Print Page Options

II. The Day of the Lord

Chapter 2

The Day Approaches

[a]Blow the horn in Zion,
    sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
    for the day of the Lord is coming!(A)
Yes, it approaches,
    a day of darkness and gloom,
    a day of thick clouds!
Like dawn[b] spreading over the mountains,
    a vast and mighty army!
Nothing like it has ever happened in ages past,
    nor will the future hold anything like it,
    even to the most distant generations.(B)
Before it,[c] fire devours,
    behind it flame scorches.
The land before it is like the garden of Eden,
    and behind it, a desolate wilderness;
    from it nothing escapes.(C)
Their appearance is that of horses;
    like war horses they run.
Like the rumble of chariots
    they hurtle across mountaintops;
Like the crackling of fiery flames
    devouring stubble;
Like a massive army
    in battle formation.(D)
Before them peoples tremble,
    every face turns pale.(E)
Like warriors they run,
    like soldiers they scale walls,
Each advancing in line,
    without swerving from the course.
No one crowds the other;
    each advances in its own track;
They plunge through the weapons;
    they are not checked.
They charge the city,
    they run upon the wall,
    they climb into the houses;
Through the windows
    they enter like thieves.

10 Before them the earth trembles;
    the heavens shake;
Sun and moon are darkened,
    and the stars withhold their brightness.(F)
11 The Lord raises his voice
    at the head of his army;
How immense is his host!
    How numerous those who carry out his command!
How great is the day of the Lord!
    Utterly terrifying! Who can survive it?(G)

Return to the Lord

12 Yet even now—oracle of the Lord
    return to me with your whole heart,
    with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
13 Rend your hearts, not your garments,
    and return to the Lord, your God,
For he is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love,
    and relenting in punishment.(H)
14 Perhaps he will again relent
    and leave behind a blessing,[d]
Grain offering and libation
    for the Lord, your God.(I)
15 Blow the horn in Zion!
    Proclaim a fast,
    call an assembly!(J)
16 Gather the people,
    sanctify the congregation;
Assemble the elderly;
    gather the children,
    even infants nursing at the breast;
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
    and the bride[e] her bridal tent.
17 Between the porch and the altar[f]
    let the priests weep,
    let the ministers of the Lord weep and say:
“Spare your people, Lord!
    do not let your heritage become a disgrace,
    a byword among the nations!
Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?’”(K)

The Lord Relents. 18 Then the Lord grew jealous[g] for his land and took pity on his people. 19 In response the Lord said to his people:

I am sending you
    grain, new wine, and oil,
    and you will be satisfied by them;
Never again will I make you
    a disgrace among the nations.
20 The northerner[h] I will remove far from you,
    driving them out into a dry and desolate land,
Their vanguard to the eastern sea,
    their rearguard to the western sea,
And their stench will rise,
    their stink will ascend,
What great deeds the Lord has done!
21 Do not fear, O land!
    delight and rejoice,
    for the Lord has done great things!(L)
22 Do not fear, you animals in the wild,
    for the wilderness pastures sprout green grass.
The trees bear fruit,
    the fig tree and the vine produce their harvest.
23 Children of Zion, delight
    and rejoice in the Lord, your God!
For he has faithfully given you the early rain,[i]
    sending rain down on you,
    the early and the late rains as before.(M)
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain,
    the vats spilling over with new wine and oil.
25 I will repay you double
    what the swarming locust has eaten,
The hopper, the consuming locust, and the cutter,
    my great army I sent against you.(N)
26 You will eat until you are fully satisfied,
    then you will praise the name of the Lord, your God,
Who acts so wondrously on your behalf!
    My people will never again be put to shame.
27 Then you will know that I am in the midst of Israel:
    I, the Lord, am your God, and there is no other;
    my people will never again be put to shame.(O)

