Joel 2
Amplified Bible
The Terrible Visitation
2 Blow the trumpet in Zion [warning of impending judgment],
Sound an alarm on My holy mountain [Zion]!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble and shudder in fear,
For the [judgment] day of the Lord is coming;
It is close at hand,(A)
2
A day of darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and of thick [dark] mist,
Like the dawn spread over the mountains;
There is a [pagan, hostile] people numerous and mighty,
The like of which has never been before
Nor will be again afterward
Even for years of many generations.
3
Before them a fire devours,
And behind them a flame burns;
Before them the land is like the Garden of Eden,
But behind them a desolate wilderness;
And nothing at all escapes them.
4
Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,
And they run like war horses.
5
Like the noise of chariots
They leap on the tops of the mountains,
Like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble,
Like a mighty people set in battle formation.(B)
6
Before them the people are in anguish;
All faces become pale [with terror].
7
They run like warriors;
They climb the wall like soldiers.
They each march [straight ahead] in line,
And they do not deviate from their paths.
8
They do not crowd each other;
Each one marches in his path.
When they burst through the defenses (weapons),
They do not break ranks.
9
They rush over the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb up into the houses,
They enter at the windows like a thief.
10
The earth quakes before them,
The heavens tremble,
The sun and the moon grow dark
And the stars lose their brightness.(C)
11
The Lord utters His voice before His army,
For His camp is very great,
Because strong and powerful is he who [obediently] carries out His word.
For the day of the Lord is indeed great and very terrible [causing dread];
Who can endure it?(D)
12
“Even now,” says the Lord,
“Turn and come to Me with all your heart [in genuine repentance],
With fasting and weeping and mourning [until every barrier is removed and the broken fellowship is restored];
13
Rip your heart to pieces [in sorrow and contrition] and not your garments.”
Now return [in repentance] to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness [faithful to His covenant with His people];
And He relents [His sentence of] evil [when His people genuinely repent].
14
Who knows whether He will relent [and revoke your sentence],
And leave a blessing behind Him,
Even a grain offering and a drink offering [from the bounty He provides you]
For the Lord your God?
15
Blow a trumpet in Zion [warning of impending judgment],
Dedicate a fast [as a day of restraint and humility], call a solemn assembly.
16
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and the nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom come out of his room
And the bride out of her bridal chamber. [No one is excused from the assembly.]
17
Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord,
Weep between the porch and the altar,
And let them say, “Have compassion and spare Your people, O Lord,
And do not make Your inheritance (Israel) an object of ridicule,
Or a [humiliating] byword among the [Gentile] nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
Deliverance Promised
18
Then the Lord will be jealous for His land [ready to defend it since it is rightfully and uniquely His]
And will have compassion on His people [and will spare them].
19
The Lord will answer and say to His people,
“Behold, I am going to send you grain and new wine and oil,
And you will be satisfied in full with them;
And I will never again make you an object of ridicule among the [Gentile] nations.
20
“But I will remove the northern army far away from you,
And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land,
With its forward guard into the eastern sea (Dead Sea)
And with its rear guard into the western sea (Mediterranean Sea).
And its stench will arise and its foul odor of decay will come up [this is the fate of the northern army in the final day of the Lord],
For [a]He has done great things.”(E)
21
Do not fear, O land; be glad and rejoice,
For the Lord has done great things!(F)
22
Do not be afraid, you animals of the field,
For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green;
The tree has produced its fruit,
And the fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.
23
So rejoice, O children of Zion,
And delight in the Lord, your God;
For He has given you the early [autumn] rain in vindication
And He has poured down the rain for you,
The early [autumn] rain and the late [spring] rain, as before.
24
And the threshing floors shall be full of grain,
And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.
25
“And I will compensate you for the years
That the swarming locust has eaten,
The creeping locust, the stripping locust, and the gnawing locust—
My great army which I sent among you.
26
“You will have plenty to eat 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 shame.
27
“And you shall know [without any doubt] that I am in the midst of Israel [to protect and bless you],
And that I am the Lord your God,
And there is no other;
My people will never be put to shame.
The Promise of the Spirit
28
“It shall come about after this
That I shall pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
29
“Even on the male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
The Day of the Lord
30
“I will show signs and wonders [displaying My power] in the heavens and on the earth,
Blood and fire and columns of smoke.
