Joel 2
2
1 Blow the shofar in Zion,
and sound an alarm in my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD comes,
for it is close at hand:
2 A day of darkness and gloominess,
a day of clouds and thick darkness.
As the dawn spreading on the mountains,
a great and strong people;
there has never been the like,
neither will there be any more after them,
even to the years of many generations.
3 A fire devours before them,
and behind them, a flame burns.
The land is as the garden of Eden before them,
and behind them, a desolate wilderness.
Yes, and no one has escaped them.
4 Their appearance is as the appearance of horses,
and they run as horsemen.
5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains, they leap,
like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble,
like a strong people set in battle array.
6 At their presence the peoples are in anguish.
All faces have grown pale.
7 They run like mighty men.
They climb the wall like warriors.
They each march in his line, and they don’t swerve off course.
8 One doesn’t jostle another.
They each march in their own path.
They burst through the defences
and don’t break ranks.
9 They rush on the city.
They run on the wall.
They climb up into the houses.
They enter in at the windows like thieves.
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 thunders his voice before his army,
for his forces are very great;
for he is strong who obeys his command;
for the day of the LORD is great and very awesome,
and who can endure it?
12“Yet even now,” says the LORD, “turn to me with all your heart,
and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 Tear your heart and not your garments,
and turn to the LORD, your God;
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness,
and relents from sending calamity.
14 Who knows? He may turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
even a meal offering and a drink offering to the LORD, your God.
15 Blow the shofar in Zion!
Sanctify a fast.
Call a solemn assembly.
16 Gather the people.
Sanctify the assembly.
Assemble the elders.
Gather the children, and those who nurse from breasts.
Let the bridegroom go out of his room,
and the bride out of her chamber.
17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar,
and let them say, “Spare your people, LORD,
and don’t give your heritage to reproach,
that the nations should rule over them.
Why should they say amongst the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
18 Then the LORD was jealous for his land,
and had pity on his people.
19 The LORD answered his people,
“Behold,#2:19 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection. I will send you grain, new wine, and oil,
and you will be satisfied with them;
and I will no more make you a reproach amongst the nations.
20 But I will remove the northern army far away from you,
and will drive it into a barren and desolate land,
its front into the eastern sea,
and its back into the western sea;
and its stench will come up,
and its bad smell will rise.”
Surely he has done great things.
21Land, don’t be afraid.
Be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things.
22Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field;
for the pastures of the wilderness spring up,
for the tree bears its fruit.
The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
23“Be glad then, you children of Zion,
and rejoice in the LORD, your God;
for he gives you the early rain in just measure,
and he causes the rain to come down for you,
the early rain and the latter rain, as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of wheat,
and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
25 I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,
the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar,
my great army, which I sent amongst you.
26 You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied,
and will praise the name of the LORD, your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you;
and my people will never again be disappointed.
27 You will know that I am amongst Israel,
and that I am the LORD, your God, and there is no one else;
and my people will never again be disappointed.
28“It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
and your sons and your daughters will prophesy.
Your old men will dream dreams.
Your young men will see visions.
29And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days,
I will pour out my Spirit.
30I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:
blood, fire, and pillars of smoke.
31The sun will be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood,
before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.
32It will happen that whoever will call on the LORD’s name shall be saved;
for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape,
as the LORD has said,
and amongst the remnant, those whom the LORD calls.
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Joel 2
2
Locusts and an Enemy Army
1Sound the trumpet on Zion,
the Lord's sacred hill.
Warn everyone to tremble!
The judgment day of the Lord
is coming soon.
2It will be dark and gloomy
with storm clouds overhead.
Troops will cover the mountains
like thunderclouds.
No army this powerful
has ever been gathered before
or will be gathered again.
3Fiery flames surround them;
no one escapes.
Before they invaded,
the land was like Eden;
now only a desert remains.
4 #
Rev 9.7-9. They look like horses
and charge like cavalry.
5They roar over mountains
like noisy chariots,
or a mighty army
ready for battle.