Footnotes

  1. 2:1–11 Joel warns the people about the destruction he sees galloping toward Jerusalem. He combines the imagery of the locust invasion (chap. 1) with language from the holy war tradition in order to describe the Lord leading a heavenly army against the enemy, in this case, Jerusalem.
  2. 2:2 Like dawn: from the east comes dark destruction rather than a new day’s light.
  3. 2:3 Before it: fire precedes and follows the army’s advance. Even the ravaged landscape of chap. 1 looks like a lush garden compared to the devastation this army leaves behind.
  4. 2:14 Blessing: the rain that makes possible the grapes and grain (v. 19) that workers will process into Temple offerings.
  5. 2:16 Elderly…infants…bridegroom…bride: Jerusalem is in such great danger that even those normally excused from fasting or working are called upon to participate in activities to ward off the imminent catastrophe.
  6. 2:17 Between the porch and the altar: the priests stood in the open space between the outdoor altar for burnt offerings and the Temple building.
  7. 2:18 Jealous: the Hebrew word describes the passionate empathetic bond the Lord has with Israel. The people’s wholehearted participation in Joel’s call for fasting and prayer sparks the Lord’s longing to protect and love his people Israel. This desire moves him to withhold punishment and to send the blessing of v. 14 instead.
  8. 2:20 The northerner: the locusts, pictured as an invading army, which traditionally came from the north (Jer 1:14–15; Ez 26:7; 38:6, 15). Locusts are not usually an annual threat in Palestine, nor are they often associated with the north. However, to demonstrate the extent of the Lord’s care for Judah and control over what happens within its borders, Joel assures his audience that the Lord will quickly drive the locusts out of Judah the coming spring, should they reappear. Dead locusts will litter the shores of the “eastern” (the Dead Sea) and the “western” (the Mediterranean) seas.
  9. 2:23 This autumn rain teaches the people to recognize God’s compassionate presence in nature and history. There is a play on the double meaning of the Hebrew word moreh: “early rain” and “teacher.” In the Dead Sea Scrolls, the word is used in the phrase “teacher (= moreh) of righteousness.”

Blow the trumpet in Zion;
    sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
    for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near—
a day of darkness and gloom,
    a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness spread upon the mountains
    a great and powerful army comes;
their like has never been from of old,
    nor will be again after them
    in ages to come.

Fire devours in front of them,
    and behind them a flame burns.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,
    but after them a desolate wilderness,
    and nothing escapes them.

They have the appearance of horses,
    and like war-horses they charge.
As with the rumbling of chariots,
    they leap on the tops of the mountains,
like the crackling of a flame of fire
    devouring the stubble,
like a powerful army
    drawn up for battle.

Before them peoples are in anguish,
    all faces grow pale.[a]
Like warriors they charge,
    like soldiers they scale the wall.
Each keeps to its own course,
    they do not swerve from[b] their paths.
They do not jostle one another,
    each keeps to its own track;
they burst through the weapons
    and are not halted.
They leap upon the city,
    they run upon the walls;
they climb up into the houses,
    they enter through the windows like a thief.

10 The earth quakes before them,
    the heavens tremble.
The sun and the moon are darkened,
    and the stars withdraw their shining.
11 The Lord utters his voice
    at the head of his army;
how vast is his host!
    Numberless are those who obey his command.
Truly the day of the Lord is great;
    terrible indeed—who can endure it?

12 Yet even now, says the Lord,
    return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13     rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the Lord, your God,
    for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
    and relents from punishing.
14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
    and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
    for the Lord, your God?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion;
    sanctify a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
16     gather the people.
Sanctify the congregation;
    assemble the aged;
gather the children,
    even infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
    and the bride her canopy.

17 Between the vestibule and the altar
    let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep.
Let them say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
    and do not make your heritage a mockery,
    a byword among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?’”

God’s Response and Promise

18 Then the Lord became jealous for his land,
    and had pity on his people.
19 In response to his people the Lord said:
I am sending you
    grain, wine, and oil,
    and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
    a mockery among the nations.

