Font Size
Joel 2
Tree of Life Version
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?
Call for Teshuvah
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.
Blow the Shofar
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!
Rain and Restoration
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.
25 “I shall restore to you the years
that the locust, the swarming locust,
the canker-worm and the caterpillar have eaten—
My great army that I sent among you.”
26 “You will surely eat and be satisfied,
and praise the Name of Adonai your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
Never again will My people be shamed
27 You will know that I am within Israel.
Yes, I am Adonai your God—there is no other—
Never again will My people be shamed.”
Footnotes
- Joel 2:1 cf. 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 1:10.
- Joel 2:2 cf. Matt. 24:21.
- Joel 2:4 cf. Rev. 9:7.
- Joel 2:5 cf. Rev. 9:9.
- Joel 2:10 cf. Matt. 24:29; Rev. 8:12.
- Joel 2:11 cf. Rev. 6:17.
- Joel 2:17 cf. Matt. 23:35.
- Joel 2:20 Deity pronoun referring to Adonai.
- Joel 2:23 i.e., autumn and spring rain; cf. Jacob 5:7.
Joel 2
New International Version
Joel 2
New International Version
An Army of Locusts
Let all who live in the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord(D) is coming.
It is close at hand(E)—
2 a day of darkness(F) and gloom,(G)
a day of clouds(H) and blackness.(I)
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
a large and mighty army(J) comes,
such as never was in ancient times(K)
nor ever will be in ages to come.
3 Before them fire(L) devours,
behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,(M)
behind them, a desert waste(N)—
nothing escapes them.
4 They have the appearance of horses;(O)
they gallop along like cavalry.
5 With a noise like that of chariots(P)
they leap over the mountaintops,
like a crackling fire(Q) consuming stubble,
like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
6 At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;(R)
every face turns pale.(S)
7 They charge like warriors;(T)
they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line,(U)
not swerving(V) from their course.
8 They do not jostle each other;
each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defenses
without breaking ranks.
9 They rush upon the city;
they run along the wall.
They climb into the houses;(W)
like thieves they enter through the windows.(X)
10 Before them the earth shakes,(Y)
the heavens tremble,(Z)
the sun and moon are darkened,(AA)
and the stars no longer shine.(AB)
11 The Lord(AC) thunders(AD)
at the head of his army;(AE)
his forces are beyond number,
and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
The day of the Lord is great;(AF)
it is dreadful.
Who can endure it?(AG)
Rend Your Heart
12 “Even now,” declares the Lord,
“return(AH) to me with all your heart,(AI)
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
13 Rend your heart(AJ)
and not your garments.(AK)
Return(AL) to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,(AM)
slow to anger and abounding in love,(AN)
and he relents from sending calamity.(AO)
14 Who knows? He may turn(AP) and relent(AQ)
and leave behind a blessing(AR)—
grain offerings and drink offerings(AS)
for the Lord your God.
15 Blow the trumpet(AT) in Zion,(AU)
declare a holy fast,(AV)
call a sacred assembly.(AW)
16 Gather the people,
consecrate(AX) the assembly;
bring together the elders,(AY)
gather the children,
those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom(AZ) leave his room
and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests, who minister(BA) before the Lord,
weep(BB) between the portico and the altar.(BC)
Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.
Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,(BD)
a byword(BE) among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?(BF)’”
The Lord’s Answer
19 The Lord replied[a] to them:
“I am sending you grain, new wine(BI) and olive oil,(BJ)
enough to satisfy you fully;(BK)
never again will I make you
an object of scorn(BL) to the nations.
20 “I will drive the northern horde(BM) far from you,
pushing it into a parched and barren land;
its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea
and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.
And its stench(BN) will go up;
its smell will rise.”
Surely he has done great things!
21 Do not be afraid,(BO) land of Judah;
be glad and rejoice.(BP)
Surely the Lord has done great things!(BQ)
22 Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.(BR)
The trees are bearing their fruit;
the fig tree(BS) and the vine(BT) yield their riches.(BU)
23 Be glad, people of Zion,
rejoice(BV) in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
because he is faithful.(BW)
He sends you abundant showers,(BX)
both autumn(BY) and spring rains,(BZ) as before.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
the vats will overflow(CA) with new wine(CB) and oil.
25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts(CC) have eaten(CD)—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm[b]—
my great army(CE) that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,(CF)
and you will praise(CG) the name of the Lord your God,
who has worked wonders(CH) for you;
never again will my people be shamed.(CI)
27 Then you will know(CJ) that I am in Israel,
that I am the Lord(CK) your God,
and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.(CL)
The Day of the Lord
28 “And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit(CM) on all people.(CN)
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,(CO)
your old men will dream dreams,(CP)
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants,(CQ) both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.(CR)
30 I will show wonders in the heavens(CS)
and on the earth,(CT)
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness(CU)
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.(CV)
32 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord(CW) will be saved;(CX)
for on Mount Zion(CY) and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,(CZ)
as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors(DA)
whom the Lord calls.[c](DB)
Tree of Life Version (TLV)
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.