Joel 2

1Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; # 2:1 Jr 4:5; 51:27; Jl 2:15

sound the alarm on my holy mountain!

Let all the residents of the land tremble,

for the day of the Lord is coming; # 2:1 Jl 1:15; 2:11,31; 3:14

in fact, it is near —

2a day of darkness and gloom, # 2:2 Jl 2:31; Zph 1:15

a day of clouds and total darkness, # 2:2 Is 60:2; Zph 1:15

like the dawn spreading over the mountains;

a great and strong people # 2:2 Jl 1:6; 2:11,25 appears,

such as never existed in ages past # 2:2 Lm 1:12; Dn 9:12; 12:1; Jl 1:2

and never will again

in all the generations to come. # 2:2 Ex 10:14

3A fire devours in front of them, # 2:3 Ps 97:3; Is 9:18–19

and behind them a flame blazes.

The land in front of them

is like the garden of Eden, # 2:3 Gn 2:8–15; Ezk 36:35

but behind them,

it is like a desert wasteland; # 2:3 Ex 10:5,15; Ps 105:34–35

there is no escape from them.

4Their appearance is like that of horses, # 2:4 Rv 9:7

and they gallop like war horses.

5They bound on the tops of the mountains.

Their sound is like the sound of chariots, # 2:5 Rv 9:9

like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble, # 2:5 Is 5:24; 30:30

like a mighty army deployed for war.

6Nations writhe in horror before them; # 2:6 Is 13:8; Nah 2:10

all faces turn pale.

7They attack as warriors attack;

they scale walls as men of war do.

Each goes on his own path, # 2:7 Pr 30:27

and they do not change their course.

8They do not push each other;

each proceeds on his own path.

They dodge the arrows, never stopping.

9They storm the city;

they run on the wall;

they climb into the houses; # 2:9 Ex 10:6

they enter through the windows like thieves. # 2:9 Jr 9:21

10The earth quakes before them; # 2:10 Ps 18:7; Nah 1:5

the sky shakes.

The sun and moon grow dark, # 2:10 Is 13:10; 34:4; Jr 4:23; Ezk 32:7–8; Mt 24:29; Rv 8:12

and the stars cease their shining. # 2:10 Jl 3:15

11The Lord makes his voice heard # 2:11 Ps 46:6; Is 13:4

in the presence of his army. # 2:11 Jl 2:25

His camp is very large;

those who carry out his command are powerful. # 2:11 Jr 50:34; Rv 18:8

Indeed, the day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful # 2:11 Jl 1:15; 2:31; 3:14 —

who can endure it? # 2:11 Ezk 22:14

God’s Call for Repentance

12Even now —

this is the Lord’s declaration —

turn to me with all your heart, # 2:12 1Kg 8:35–40; 2Ch 7:14

with fasting, weeping, and mourning. # 2:12 Est 4:3

13Tear your hearts, # 2:13 Ps 51:17; Is 57:15

not just your clothes, # 2:13 Jr 41:5

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. # 2:13 Ex 34:6; Nm 14:18; 1Ch 21:15; Neh 9:17; Ps 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Jr 18:8; Jnh 4:2

14Who knows? He may turn and relent # 2:14 2Sm 12:22; Jnh 3:9

and leave a blessing behind him, # 2:14 Hg 2:19

so you can offer a grain offering and a drink offering

to the Lord your God. # 2:14 Jl 1:9,13

15Blow the ram’s horn in Zion! # 2:15 Jl 2:1

Announce a sacred fast; # 2:15 2Kg 10:20

proclaim a solemn assembly.

16Gather the people;

sanctify the congregation; # 2:16 1Sm 16:5; 2Ch 29:5

assemble the aged; # 2:16 Or elders,# 2:15–16 2Ch 20:3; Neh 9:1; Jr 36:6,9

gather the infants,

even babies nursing at the breast.

Let the groom leave his bedroom, # 2:16 Ps 19:5

and the bride her honeymoon chamber.

17Let the priests, # 2:17 Jl 1:9 the Lord’s ministers,

weep between the portico and the altar. # 2:17 Hs 10:5; Jl 1:13

Let them say,

“Have pity on your people, Lord, # 2:17 Is 37:20; Am 7:2,5

and do not make your inheritance a disgrace, # 2:17 Ps 44:13; 74:10

an object of scorn among the nations.

Why should it be said among the peoples,

‘Where is their God? ’ ” # 2:17 Ps 42:3,10; 79:10; 115:2

God’s Response to His People

18Then the Lord became jealous for his land # 2:18 Ezk 36:5,6; Zch 1:14; 8:2 and spared his people. # 2:18 Is 60:10; 63:9,15 19The Lord answered his people:

Look, I am about to send you

grain, new wine, and fresh oil. # 2:19 Jr 31:12; Hs 2:21–22

You will be satiated with them,

and I will no longer make you

a disgrace among the nations. # 2:19 Ezk 34:29; 36:15

20I will drive the northerner far from you # 2:20 Jr 1:14–15

and banish him to a dry and desolate land,

his front ranks into the Dead Sea, # 2:20 Zch 14:8

and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea. # 2:20 Dt 11:24

His stench will rise;

yes, his rotten smell will rise, # 2:20 Is 34:3; Am 4:10

for he has done astonishing things.