20 I will remove the northern army far from you,
    and drive it into a parched and desolate land,
its front into the eastern sea,
    and its rear into the western sea;
its stench and foul smell will rise up.
    Surely he has done great things!

21 Do not fear, O soil;
    be glad and rejoice,
    for the Lord has done great things!
22 Do not fear, you animals of the field,
    for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit,
    the fig tree and vine give their full yield.

23 O children of Zion, be glad
    and rejoice in the Lord your God;
for he has given the early rain[c] for your vindication,
    he has poured down for you abundant rain,
    the early and the later rain, as before.
24 The threshing floors shall be full of grain,
    the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25 I will repay you for the years
    that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
    my great army, which I sent against you.

26 You shall 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 again be put to shame.
27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
    and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.

God’s Spirit Poured Out

28 [d] Then afterward
    I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
    your old men shall dream dreams,
    and your young men shall see visions.
29 Even on the male and female slaves,
    in those days, I will pour out my spirit.

30 I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. 32 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:6 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. Joel 2:7 Gk Syr Vg: Heb they do not take a pledge along
  3. Joel 2:23 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. Joel 2:28 Ch 3.1 in Heb

The Locusts as a Warning of the Day of the Lord

Blow the trumpet; sound the alarm
    on Zion, God's sacred hill.[a]
Tremble, people of Judah!
    The day of the Lord is coming soon.
It will be a dark and gloomy day,
    a black and cloudy day.
The great army of locusts advances
    like darkness spreading over the mountains.
There has never been anything like it,
    and there never will be again.

Like fire they eat up the plants.
    In front of them the land is like the Garden of Eden,
    but behind them it is a barren desert.
    Nothing escapes them.
(A)They look like horses;
    they run like war-horses.
As they leap on the tops of the mountains,
    they rattle like chariots;
    they crackle like dry grass on fire.
They are lined up like a great army ready for battle.
As they approach, everyone is terrified;
    every face turns pale.
They attack like warriors;
    they climb the walls like soldiers.
They all keep marching straight ahead
    and do not change direction
    or get in each other's way.
They swarm through defenses,
    and nothing can stop them.
They rush against the city;
    they run over the walls;
    they climb up the houses
    and go in through the windows like thieves.

10 (B)The earth shakes as they advance;
    the sky trembles.
The sun and the moon grow dark,
    and the stars no longer shine.
11 (C)The Lord thunders commands to his army.
    The troops that obey him
    are many and mighty.
How terrible is the day of the Lord!
    Who will survive it?

A Call to Repentance

12 “But even now,” says the Lord,
    “repent sincerely and return to me
    with fasting and weeping and mourning.
13 Let your broken heart show your sorrow;
    tearing your clothes is not enough.”

Come back to the Lord your God.
    He is kind and full of mercy;
    he is patient and keeps his promise;
    he is always ready to forgive and not punish.
14 Perhaps the Lord your God will change his mind
    and bless you with abundant crops.
Then you can offer him grain and wine.

15 Blow the trumpet on Mount Zion;
    give orders for a fast and call an assembly!
16 Gather the people together;
    prepare them for a sacred meeting;
    bring the old people;
    gather the children
    and the babies too.
    Even newly married couples
    must leave their homes and come.
17 (D)The priests, serving the Lord
    between the altar and the entrance of the Temple,
must weep and pray:
    “Have pity on your people, Lord.
    Do not let other nations despise us and mock us
    by saying, ‘Where is your God?’”

God Restores Fertility to the Land

18 Then the Lord showed concern for his land;
    he had mercy on his people.
19 He answered them:
    “Now I am going to give you
    grain and wine and olive oil,
    and you will be satisfied.
    Other nations will no longer despise you.
20 I will remove the locust army that came from the north
    and will drive some of them into the desert.
Their front ranks will be driven into the Dead Sea,
    their rear ranks into the Mediterranean.
    Their dead bodies will stink.
I will destroy them because of all they have done to you.

