Joel 2
Christian Standard Bible
2 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion;(A)
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the residents of the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming;(B)
in fact, it is near—
2 a day of darkness and gloom,(C)
a day of clouds and total darkness,(D)
like the dawn spreading over the mountains;
a great and strong people(E) appears,
such as never existed in ages past(F)
and never will again
in all the generations to come.(G)
3 A fire devours in front of them,(H)
and behind them a flame blazes.
The land in front of them
is like the garden of Eden,(I)
but behind them,
it is like a desert wasteland;(J)
there is no escape from them.
4 Their appearance is like that of horses,(K)
and they gallop like war horses.
5 They bound on the tops of the mountains.
Their sound is like the sound of chariots,(L)
like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble,(M)
like a mighty army deployed for war.
6 Nations writhe in horror before them;(N)
all faces turn pale.
7 They attack as warriors attack;
they scale walls as men of war do.
Each goes on his own path,(O)
and they do not change their course.
8 They do not push each other;
each proceeds on his own path.
They dodge the arrows, never stopping.
9 They storm the city;
they run on the wall;
they climb into the houses;(P)
they enter through the windows like thieves.(Q)
10 The earth quakes before them;(R)
the sky shakes.
The sun and moon grow dark,(S)
and the stars cease their shining.(T)
11 The Lord makes his voice heard(U)
in the presence of his army.(V)
His camp is very large;
those who carry out his command are powerful.(W)
Indeed, the day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful(X)—
who can endure it?(Y)
God’s Call for Repentance
12 Even now—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
turn to me with all your heart,(Z)
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.(AA)
13 Tear your hearts,(AB)
not just your clothes,(AC)
and return to the Lord your God.
For he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger, abounding in faithful love,
and he relents from sending disaster.(AD)
14 Who knows? He may turn and relent(AE)
and leave a blessing behind him,(AF)
so you can offer a grain offering and a drink offering
to the Lord your God.(AG)
15 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion!(AH)
Announce a sacred fast;(AI)
proclaim a solemn assembly.
16 Gather the people;
sanctify the congregation;(AJ)
assemble the aged;[a](AK)
gather the infants,
even babies nursing at the breast.
Let the groom leave his bedroom,(AL)
and the bride her honeymoon chamber.
17 Let the priests,(AM) the Lord’s ministers,
weep between the portico and the altar.(AN)
Let them say,
“Have pity on your people, Lord,(AO)
and do not make your inheritance a disgrace,(AP)
an object of scorn among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’” (AQ)
God’s Response to His People
18 Then the Lord became jealous for his land(AR) and spared his people.(AS) 19 The Lord answered his people:
Look, I am about to send you
grain, new wine, and fresh oil.(AT)
You will be satiated with them,
and I will no longer make you
a disgrace among the nations.(AU)
20 I will drive the northerner far from you(AV)
and banish him to a dry and desolate land,
his front ranks into the Dead Sea,(AW)
and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea.(AX)
His stench will rise;
yes, his rotten smell will rise,(AY)
for he has done astonishing things.
21 Don’t be afraid, land;(AZ)
rejoice and be glad,
for the Lord has done astonishing things.(BA)
22 Don’t be afraid, wild animals,
for the wilderness pastures have turned green,(BB)
the trees bear their fruit,
and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
23 Children of Zion,(BC) rejoice and be glad
in the Lord your God,(BD)
because he gives you the autumn rain[b]
for your vindication.[c](BE)
He sends showers for you,
both autumn and spring rain(BF) as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain,(BG)
and the vats will overflow
with new wine and fresh oil.
25 I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust ate,(BH)
the young locust, the destroying locust,
and the devouring locust—
my great army that I sent against you.
26 You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied.(BI)
You will praise the name of the Lord your God,(BJ)
who has dealt wondrously with you.(BK)
My people will never again be put to shame.(BL)
27 You will know that I am present in Israel(BM)
and that I am the Lord your God,
and there is no other.(BN)
My people will never again be put to shame.(BO)
God’s Promise of His Spirit
28 After this(BP)
I will pour out my Spirit(BQ) on all humanity;(BR)
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your old men will have dreams,
and your young men will see visions.