31
“The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood
Before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.(G)
32
“And it shall come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Will be saved [from the coming judgment]
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who escape,
As the Lord has said,
Even among the remnant [of survivors] whom the Lord calls.(H)
Notas al pie
- Joel 2:20 Interpreters are divided as to whether it is the northern destroyer who has done “great things,” or the Lord. The latter view is supported by v 21.
Joel 2
Expanded Bible
2 Blow the trumpet in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple];
·shout a warning [sound the alarm; or raise the battle cry] on my holy mountain.
Let all the people who live in the land shake with fear,
because the ·Lord’s day of judging [L day of the Lord; 1:15] is coming;
it is near.
The Coming Day of Judgment
2 It will be a ·dark, gloomy day [day/time of darkness and gloom],
cloudy and black.
Like ·the light at sunrise [spreading dawn; or spreading darkness],
a great and powerful army will spread over the mountains.
There has never been anything like it before,
and there will never be anything like it ·again [L for generations to come].
3 In front of them a fire ·destroys [devours];
in back of them a flame burns.
The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden [Gen. 2:8–14];
the land behind them is like an ·empty desert [desolate wilderness].
Nothing will escape from them.
4 ·They look [Their appearance is] like horses,
and they ·run [charge] like ·war horses [or cavalry].
5 It is like the noise of chariots
·rumbling [or leaping] over the tops of the mountains,
like the noise of a roaring fire
·burning dry stalks [devouring stubble].
They are like a ·powerful army [mighty nation] lined up for battle.
6 ·When they see them [Before them], ·nations [people] shake with fear,
and everyone’s face becomes pale.
7 They charge like soldiers;
they ·climb over [scale] the wall like warriors.
They all march ·straight ahead [in formation]
and do not ·move off their path [swerve from their course; break ranks].
8 They do not ·run into [jostle; push] each other,
because each walks ·in line [straight ahead; in his column].
They ·break through all efforts to stop them [burst through defences; or fall upon the sword; L fall upon weapons]
and ·keep coming [do not halt/break ranks].
9 They ·run [rush; swarm] into the city.
They run at the wall
and climb into the houses,
entering through windows like thieves.
10 Before them the earth shakes
and sky trembles.
The sun and the moon become dark,
and the stars ·stop shining [L withhold their brightness; 3:15].
11 The Lord ·shouts out orders [cries out; thunders]
·to [or at the head of] his army.
His ·army [encampment] is very large!
Those who ·obey him [execute his word] are very strong!
The ·Lord’s day of judging [L day of the Lord; 1:15]
is an ·overwhelming [awesome; great] and terrible day.
·No one can stand up against it! [L Who can endure it?]
Change Your Hearts
12 The Lord says, “Even now, come back to me with all your heart.
Fast, ·cry [weep], and ·be sad [mourn].”
13 ·Tearing your clothes is not enough to show you are sad;
let your heart be broken [L Tear/Rend your hearts and not your garments; C true repentance, not just a show of grief].
Come back to the Lord your God,
because he is ·kind [gracious; merciful] and ·shows mercy [compassionate].
·He doesn’t become angry quickly […slow to anger],
and he has great ·love [loyalty; mercy; lovingkindness].
He ·can change his mind about [relents from] doing harm.
14 Who knows? Maybe he will ·turn back to you [grant a reprieve; L turn and relent]
and leave behind a blessing for you.
·Grain [L Gift; Tribute; Lev. 2:1] and drink offerings ·belong to [or for] the Lord your God.
15 Blow the trumpet in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; 2:1];
·call for [declare; appoint; consecrate] a ·day when everyone fasts [fast; 1:14].
·Tell everyone to stop work [L Call a sacred assembly]!
16 ·Bring the people together [Assemble/Gather the people]
and ·make the meeting holy for the Lord [consecrate/sanctify the congregation/assembly].
Bring together the elders,
as well as the children,
and even babies that still feed at their mothers’ breasts.
·The bridegroom should [L Let the bridegroom] come from his room [C indicating urgency; newly married men were exempt from military service; Deut. 20:7; 24:5],
the bride from her ·bedroom [chamber].
17 ·The [L Let the] priests, ·the Lord’s servants [who minister before the Lord], should ·cry [weep]
between the altar and the ·entrance to the Temple [portico; vestibule].
·They should [L Let them] say, “Lord, ·have mercy on [spare] your people.