21 “Fields, don't be afraid,
    but be joyful and glad
    because of all the Lord has done for you.
22 Animals, don't be afraid.
    The pastures are green;
    the trees bear their fruit,
    and there are plenty of figs and grapes.

23 “Be glad, people of Zion,
    rejoice at what the Lord your God has done for you.
    He has given you the right amount of autumn rain;[b]
    he has poured down the winter rain for you
    and the spring rain as before.
24 The threshing places will be full of grain;
    the pits beside the presses will overflow with wine and olive oil.
25 I will give you back what you lost
    in the years when swarms of locusts ate your crops.
    It was I who sent this army against you.
26 Now you will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied.
    You will praise the Lord your God,
    who has done wonderful things for you.
    My people will never be despised again.
27 Then, Israel, you will know that I am among you
    and that I, the Lord, am your God
    and there is no other.
    My people will never be despised again.

The Day of the Lord

28 “Afterward I will pour out my Spirit on everyone:
    your sons and daughters will proclaim my message;
    your old people will have dreams,
    and your young people will see visions.
29 At that time I will pour out my Spirit
    even on servants, both men and women.

30 “I will give warnings of that day
    in the sky and on the earth;
    there will be bloodshed, fire, and clouds of smoke.
31 (E)The sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will turn red as blood
    before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
32 (F)But all who ask the Lord for help will be saved.
As the Lord has said,
    ‘Some in Jerusalem will escape;
    those whom I choose will survive.’”

Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:1 Mount Zion (see Zion in Word List).
  2. Joel 2:23 right amount of autumn rain; or autumn rain because he is just.

The Terrible Visitation

(A)Blow a trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm on My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
For the (B)day of the Lord is coming;
Indeed, it is near,
A day of (C)darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness.
As dawn is spread over the mountains,
So there is a (D)great and mighty people;
There has (E)never been anything like it,
Nor will there be again after it
To the years of many generations.
A (F)fire consumes before them,
And behind them a flame devours.
The land is (G)like the Garden of Eden before them,
But a (H)desolate wilderness behind them,
And nothing at all escapes them.
Their (I)appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like war horses, so they run.
[a]With a (J)noise as of chariots
They leap about on the tops of the mountains,
Like the [b]crackling of a (K)flame of fire consuming the stubble,
Like a mighty people drawn up for battle.
Before them the people are in (L)anguish;
All (M)faces [c]turn pale.
They run like warriors,
They climb the wall like soldiers;
And each of them (N)marches [d]in line,
Nor do they lose their way.
They do not crowd each other,
Every warrior of them marches in his path;
When they [e]burst through the [f]defenses,
They do not break ranks.
They storm the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the (O)houses,
They (P)enter through the windows like a thief.
10 Before them the earth (Q)quakes,
The heavens tremble,
The (R)sun and the moon become dark,
And the stars lose their brightness.
11 The Lord (S)utters His voice before (T)His army;
His camp is indeed very great,
For (U)mighty is one who carries out His word.
The (V)day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome,
And (W)who can endure it?
12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
(X)Return to Me with all your heart,
And with (Y)fasting, weeping, and mourning;
13 And (Z)tear your heart and not merely (AA)your garments.”
Now return to the Lord your God,
For He is (AB)gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in mercy
And (AC)relenting of catastrophe.
14 Who knows, (AD)He might turn and relent,
And leave a (AE)blessing behind Him,
Resulting in (AF)a grain offering and a drink offering
For the Lord your God.
15 (AG)Blow a trumpet in Zion,
(AH)Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,
16 Gather the people, (AI)sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and the nursing infants.
Have the (AJ)groom come out of his room
And the bride out of her bridal chamber.
17 Let the priests, the Lords ministers,
Weep (AK)between the porch and the altar,
And let them say, “[g](AL)Spare Your people, Lord,
And do not make Your inheritance a (AM)disgrace,
With the nations jeering at them.
Why should those among the peoples say,
(AN)Where is their God?’”

