Joel 2

Tree of Life Version

2 Blow the shofar in Zion!
Sound an alarm on My holy mountain!
Let all living in the land tremble—
for the day of Adonai is coming—
surely it is near!^[a]
2 A day of darkness and gloominess,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
as blackness spreads over the mountains.
A great and mighty people—
from antiquity there was never anything like it,
nor after it ever again from generation to generation.^[b]
3 A fire devours before them
and behind them flame blazes up.
Like the Garden of Eden is the land before them,
    and behind them a desolate wilderness.
Nothing at all ever escapes them.
⁴ Their appearance is like the appearance of horses—
they gallop like war horses.^[c]
5 Like the clatter of chariots,^[d]
they leap on the tops of mountains,
like crackling flame of fire devouring stubble,
like a mighty horde in battle array.
⁶ Before them peoples are in anguish.
All faces become ashen gray.
⁷ They run like mighty men.
They climb a wall like men of war.
They each march in line,
    never deviating from their ways.
⁸ One does not crowd another.
Each one marches on his own highway.
They plunge through the weapons,
    never breaking off.
⁹ They rush on the city,
they run on the wall,
they climb up into the houses,
    coming through the windows like a thief.
¹⁰ Before them land quakes,
heaven trembles,
sun and moon become dark,
stars withdraw their brightness.^[e]
11 Adonai utters His voice before His army.
For His camp is very vast—
    for mighty is it that carries out His word.
For great is the day of Adonai—^[f] very terrifying!
    Who can endure it?

¹² “Yet even now”
—it is a declaration of Adonai—
“turn to Me with all your heart,
with fasting, weeping and lamenting.”
¹³ Rend your heart, not your garments,
and turn to Adonai, your God.
For He is gracious and compassionate,
    slow to anger, abundant in mercy,
    and relenting about the calamity due.
¹⁴ Who knows? He may turn and relent,
and may leave a blessing behind Him
—so there may be a grain offering
and a drink offering for Adonai, your God.

¹⁵ Blow the shofar in Zion!
Sanctify a fast;
proclaim an assembly.
¹⁶ Gather the people;
sanctify the congregation;
assemble the elders;
gather the children,
    even those nursing at breasts.
Let the bridegroom come out from his bedroom
and the bride from her chamber.
¹⁷ Between the porch and the altar
let the kohanim, ministers of Adonai,
    weep, and let them say:
    “Have pity, Adonai, on Your people.
    Don’t make Your heritage a scorn,
        a byword among the nations.
Why should the peoples say,
    ‘Where is their God?’”^[g]
18 Adonai will be zealous for His land,
and have compassion on His people.
¹⁹ Adonai will answer and say to His people:
“Behold, I will send you the grain,
    the new wine, and the fresh oil,
    and you will be satisfied with it.
I will no longer make you a mockery among the nations.
²⁰ “But I will remove the northern invader far from you—
    yes, I will banish him to a dry and desolate land—
his vanguard into the Eastern Sea
and his rearguard into the Western Sea.
His odor will go up—
        Yes, his stench will rise.”
    For He^[h] has done great things!

²¹ Do not fear, O land. Be glad! Rejoice!
For Adonai has done great things.
²² Do not be afraid, beasts of the field,
for the desert pastures have sprouted,
for the tree bears its fruit.
Fig tree and vine yield their strength.
²³ So be glad, children of Zion,
and rejoice in Adonai, your God.
For He gives you the early rain^[i] for prosperity,
Yes, He will bring down rain for you,
    the early and latter rain as before.
²⁴ The threshing floors will be full of grain
and the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil.