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: WMBBE
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Joel 2
2
The Day of Yahweh is Near
1Blow the trumpet#Hebrew “shofar” in Zion,
and sound the alarm on my holy mountain!#Literally “mountain of my holiness”
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of Yahweh is coming
—it is indeed near.
2A day of darkness and gloom,
a day of cloud and thick darkness,
like the dawn spreads on the mountains,
a great and strong army!
There has been nothing like it from old,
and after it nothing will be again for generations to come.#Literally “until years of generations”
3Before them#Literally “before the presence of it” a fire devours,
and behind them a flame burns.
Like the garden of Eden is the land before them,#Literally “before the presence of it”
and after them it is like a desolate desert,
and nothing can escape them.
4Like the appearance of horses is their appearance,
and like horsemen they run;
5like the sound of chariots on the tops of the mountains, they leap about;
like the sound of a flame of fire
devouring stubble;
like a strong army arranged
in rows for battle.
6From before them#Or “From in front of it,” or “From the presence of it” nations writhe,
all faces turn pale.#Literally “gather paleness”
7They run like mighty warriors,#That is, the “great and strong army” (see 2:2)
they scale the wall like men of war;
each goes on its own way,
and they do not swerve from their paths.
8They do not jostle one another;#Literally “each man his brother”
each goes on its own trail;
and through the falling weapons,#Hebrew “weapon”
they are not halted.
9In the city they rush forth;
on the walls#Hebrew “wall” they run.
Into the houses they climb up;
through the windows
they enter like a thief.
10Before them#Literally “Before the presence of it” the earth quakes;
the heavens tremble;
the sun and the moon grow dark,
and the stars have withheld#Literally “gathered” their splendor
11And Yahweh utters#Literally “gives” his voice before his army,
because his encampment is very large;
strong is the one who carries out his decree,
for great is the day of Yahweh
and exceedingly fearful.
Who can endure it?
A Call to Repentance
12“And even now,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and wailing.”
13Rend your hearts#Hebrew “heart” and not your garments,
and return to Yahweh your God,
because he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger#Or “patient”; literally “long of anger” and great in loyal love,
and relenting from harm.
14Who knows whether he will turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
an offering and a libation,
for Yahweh your God?
15Blow the trumpet#Hebrew “Shofar” in Zion,
sanctify a fast, call an assembly;
16gather the people, consecrate the assembly;
assemble the elders, gather the children,
even those who are breast-feeding;
let the bridegroom come out from his private room,
and the bride from her canopy.
17Between the colonnade and the altar,
let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, weep.
And let them say, “Take pity, Yahweh, on your people.
Do not make your inheritance a reproach,
a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the nations,
‘Where is their God?’ ”
The Response and Promise of Yahweh
18Then Yahweh became jealous for his land
and took pity on his people.
19And Yahweh answered and said to his people,
“Look at me, I am sending to you
grain, new wine, and olive oil,
and you will be satisfied by it.
I will not give you over any more
as a disgrace among the nations.
20The northerners#Or “The northern army”
I will remove from you;
I will drive them to a desert
and desolate land,
its#That is, the northern army front to the eastern sea,
and its rear into the western sea;
its stench and odor will rise up
because he#That is, Yahweh (see v. 21) has done great things.
21Do not fear, O land,
rejoice and be glad,
because Yahweh has done great things.
22Do not fear, wild animals of the field,
because the pastures of the desert have put forth new green shoots,
because the tree has produced its fruit,
the fig tree and the vine
have yielded their produce.
23Be glad, O children of Zion,
be glad and rejoice in Yahweh your God,
because he has given for you
the autumn rains for your righteousness,#Or “vindication”
and he has poured down#Literally “brought down” for you rainwater,
the autumn and spring rains, as before.
24The threshing floors will be full with grain,
and the vats will overflow
with new wine and olive oil.
25I will repay you the years
that the locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my mighty troops that I sent against you.
26And you will eat abundantly and be satisfied,
and praise the name of Yahweh your God,
who has dealt with you wondrously.#Literally “to do a wonder”
My people will never be ashamed.#Literally “will forever not be ashamed”
27And you will know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and I am Yahweh,
your God, and there is no other.
My people will never be ashamed again.#Literally “will forever no longer be ashamed”
Yahweh’s Spirit Poured Out
28#Joel 2:28–32 in the English Bible is 3:1–5 in the Hebrew Bible And it will happen afterward thus:
I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
and your elders will dream dreams;
your young men shall see visions.
29And also on the male slaves and on the female slaves,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30And I will set#Literally “give” wonders in the heavens, and on earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31The sun will be changed to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of Yahweh. 32And it will happen—everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be rescued, because on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape,#Literally, “an escape” as Yahweh said, and among the survivors whom Yahweh is calling.
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