Don’t let ·them [L your inheritance/possession] be ·put to shame [mocked; a reproach];
don’t let other nations make ·fun of them [them a byword].
·Don’t let [L Why should the] people in other nations ask,
‘Where is their God?’”
The Lord Restores the Land
18 Then the Lord became ·concerned about [jealous/zealous for] his land
and ·felt sorry [had compassion] for his people.
19 He ·said to [answered] them:
“[L Look; T Behold] I will send you grain, new wine, and olive oil,
so that you will ·have plenty [be satisfied].
No more will I ·shame you [make you a reproach/object of scorn]
among the nations.
20 I will ·force the army from the north to leave your land [L drive the northern one far from you]
and go into a dry, ·empty [desolate] land.
·Their soldiers [L Those] in front will be forced into the ·Dead [L Eastern] Sea,
and those in the rear into the ·Mediterranean [L Western] Sea.
·Their bodies will rot and stink [His stench and foul smell will rise].
The Lord has surely done ·a wonderful thing [great things]!”
21 Land, don’t be afraid;
be ·happy [glad] and ·full of joy [rejoice],
because the Lord has done ·a wonderful thing [great things].
22 ·Wild animals [L Beasts of the field], don’t be afraid,
because the ·open [wilderness] pastures ·have grown grass [L are sprouting green].
The trees ·have given [bear] fruit;
the fig trees and the grapevines ·have grown much fruit [provide riches].
23 So be happy, ·people of Jerusalem [L sons/children of Zion; 2:1];
·be joyful [rejoice] in the Lord your God.
Because he ·does what is right,
he has brought you rain [or has vindicated you by giving you rain];
he has sent the ·fall [L early] rain
and the ·spring [L late] rain for you, as before.
24 And the threshing floors will be full of grain;
the ·barrels [vats] will overflow with new wine and olive oil.
The Lord Speaks
25 “Though I sent my great army against you—
those ·swarming [or great] locusts and ·hopping [or crawling; or young] locusts,
the ·destroying [consuming] locusts and the ·cutting [chewing; or swarming] locusts that ate your crops [see 1:4]—
I will ·pay you back
for [or restore to you] those ·years of trouble [L years].
26 Then you will have plenty to eat
and be ·full [satisfied].
You will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has ·done miracles [or acted wondrously/marvelously] for you.
My people will never again be shamed.
27 Then you will know that I am ·among [in the midst of] the people of Israel,
that I am the Lord your God,
and there is no ·other God [L other].
My people will never be shamed again.
28 “After this,
I will pour out my Spirit on all ·kinds of people [humanity; flesh; Acts 2:17–21; Is. 32:15; Ezek. 39:29; Zech. 12:10].
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
and your young men will see visions.
29 ·At that time [L In those days] I will pour out my Spirit
·also [even] on male ·slaves [servants] and female ·slaves [servants].
30 I will show ·miracles [wonders; portents]
in the ·sky [heavens] and on the earth:
blood, fire, and ·thick [columns/billows of] smoke.
31 The sun will ·become dark [turn to darkness],
the moon ·red as blood [L to blood; Rev. 6:12],
before the ·overwhelming [great] and ·terrible [awesome] day of the Lord comes.
32 ·Then [L And it will happen that] ·anyone [all] who calls on the [L name of the] Lord
will be ·saved [rescued],
because on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be people who will ·be saved [escape; be delivered],
just as the Lord has said.
·Those left alive after the day of punishment [The remnant/survivors]
are the people whom the Lord called.
Joel 2
New King James Version
The Day of the Lord
2 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:
2 (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.
3 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.
4 (I)Their appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like [b]swift steeds, so they run.
5 (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.
6 Before them the people writhe in pain;
(K)All faces [c]are drained of color.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
Notas al pie
- Joel 2:1 ram’s horn
- Joel 2:4 Or horsemen
- Joel 2:6 LXX, Tg., Vg. gather blackness
- Joel 2:8 Lit. highway
- Joel 2:8 Halted by losses
- Joel 2:15 ram’s horn
- Joel 2:17 Or speak a proverb against them
- Joel 2:20 Lit. great
- Joel 2:21 Lit. great
- Joel 2:23 Or teacher of righteousness
- Joel 2:25 Exact identity of these locusts unknown
- Joel 2:32 Or delivered
- Joel 2:32 Or salvation
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
