors will be full of grain, the vats will overflow with new wine and olive oil.
25 And Y schal yelde to you the yeris whiche the locuste, bruke, and rust, and wort worm, my greet strengthe, eet, which Y sente in to you.
“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.
26 And ye schulen ete etyng, and ye schulen be fillid; and ye schulen herie the name of youre Lord God, that made merueils with you; and my puple schal not be schent with outen ende.
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.
27 And ye schulen wite, that Y am in the myddis of Israel; and Y am youre Lord God, and `noon is more; and my puple schal not be schent with outen ende.
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.
28 And it schal be, aftir these thingis Y schal schede out my spirit on ech man, and youre sones and youre douytris schulen profesie; youre elde men schulen dreme dremes, and youre yonge men schulen se visiouns.
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.
29 But also Y schal schede out my spirit on my seruauntis, and handmaydis, in tho daies;
In those days I will also pour out my spirit on male slaves and female slaves.
30 and Y schal yyue grete wondris in heuene, and in erthe, blood, and fier, and the heete of smoke.
I will place wonders in the heavens and on earth: blood, and fire, and columns of smoke.
31 The sunne schal be turned in to derknessis, and the moone in to blood, bifor that the greet dai and orrible of the Lord come.
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.”
32 And it schal be, ech that clepith to helpe the name of the Lord, schal be saaf; for whi saluacioun schal be in the hil of Sion and in Jerusalem, as the Lord seide, and in the residue men, whiche the Lord clepith.
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.
