Joel 2
Modern English Version
The Day of the Lord
2 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion,
sound the alarm on My holy mountain!
All the inhabitants of the earth will tremble,
because the day of the Lord has come,
because it is near—
2 a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness.
Like blackness spreading over the mountain,
a great and mighty army comes,
such as was never before,
and will never be again,
even through the years of all generations.
3 Before them fire devours,
and behind them a flame blazes;
the land is like the garden of Eden before them,
but behind them a desolate wasteland,
and nothing escapes them.
4 They have the appearance of horses,
and like cavalry they run.
5 As with the sound of chariots,
they leap on the mountaintops,
as with the sound of a flame of fire consuming stubble,
as a mighty army arrayed for war.
6 Before them, peoples are tormented;
every face turns pale.
7 Like mighty men they run,
like men of war they scale a wall;
each marches on his way,
they do not swerve from their paths.
8 They do not jostle one another;
each marches in his track.
Through the weapons they plunge;
they do not break rank.
9 They rush on the city,
they run on the wall;
they climb up into the houses,
they enter through the windows like thieves.
10 Before them the earth quakes,
the heavens shake;
the sun and moon darken,
and the stars withdraw their radiance.
11 The Lord has sounded His voice
before His army,
for His camp is exceedingly great;
mighty is the one who accomplishes His word.
For great is the day of the Lord,
and very awe-inspiring.
Who can endure it?
Return to the Lord
12 Yet even now, declares the Lord,
return to Me with all your heart,
and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning.
13 Rend your heart,
and not your garments;
return to the Lord your God,
for He is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and He relents from punishing.
14 Who knows? He might turn aside and relent,
and He might leave behind a blessing—
a grain offering and a food offering
for the Lord your God.
15 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion,
consecrate a fast,
call a sacred assembly.
16 Gather the people,
consecrate the congregation,
assemble the elders,
gather the children
and those nursing at the breast;
let the bridegroom leave his room
and the bride her chamber.
17 Between the temple porch and the altar,
let the priests, ministers of the Lord, weep and say,
“Have pity upon Your people,
and do not make Your heritage a disgrace,
a mockery among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’ ”
Rescue and Restitution
18 Then the Lord became jealous for His land
and took pity upon His people.
19 So the Lord answered and said to His people,
Here! I am sending you grain, new wine, and oil,
and you will be satisfied,
and I will never again make you
a disgrace among the nations.
20 I will remove the northerner far from you,
and I will banish him to a dry and desolate land,
those in front to the eastern sea,
and those in back to the western sea,
and his stink will rise,
and his stench will rise,
for he has done great things.
21 Do not be afraid, land;
exult and rejoice,
for the Lord has done great things!
22 Do not be afraid, beasts of the field,
because the wild pastures flourish,
because the tree bears its fruit;
the fig tree and the vine yield their abundance.
23 And children of Zion, exult
and rejoice in the Lord your God,
because He has given to you
the early rain for vindication.
He showers down rains for you,
the early rain and the latter rain, as before.
24 Then the threshing floors will be filled with grain,
and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
25 And I will compensate you for the years the locusts have eaten—
the larval locust, the hopper locust,
and the fledging locust—
My great army which I sent against you.
26 You will eat abundantly and be satisfied,
and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has worked wonders for you;
and My people will never again be shamed.
27 Then you will know that I am in the midst of Israel,
that I am the Lord your God,
and that there is no other.
And My people will never again be shamed.
The Outpouring of the Spirit
28 And it will be that, afterwards,
I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
and your young men will see visions.
29 Even on the menservants and maidservants
in those days I will pour out My Spirit.
30 Then I will work wonders in the heavens
and the earth—
blood and fire and columns of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness,
and the moon to blood,
before the great and awe-inspiring day of the Lord comes.
32 And it will be that everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the Lord has said,
and among the survivors
whom the Lord calls.
Joel 2
American Standard Version
2 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of Jehovah cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 2 a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, as the dawn spread upon the mountains; a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after them, even to the years of many generations. 3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and none hath escaped them.
4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as [a]horsemen, so do they run. 5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. 6 At their presence the peoples are in anguish; all faces are waxed pale. 7 They run like mighty men; they climb the wall like men of war; and they march every one on his ways, and they break not their ranks. 8 Neither doth one thrust another; they march every one in his path; and [b]they burst through the weapons, and [c]break not off their course. 9 They leap upon the city; they run upon the wall; they climb up into the houses; they enter in at the windows like a thief. 10 The earth quaketh before them; the heavens tremble; the sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. 11 And Jehovah uttereth his voice before his army; for his camp is very great; for he is strong that executeth his word; for the day of Jehovah is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
12 Yet even now, saith Jehovah, turn ye unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal-offering and a drink-offering unto Jehovah your God?
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; 16 gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the [d]old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17 Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should [e]rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? 18 Then was Jehovah jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. 19 And Jehovah answered and said unto his people, Behold, I will send you grain, and new wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations; 20 but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, [f]its forepart [g]into the eastern sea, and its hinder part [h]into the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things.
21 Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice; for Jehovah hath done great things. 22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth its fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength. 23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he giveth you the former rain [i]in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, [j]in the first month. 24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. 25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you. 26 And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of Jehovah your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you; and my people shall never be put to shame. 27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Jehovah your God, and there is none else; and my people shall never be put to shame.
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that 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 and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. 30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh. 32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as Jehovah hath said, and [k]among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call.
Footnotes
- Joel 2:4 Or, war-horses
- Joel 2:8 Or, when they fall around the weapons, they etc.
- Joel 2:8 Or, are not wounded
- Joel 2:16 Or, elders
- Joel 2:17 Or, use a byword against them
- Joel 2:20 Or, with its forepart
- Joel 2:20 Or, toward
- Joel 2:20 Or, toward
- Joel 2:23 Or, in (or, for) righteousness
- Joel 2:23 Or, at the first
- Joel 2:32 Or, in the remnant whom etc.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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