Joel 2
Legacy Standard Bible
2 (A)Blow a trumpet in Zion,
And make a loud shout on My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
For the (B)day of Yahweh is coming;
Surely it is near,
2 A day of (C)darkness and thick darkness,
A day of clouds and dense gloom.
As the dawn is spread over the mountains,
So there is a (D)numerous and mighty people;
There has (E)never been anything like it,
Nor will there be again after it
For the years from generation to generation.
3 A (F)fire consumes before them,
And behind them a flame burns.
The land is (G)like the garden of Eden before them
But a (H)desolate wilderness behind them,
And nothing at all escapes them.
4 Their (I)appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like war horses, so they run.
5 [a]With a (J)noise as of chariots
They leap on the tops of the mountains,
Like the [b]crackling of a (K)flame of fire consumes the stubble,
Like a mighty people arranged for battle.
6 Before them the peoples are (L)writhing;
All (M)faces [c]turn pale.
7 They run like mighty men;
They climb up the wall like men of war;
And they each (N)march [d]in line,
And they do not deviate from their paths.
8 They do not crowd each other;
They march everyone in his path;
When they fall against the defending weapons,
They do not break ranks.
9 They rush on the city;
They run on the wall;
They climb up into the (O)houses;
They (P)enter through the windows like a thief.
10 Before them the earth (Q)trembles;
The heavens quake;
The (R)sun and the moon grow dark,
And the stars [e]lose their brightness.
11 But Yahweh (S)gives forth His voice before (T)His military force;
Surely His camp is very numerous,
For (U)mighty is he who does His word.
The (V)day of Yahweh is indeed great and very awesome,
And (W)who can endure it?
Return to Yahweh
12 “Yet even now,” declares Yahweh,
“(X)Return to Me with all your heart
And with (Y)fasting, weeping, and [f]wailing;
13 And (Z)tear your heart and not (AA)your garments.”
Now return to Yahweh your God,
For He is (AB)gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness,
And (AC)relenting concerning evil.
14 Who knows (AD)whether He will not turn and relent
And leave a (AE)blessing behind Him,
Even (AF)a grain offering and a drink offering
For Yahweh your God?
15 (AG)Blow a trumpet in Zion,
(AH)Set apart a fast as holy, call for a solemn assembly,
16 Gather the people, (AI)set apart the congregation as holy,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the infants and the nursing babies.
Let the (AJ)bridegroom come out of his room
And the bride out of her bridal chamber.
17 Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh,
Weep (AK)between the porch and the altar,
And let them say, “(AL)Pity Your people, O Yahweh,
And do not make Your inheritance a (AM)reproach,
A byword among the nations.
Why should they among the peoples say,
‘(AN)Where is their God?’”
Yahweh Will Spare His People
18 Then Yahweh [g]will be (AO)zealous for His land
And [h]will (AP)spare His people.
19 Then Yahweh [i]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 [j]them;
And I will (AR)never again make you a reproach among the nations.
20 But I will remove the (AS)northern military force far from you,
And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land,
And its vanguard into the (AT)eastern sea,
And its rear guard into the (AU)western sea.
And its (AV)stench will rise up, and its foul smell will rise up,
For it has done great things.”
21 (AW)Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad,
For Yahweh has done (AX)great things.
22 Do not fear, beasts of the field,
For the (AY)pastures of the wilderness have turned green,
For the tree has borne its fruit;
The fig tree and the vine have yielded [k]their full force.
23 So rejoice, O (AZ)sons of Zion,
And (BA)be glad in Yahweh your God,
For He has (BB)given you [l]the early rain in righteousness.
And He has poured down for you the rain,
The [m]early and [n](BC)late rains [o]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 pay back to you in full for the years
That the swarming (BE)locust has consumed,
The creeping locust, the stripping locust, and the gnawing locust,
My great military force which I sent among you.
26 And you will have plenty to (BF)consume and be satisfied
And (BG)praise the name of Yahweh your God,
Who has (BH)dealt wondrously with you;
Then My people will (BI)never be put to shame.
27 Thus you will (BJ)know that I am in the midst of Israel,
And that I am Yahweh your God,
And there is (BK)no other;
And My people will never be (BL)put to shame.
Yahweh Will Pour Out His Spirit
28 “[p](BM)And it will be afterwards
That I will (BN)pour out My Spirit on all [q](BO)mankind;
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy;
Your old men will dream dreams;
Your young men will see visions.
29 Even on the (BP)male slaves and female slaves
I will in those days pour out My Spirit.
Deliverance in the Day of Yahweh
30 And I will (BQ)put 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 Yahweh comes.
32 And it will be that (BT)everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh
Will [r]be delivered;
For (BU)on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who (BV)escape,
As Yahweh has said,
Even among the (BW)survivors whom Yahweh calls.