29 I will even pour out my Spirit
on the male and female slaves in those days.(BS)
30 I will display wonders
in the heavens and on the earth:(BT)
blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood(BU)
before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.(BV)
32 Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved,(BW)
for there will be an escape
for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
as the Lord promised,(BX)
among the survivors the Lord calls.
Joel 2
New Life Version
The Day of the Lord
2 Blow a horn in Zion! Give the sound of danger on My holy mountain! Let all the people of the land shake in fear, for the day of the Lord is coming. The day is near. 2 It will be a day of darkness, a day of clouds and much darkness. A large and powerful army will come like darkness spreading over the mountains. There has never been anything like it, and there will never be anything like it again for all time to come. 3 Fire destroys in front of them and behind them. The land is like the garden of Eden in front of them, but a desert waste is left behind them. Nothing gets away from them. 4 They look like horses. They run like war horses. 5 As they jump on the tops of the mountains they sound like war-wagons. They sound like a fire burning up the dry grass, like a powerful army ready for battle. 6 Nations suffer in front of them. All faces turn white. 7 They run like strong men. They go over the wall like soldiers. They each walk straight on, and do not turn from their paths. 8 They do not push each other. Each one walks in his path. When they break through those who fight against them, their path is not changed. 9 They rush upon the city. They run on the wall. They go into the houses through the windows like a robber. 10 The earth shakes in front of them. The heavens shake. The sun and the moon become dark, and the stars stop shining. 11 The Lord thunders in front of His army. His army has too many to number. Those who obey His Word are powerful. The day of the Lord is very great and fills people with fear and wonder. Who can live through it?
A Call to Turn from Sin
12 “Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to Me with all your heart, crying in sorrow and eating no food. 13 Tear your heart and not your clothes.” Return to the Lord your God, for He is full of loving-kindness and loving-pity. He is slow to anger, full of love, and ready to keep His punishment from you. 14 It may be that He will turn and have pity, and leave good behind for you. He may leave you a grain gift and a drink gift for the Lord your God. 15 Blow a horn in Zion. Set apart a time when no food will be eaten. Call together a holy meeting. 16 Gather the people and make them holy. Gather together the leaders, the children, and the nursing babies. Let the man to be married come out of his room, and the bride come out of her room. 17 Let the religious leaders who serve the Lord cry between the porch and the altar. Let them say, “Have pity on Your people, O Lord. Do not put your people to shame. And do not make the nations speak against them. Why should the people of the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’”
The Lord Gives Food Again
18 Then the Lord will be jealous for His land and have pity on His people. 19 The Lord will say to His people, “I am going to send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be filled with them. I will never again put you to shame among the nations. 20 I will take the army from the north far from you, and will drive it into a hot and dry land. The ones in front will be driven into the sea in the east. The ones in the back will be driven into the sea in the west. And a bad smell will rise up from their dead bodies. For He has done great things.”
21 Do not be afraid, O land. Have joy and be glad, for the Lord has done great things. 22 Do not be afraid, you animals of the field. For the fields of the desert have turned green and there is fruit on the trees. The fig trees and vines are full of fruit. 23 Be glad, O sons of Zion. Be happy in the Lord your God. For He has given the early rain to help you. He has poured down much rain for you, both fall and spring rains, as before. 24 The grain-floors will be full of grain, and the crushing-places will flow over with new wine and oil. 25 “I will pay you back for the years that your food was eaten by the flying locust, the jumping locust, the destroying locust, and the chewing locust, My large army which I sent among you. 26 You will have much to eat and be filled. And you will praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has done wonderful things for you. Then My people will never be put to shame. 27 You will know that I am in Israel. You will know that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other. And My people will never be put to shame.
God Sends His Spirit
28 “In the last days I will send My Spirit on all men. Then your sons and daughters will speak God’s Word. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see special dreams. 29 Yes, on My servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 30 I will show powerful works in the heavens and on the earth, like blood and fire and clouds of smoke. 31 The sun will turn dark and the moon will turn to blood before the day of the Lord. His coming will be a great and troubled day. 32 It will be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved from the punishment of sin. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem some will be taken out of trouble, as the Lord has said. Those whom the Lord calls will be kept alive.
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