The Day of the Lord

Blow (A)the [a]trumpet in Zion,
And (B)sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For (C)the day of the Lord is coming,
For it is at hand:
(D)A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.
(E)A people come, great and strong,
(F)The like of whom has never been;
Nor will there ever be any such after them,
Even for many successive generations.

A fire devours before them,
And behind them a flame burns;
The land is like (G)the Garden of Eden before them,
(H)And behind them a desolate wilderness;
Surely nothing shall escape them.
(I)Their appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like [b]swift steeds, so they run.
(J)With a noise like chariots
Over mountaintops they leap,
Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble,
Like a strong people set in battle array.

Before them the people writhe in pain;
(K)All faces [c]are drained of color.
They run like mighty men,
They climb the wall like men of war;
Every one marches in formation,
And they do not break (L)ranks.
They do not push one another;
Every one marches in his own [d]column.
Though they lunge between the weapons,
They are not [e]cut down.
They run to and fro in the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the houses,
They (M)enter at the windows (N)like a thief.

10 (O)The earth quakes before them,
The heavens tremble;
(P)The sun and moon grow dark,
And the stars diminish their brightness.
11 (Q)The Lord gives voice before His army,
For His camp is very great;
(R)For strong is the One who executes His word.
For the (S)day of the Lord is great and very terrible;
(T)Who can endure it?

A Call to Repentance

12 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord,
(U)“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 So (V)rend your heart, and not (W)your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is (X)gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
14 (Y)Who knows if He will turn and relent,
And leave (Z)a blessing behind Him—
(AA)A grain offering and a drink offering
For the Lord your God?

15 (AB)Blow the [f]trumpet in Zion,
(AC)Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
16 Gather the people,
(AD)Sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and nursing babes;
(AE)Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,
And the bride from her dressing room.
17 Let the priests, who minister to the Lord,
Weep (AF)between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, (AG)“Spare Your people, O Lord,
And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should [g]rule over them.
(AH)Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’ ”

The Land Refreshed(AI)

18 Then the Lord will (AJ)be zealous for His land,
And pity His people.
19 The Lord will answer and say to His people,
“Behold, I will send you (AK)grain and new wine and oil,
And you will be satisfied by them;
I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.

20 “But (AL)I will remove far from you (AM)the northern army,
And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land,
With his face toward the eastern sea
And his back (AN)toward the western sea;
His stench will come up,
And his foul odor will rise,
Because he has done [h]monstrous things.”

21 Fear not, O land;
Be glad and rejoice,
For the Lord has done [i]marvelous things!
22 Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field;
For (AO)the open pastures are springing up,
And the tree bears its fruit;
The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
23 Be glad then, you children of Zion,
And (AP)rejoice in the Lord your God;
For He has given you the [j]former rain faithfully,
And He (AQ)will cause the rain to come down for you—
The former rain,
And the latter rain in the first month.
24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat,
And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.

25 “So I will restore to you the years (AR)that the swarming [k]locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
26 You shall (AS)eat in plenty and be satisfied,
And praise the name of the Lord your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
And My people shall never be put to (AT)shame.
27 Then you shall know that I am (AU)in the midst of Israel:
(AV)I am the Lord your God
And there is no other.
My people shall never be put to shame.

God’s Spirit Poured Out

28 “And(AW) it shall come to pass afterward
That (AX)I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
(AY)Your sons and your (AZ)daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
29 And also on My (BA)menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

30 “And (BB)I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:
Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
31 (BC)The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
(BD)Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
32 And it shall come to pass
That (BE)whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be [l]saved.
For (BF)in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be [m]deliverance,
As the Lord has said,
Among (BG)the remnant whom the Lord calls.

Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:1 ram’s horn
  2. Joel 2:4 Or horsemen
  3. Joel 2:6 LXX, Tg., Vg. gather blackness
  4. Joel 2:8 Lit. highway
  5. Joel 2:8 Halted by losses
  6. Joel 2:15 ram’s horn
  7. Joel 2:17 Or speak a proverb against them
  8. Joel 2:20 Lit. great
  9. Joel 2:21 Lit. great
  10. Joel 2:23 Or teacher of righteousness
  11. Joel 2:25 Exact identity of these locusts unknown
  12. Joel 2:32 Or delivered
  13. Joel 2:32 Or salvation

Tocad trompeta en Sion, y dad alarma en mi santo monte; tiemblen todos los moradores de la tierra, porque viene el día de Jehová, porque está cercano. Día de tinieblas y de oscuridad, día de nube y de sombra; como sobre los montes se extiende el alba, así vendrá un pueblo grande y fuerte; semejante a él no lo hubo jamás, ni después de él lo habrá en años de muchas generaciones.