They are a forest fire
that feasts on straw.
6The very sight of them
is frightening.#2.6 The very … frightening: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
7They climb over walls
like warriors;
they march in columns
and never turn aside.#2.7 and never turn aside: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8They charge straight ahead,
without pushing each other;
even arrows and spears
cannot make them retreat.
9They swarm over city walls
and enter our homes;
they crawl in through windows,
just like thieves.
10 #
Rev 8.12. They make the earth tremble
and the heavens shake;
the sun and moon turn dark,
and stars stop shining.
11 #
Rev 6.17. The Lord God leads this army
of countless troops,
and they obey his commands.
The day of his judgment
is so terrible
that no one can stand it.
The Lord's Invitation
12The Lord said:
It isn't too late.
You can still return to me
with all your heart.
Start crying and mourning!
Go without eating.
13Don't rip your clothes
to show your sorrow.
Instead, turn back to me
with broken hearts.
I am merciful, kind, and caring.
I don't easily lose my temper,
and I don't like to punish.
14I am the Lord your God.
Perhaps I will change my mind
and treat you with mercy.
Then you will be blessed
with enough grain and wine
for offering sacrifices to me.
15Sound the trumpet on Zion!
Call the people together.
Show your sorrow
by going without food.
16 #
3 Macc 1.19. Make sure that everyone
is fit to worship me.#2.16 fit to worship me: This required going through certain kinds of ceremonies.
Bring adults, children, babies,
and even bring newlyweds
from their festivities.
17 #
1 Macc 7.36-38. Tell my servants, the priests,
to cry inside the temple
and to offer this prayer
near the altar:#2.17 inside … altar: The Hebrew text has “between the porch and the altar,” which is the place where the priests usually prayed for the people.
“Save your people, Lord God!
Don't let foreign nations
make jokes about us.
Don't let them laugh and ask,
‘Where is your God?’ ”
The Lord Will Bless the Land
18The Lord was deeply concerned
about his land
and had pity on his people.
19In answer to their prayers
he said,
“I will give you enough grain,
wine, and olive oil
to satisfy your needs.
No longer will I let you
be insulted by the nations.
20An army attacked from the north,
but I will chase it
into a scorching desert.
There it will rot and stink
from the Dead Sea
to the Mediterranean.”
The Lord works wonders
21and does great things.
So tell the soil to celebrate
22and wild animals
to stop being afraid.
Grasslands are green again;
fruit trees and fig trees
are loaded with fruit.
Grapevines are covered
with grapes.
23People of Zion,#2.23 Zion: Jerusalem.
celebrate in honor
of the Lord your God!
He is generous and has sent
the autumn and spring rains
in the proper seasons.#2.23 in … seasons: Or “as he used to do.”
24Grain will cover
your threshing places;
jars will overflow
with wine and olive oil.
The Lord Will Rescue His People
25I, the Lord your God,
will make up for the losses
caused by those swarms
and swarms of locusts#2.25 swarms … locusts: See the note at 1.4.
I sent to attack you.
26My people, you will eat
until you are satisfied.
Then you will praise me
for the wonderful things
I have done.
Never again will you
be put to shame.
27Israel, you will know
that I stand at your side.
I am the Lord your God—
there are no other gods.
Never again will you
be put to shame.
The Lord Will Work Wonders
The Lord said:
28 #
Ac 2.17-21. Later, I will give my Spirit
to everyone.
Your sons and daughters
will prophesy.
Your old men
will have dreams,
and your young men
will see visions.
29In those days I will even give
my Spirit to my servants,
both men and women.
30I will work wonders
in the sky above
and on the earth below.
There will be blood and fire
and clouds of smoke.
31 #
Mt 24.29; Mk 13.24,25; Lk 21.25; Rev 6.12,13. The sun will turn dark,
and the moon
will be as red as blood
before that great
and terrible day
when I appear.
32 #
Ro 10.13. Then I, the Lord will save everyone who faithfully worships me. I have promised there will be survivors on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and among them will be my chosen ones.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
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