Deliverance Promised

18 Then the Lord [h]will be (AO)zealous for His land,
And [i]will have (AP)compassion for His people.
19 The Lord [j]will answer and say to His people,
“Behold, I am going to (AQ)send you grain, new wine, and oil,
And you will be satisfied in full with [k]them;
And I will (AR)never again make you a disgrace among the nations.
20 But I will remove the (AS)northern army far from you,
And I will drive it into a dry and desolate land,
Its advance guard into the (AT)eastern sea,
And its rear guard into the (AU)western sea.
And its (AV)stench will ascend and its odor of decay will come up,
Because it has done great things.”

21 (AW)Do not fear, land; shout for joy and rejoice,
For the Lord has done (AX)great things.
22 Do not fear, animals of the field,
For the (AY)pastures of the wilderness have turned green,
For the tree has produced its fruit,
The fig tree and the vine have yielded [l]in full.
23 So shout for joy, you (AZ)sons of Zion,
And (BA)rejoice in the Lord your God;
For He has (BB)given you [m]the early rain for your vindication.
And He has brought down for you the rain,
The [n]early and [o](BC)latter rain [p]as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain,
And the vats will (BD)overflow with the new wine and oil.
25 “Then I will compensate you for the years
That the [q]swarming (BE)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 (BF)eat and be satisfied,
And you will (BG)praise the name of the Lord your God,
Who has (BH)dealt wondrously with you;
Then My people will (BI)never be put to shame.
27 So you will (BJ)know that I am in the midst of Israel,
And that I am the Lord your God
And there is (BK)no other;
And My people will never be (BL)put to shame.

The Promise of the Spirit

28 [r](BM)It will come about after this
That I will (BN)pour out My Spirit on all [s](BO)mankind;
And your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will have dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
29 And even on the (BP)male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

The Day of the Lord

30 I will [t](BQ)display wonders in the sky and on the earth,
Blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
31 The (BR)sun will be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the (BS)great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
32 And it will come about that (BT)everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
Will [u]be saved;
For (BU)on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who (BV)escape,
Just as the Lord has said,
Even among the (BW)survivors whom the Lord calls.

Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:5 Lit Like the noise of chariots
  2. Joel 2:5 Lit sound
  3. Joel 2:6 Or become flushed
  4. Joel 2:7 Lit in his ways
  5. Joel 2:8 Lit fall
  6. Joel 2:8 Lit weapon, prob. javelin
  7. Joel 2:17 Or Look compassionately on
  8. Joel 2:18 Or was zealous
  9. Joel 2:18 Or had compassion
  10. Joel 2:19 Or answered and said
  11. Joel 2:19 Lit it
  12. Joel 2:22 Lit their wealth
  13. Joel 2:23 I.e., autumn; or possibly the teacher for righteousness
  14. Joel 2:23 I.e., autumn
  15. Joel 2:23 I.e., spring
  16. Joel 2:23 As in ancient versions; MT in the first
  17. Joel 2:25 Or migratory
  18. Joel 2:28 Ch 3:1 in Heb
  19. Joel 2:28 Lit flesh
  20. Joel 2:30 Lit give
  21. Joel 2:32 Or flee to safety

An Army of Locusts

Blow the trumpet(A) in Zion;(B)
    sound the alarm on my holy hill.(C)

Let all who live in the land tremble,
    for the day of the Lord(D) is coming.
It is close at hand(E)
    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.

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.
They have the appearance of horses;(O)
    they gallop along like cavalry.
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.

At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;(R)
    every face turns pale.(S)
They charge like warriors;(T)
    they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line,(U)
    not swerving(V) from their course.
They do not jostle each other;
    each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defenses
    without breaking ranks.
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

18 Then the Lord was jealous(BG) for his land
    and took pity(BH) on his people.

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)

Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:19 Or Lord will be jealous … / and take pity … / 19 The Lord will reply
  2. Joel 2:25 The precise meaning of the four Hebrew words used here for locusts is uncertain.
  3. Joel 2:32 In Hebrew texts 2:28-32 is numbered 3:1-5.