Delante de él consumirá fuego, tras de él abrasará llama; como el huerto de Edén será la tierra delante de él, y detrás de él como desierto asolado; ni tampoco habrá quien de él escape. Su aspecto, como aspecto de caballos, y como gente de a caballo correrán. Como estruendo de carros saltarán sobre las cumbres de los montes; como sonido de llama de fuego que consume hojarascas, como pueblo fuerte dispuesto para la batalla.(A) Delante de él temerán los pueblos; se pondrán pálidos todos los semblantes. Como valientes correrán, como hombres de guerra subirán el muro; cada cual marchará por su camino, y no torcerá su rumbo. Ninguno estrechará a su compañero, cada uno irá por su carrera; y aun cayendo sobre la espada no se herirán. Irán por la ciudad, correrán por el muro, subirán por las casas, entrarán por las ventanas a manera de ladrones.

10 Delante de él temblará la tierra, se estremecerán los cielos; el sol y la luna se oscurecerán, y las estrellas retraerán su resplandor.(B) 11 Y Jehová dará su orden delante de su ejército; porque muy grande es su campamento; fuerte es el que ejecuta su orden; porque grande es el día de Jehová, y muy terrible; ¿quién podrá soportarlo?(C)

La misericordia de Jehová

12 Por eso pues, ahora, dice Jehová, convertíos a mí con todo vuestro corazón, con ayuno y lloro y lamento. 13 Rasgad vuestro corazón, y no vuestros vestidos, y convertíos a Jehová vuestro Dios; porque misericordioso es y clemente, tardo para la ira y grande en misericordia, y que se duele del castigo. 14 ¿Quién sabe si volverá y se arrepentirá y dejará bendición tras de él, esto es, ofrenda y libación para Jehová vuestro Dios?

15 Tocad trompeta en Sion, proclamad ayuno, convocad asamblea. 16 Reunid al pueblo, santificad la reunión, juntad a los ancianos, congregad a los niños y a los que maman, salga de su cámara el novio, y de su tálamo la novia. 17 Entre la entrada y el altar lloren los sacerdotes ministros de Jehová, y digan: Perdona, oh Jehová, a tu pueblo, y no entregues al oprobio tu heredad, para que las naciones se enseñoreen de ella. ¿Por qué han de decir entre los pueblos: Dónde está su Dios?

18 Y Jehová, solícito por su tierra, perdonará a su pueblo. 19 Responderá Jehová, y dirá a su pueblo: He aquí yo os envío pan, mosto y aceite, y seréis saciados de ellos; y nunca más os pondré en oprobio entre las naciones. 20 Y haré alejar de vosotros al del norte, y lo echaré en tierra seca y desierta; su faz será hacia el mar oriental, y su fin al mar occidental; y exhalará su hedor, y subirá su pudrición, porque hizo grandes cosas.

21 Tierra, no temas; alégrate y gózate, porque Jehová hará grandes cosas. 22 Animales del campo, no temáis; porque los pastos del desierto reverdecerán, porque los árboles llevarán su fruto, la higuera y la vid darán sus frutos. 23 Vosotros también, hijos de Sion, alegraos y gozaos en Jehová vuestro Dios; porque os ha dado la primera lluvia a su tiempo, y hará descender sobre vosotros lluvia temprana y tardía como al principio. 24 Las eras se llenarán de trigo, y los lagares rebosarán de vino y aceite. 25 Y os restituiré los años que comió la oruga, el saltón, el revoltón y la langosta, mi gran ejército que envié contra vosotros.

26 Comeréis hasta saciaros, y alabaréis el nombre de Jehová vuestro Dios, el cual hizo maravillas con vosotros; y nunca jamás será mi pueblo avergonzado. 27 Y conoceréis que en medio de Israel estoy yo, y que yo soy Jehová vuestro Dios, y no hay otro; y mi pueblo nunca jamás será avergonzado.

Derramamiento del Espíritu de Dios

28 Y después de esto derramaré mi Espíritu sobre toda carne, y profetizarán vuestros hijos y vuestras hijas; vuestros ancianos soñarán sueños, y vuestros jóvenes verán visiones. 29 Y también sobre los siervos y sobre las siervas derramaré mi Espíritu en aquellos días.

30 Y daré prodigios en el cielo y en la tierra, sangre, y fuego, y columnas de humo. 31 El sol se convertirá en tinieblas, y la luna en sangre,(D) antes que venga el día grande y espantoso de Jehová. 32 Y todo aquel que invocare el nombre de Jehová será salvo;(E)(F) porque en el monte de Sion y en Jerusalén habrá salvación, como ha dicho Jehová, y entre el remanente al cual él habrá llamado.