Footnotes
- Joel 2:5 Lit Like the noise of chariots
- Joel 2:5 Lit noise
- Joel 2:6 Lit gather their radiance
- Joel 2:7 Lit in his ways
- Joel 2:10 Lit gather together
- Joel 2:12 Or lamentation, cf. 1:13
- Joel 2:18 Or was zealous
- Joel 2:18 Or had spared
- Joel 2:19 Or answered and said
- Joel 2:19 Lit it
- Joel 2:22 Or their excellence
- Joel 2:23 Autumn; or possibly word play to mean the teacher for righteousness, cf. Is 30:20
- Joel 2:23 Autumn
- Joel 2:23 Spring
- Joel 2:23 As in ancient versions; Heb in the first
- Joel 2:28 Ch 3:1 in Heb
- Joel 2:28 Lit flesh
- Joel 2:32 Lit escape
Joel 2
English Standard Version
The Day of the Lord
2 (A)Blow a trumpet in (B)Zion;
sound an alarm on (C)my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for (D)the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,
2 (E)a day of darkness and gloom,
(F)a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains
(G)a great and powerful people;
(H)their like has never been before,
nor will be again after them
through the years of all generations.
3 (I)Fire devours before them,
and behind them a flame burns.
The land is like (J)the garden of Eden before them,
but (K)behind them a desolate wilderness,
and nothing escapes them.
4 (L)Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,
and like war horses they run.
5 (M)As with the rumbling of chariots,
they leap on the tops of the mountains,
like the crackling of (N)a flame of fire
devouring the stubble,
(O)like a powerful army
drawn up for battle.
6 Before them peoples are in anguish;
(P)all faces grow pale.
7 Like warriors they charge;
like soldiers they scale the wall.
They march each on his way;
they do not swerve from their paths.
8 They do not jostle one another;
(Q)each marches in his path;
they burst through the weapons
and are not halted.
9 (R)They leap upon the city,
they run upon the walls,
(S)they climb up into the houses,
(T)they enter through the windows (U)like a thief.
10 (V)The earth quakes before them;
the heavens tremble.
(W)The sun and the moon are darkened,
and the stars withdraw their shining.
11 (X)The Lord utters his voice
before (Y)his army,
for his camp is exceedingly great;
(Z)he who executes his word is powerful.
(AA)For the day of the Lord is (AB)great and very awesome;
(AC)who can endure it?
Return to the Lord
12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
(AD)“return to me with all your heart,
(AE)with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 and (AF)rend your hearts and not (AG)your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
(AH)for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
(AI)and he relents over disaster.
14 (AJ)Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and (AK)leave a blessing behind him,
(AL)a grain offering and a drink offering
for the Lord your God?
15 (AM)Blow the trumpet in Zion;
(AN)consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
16 gather the people.
(AO)Consecrate the congregation;
assemble the elders;
(AP)gather the children,
even nursing infants.
(AQ)Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her chamber.
17 (AR)Between the (AS)vestibule and the (AT)altar
(AU)let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep
and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
a byword among the nations.[a]
(AV)Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
The Lord Had Pity
18 (AW)Then the Lord became jealous for his land
(AX)and had pity on his people.
19 The Lord answered and said to his people,
“Behold, (AY)I am sending to you
grain, wine, and oil,
(AZ)and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
a reproach among the nations.
20 “I will remove the northerner far from you,
and drive him into a parched and desolate land,
his vanguard[b] into (BA)the eastern sea,
and his rear guard[c] into (BB)the western sea;
(BC)the stench and foul smell of him will rise,
for he has done great things.
21 “Fear not, O land;
be glad and rejoice,
for (BD)the Lord has done great things!
22 Fear not, (BE)you beasts of the field,
for (BF)the pastures of the wilderness are green;
(BG)the tree bears its fruit;
the fig tree and (BH)vine give their full yield.
23 (BI)“Be glad, O children of Zion,
and (BJ)rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given (BK)the early rain for your vindication;
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
(BL)the early and (BM)the latter rain, as before.
24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will restore[d] to you the years
that (BN)the swarming locust has eaten,
(BO)the hopper, (BP)the destroyer, and (BQ)the cutter,
(BR)my great army, which I sent among you.
26 (BS)“You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people (BT)shall never again be put to shame.
27 (BU)You shall know that I am (BV)in the midst of Israel,
and that (BW)I am the Lord your God (BX)and there is none else.
And my people (BY)shall never again be put to shame.
The Lord Will Pour Out His Spirit
28 [e] (BZ)“And it shall come to pass afterward,
that (CA)I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
(CB)your sons and (CC)your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
29 (CD)Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
30 “And I will show (CE)wonders in the heavens and (CF)on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 (CG)The sun shall be turned to darkness, (CH)and the moon to blood, (CI)before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that (CJ)everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (CK)For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among (CL)the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