Blow ye the shofar in Tziyon, and sound an alarm on My Har Kodesh; let all the yoshvei ha’aretz tremble; for the Yom Hashem cometh, for it is near at hand;

A day of choshech and of gloominess, a day of anan (cloud) and of thick darkness, as the shachar (dawn) spread upon the mountains; an am rav (great people, army) and strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of dor v’dor.

An eish devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth; ha’aretz is as the Gan Eden before them, and behind them a desolate midbar; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

The appearance of them is as the appearance of susim; and as horsemen, so shall they run.

Like the noise of merkavot (chariots) on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of eish that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people drawn up in milchamah (battle).

Before their face, the amim (nations) shall be in anguish; every face turns pale.

They shall run like gibborim; they shall climb the chomah (wall) like anshei milchamah; and they shall march every one in formation, and they shall not swerve from their course;

Neither shall one push another; they shall walk every one in his own column; and when they burst through defenses, they shall not break ranks.

They shall run to and fro in the ir (city); they shall run upon the chomah, they shall climb up into the batim (houses); they shall enter in at the windows like the ganav.

10 The eretz shall quake before them; the Shomayim shall tremble; the shemesh and the yarei’ach shall be dark, and the kokhavim shall withdraw their shining;

11 And Hashem shall utter His voice before His army; His machaneh (camp) is very great; for the executor of His devar (word, command) is strong; for the Yom Hashem is gadol and very terrible; and who can endure it?

12 Therefore also now, saith Hashem, turn ye back to Me with all your lev, and with tzom, and with weeping, and with mourning;

13 And rend your lev, and not your garments, and turn unto Hashem Eloheichem; for He is channun (gracious) and rachum (merciful), slow to anger, and of rav chesed, and He relents from sending calamity.

14 Who knoweth but that He will return and have pity, and leave behind Him a brocha; even a minchah and a nesekh unto Hashem Eloheichem?

15 Blow the shofar in Tziyon, sanctify a tzom, call an atzarah (solemn assembly);

16 Gather the people, set apart as kodesh the kahal (congregation), assemble the zekenim, gather the olalim, even those nursing at the breast; let the choson go forth of his cheder, and the kallah out of her chuppah (canopy).

17 Let the kohanim, the mesharetim of Hashem, weep between the Ulam and the Mizbe’ach, and let them say, Spare Thy people, Hashem, and make not Thine nachalah (inheritance) an object of scorn, a byword among the Goyim. Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their G-d?

18 Then will Hashem be jealous for His land, and take pity on His people.

19 Yea, Hashem will answer and say unto His people, Hineni, I am sending you dagan, and tirosh, and yitzhar, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you an object of scorn among the Goyim;

20 But I will remove far off from you the northern [army, army of locusts], and will drive him into an eretz barren and desolate, with his vanguard toward the eastern sea [Dead Sea], and his rearguard toward the western sea [Mediterranean Sea], and his stench and foul smell will go up. Surely it hath done great things.

21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice; for Hashem hath done great things.

22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the midbar do spring up, for the etz beareth her fruit, the te’enah and the gefen do yield their strength.

23 Be glad then, ye bnei Tziyon, and rejoice in Hashem Eloheichem; for He hath given you the former rain according to (His) tzedakah, and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the yoreh (former rain), and the malkosh (latter rain) as before.

24 And the threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with yayin and yitzhar.

25 And I will restore to you the shanim (years) that the arbeh (great locust) hath eaten, the crawling locust, and the other locust, and the locust swarm, My great army which I sent among you.

26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the Shem of Hashem Eloheichem, that hath dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be ashamed.

27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Yisroel, and that I am Hashem Eloheichem, and there is no other; and My people shall never be put to shame.

28 (3:1) And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Ruach [Hakodesh] upon all basar; and your banim and your banot shall prophesy, your zekenim shall dream chalomot, your bochurim shall see chezyonot (visions):

29 (3:2) And also upon the avadim and upon the shefachot in those days will I pour out My Ruach [Hakodesh, see Ac 2:1-42].

30 (3:3) And I will show mofetim in the heavens and in the earth, dahm, and eish, and pillars of smoke.

31 (3:4) The shemesh shall be turned into choshech, and the yarei’ach into dahm, before the great and terrible Yom Hashem come.

32 (3:5) And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Shem of Adonoi shall be saved; for in Mt Tziyon and in Yerushalayim shall be deliverance, as Hashem hath said, and in the seridim (remnant, survivors) whom Hashem shall call [Jer 23:5-6; Zech 6:11-12; Ezra 3:8].