21Don’t be afraid, land; # 2:21 Jl 1:10

rejoice and be glad,

for the Lord has done astonishing things. # 2:21 Ps 126:2–3

22Don’t be afraid, wild animals,

for the wilderness pastures have turned green, # 2:22 Ps 65:12; Jr 9:10; Jl 1:19

the trees bear their fruit,

and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.

23Children of Zion, # 2:23 Ps 149:2 rejoice and be glad

in the Lord your God, # 2:23 Is 12:2–6

because he gives you the autumn rain # 2:23 Or the teacher of righteousness

for your vindication. # 2:23 Or righteousness,# 2:23 Dt 11:13–15

He sends showers for you,

both autumn and spring rain # 2:23 Hs 6:3; Zch 10:1 as before.

24The threshing floors will be full of grain, # 2:24 Lv 26:10; Am 9:13; Mal 3:10

and the vats will overflow

with new wine and fresh oil.

25I will repay you for the years

that the swarming locust ate, # 2:25 Jl 1:4–7; 2:2–11

the young locust, the destroying locust,

and the devouring locust —

my great army that I sent against you.

26You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied. # 2:26 Dt 11:15; Is 62:9

You will praise the name of the Lord your God, # 2:26 Ps 113:1; 135:1; 148:5,13

who has dealt wondrously with you. # 2:26 Ps 126:2; Is 25:1

My people will never again be put to shame. # 2:26 Is 45:17

27You will know that I am present in Israel # 2:27 Jl 3:17,21

and that I am the Lord your God,

and there is no other. # 2:27 Dt 4:35,39; 1Kg 8:60; Is 45:5–6

My people will never again be put to shame. # 2:27 Is 49:23

God’s Promise of His Spirit

28After this # 2:28–32 Ac 2:17–21

I will pour out my Spirit # 2:28 Is 32:15; 44:3; Ezk 39:29 on all humanity; # 2:28 Is 40:5; 49:26

then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,

your old men will have dreams,

and your young men will see visions.

29I will even pour out my Spirit

on the male and female slaves in those days. # 2:29 1Co 12:13

30I will display wonders

in the heavens and on the earth: # 2:30 Lk 21:11,25–26

blood, fire, and columns of smoke.

31The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood # 2:31 Is 13:9–10; 34:4; Mt 24:29; Mk 13:24

before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. # 2:31 Zph 1:14–16; Mal 4:1,5

32Then everyone who calls

on the name of the Lord will be saved, # 2:32 Rm 10:13

for there will be an escape

for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,

as the Lord promised, # 2:32 Ob 17

among the survivors the Lord calls.

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Joel 2: CSB

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Yoel 2

1Blow ye the shofar in Tziyon,

and sound an alarm on My Har Kodesh;

let all the yoshvei ha'aretz tremble;

for the Yom Hashem cometh,

for it is near at hand;

2A day of choshech and of gloominess,

a day of anan (cloud) and of thick darkness,

as the shachar (dawn) spread upon the mountains;

an am rav (great people, army) and strong;

there hath not been ever the like,

neither shall be any more after it,

even to the years of dor v'dor.

3An eish devoureth before them;

and behind them a flame burneth;

ha'aretz is as the Gan Eden before them,

and behind them a desolate midbar;

yea, and nothing shall escape them.

4The appearance of them is as the appearance of susim;

and as horsemen, so shall they run.

5Like the noise of merkavot (chariots)

on the tops of mountains shall they leap,

like the noise of a flame of eish that devoureth the stubble,

as a strong people drawn up in milchamah (battle).

6Before their face, the amim (nations) shall be in anguish;

every face turns pale.

7They shall run like gibborim;

they shall climb the chomah (wall) like anshei milchamah;

and they shall march every one in formation,

and they shall not swerve from their course;

8Neither shall one push another;

they shall walk every one in his own column;

and when they burst through defenses,

they shall not break ranks.

9They shall run to and fro in the ir (city);

they shall run upon the chomah,

they shall climb up into the batim (houses);

they shall enter in at the windows like the ganav.

10The eretz shall quake before them;

the Shomayim shall tremble;

the shemesh and the yarei'ach shall be dark,

and the kokhavim shall withdraw their shining;

11And Hashem shall utter His voice before His army;

His machaneh (camp) is very great;

for the executor of His devar (word, command) is strong;

for the Yom Hashem is gadol and very terrible;

and who can endure it?

12Therefore also now, saith Hashem,

turn ye back to Me with all your lev,

and with tzom, and with weeping, and with mourning;

13And rend your lev, and not your garments,

and turn unto Hashem Eloheichem;

for He is channun (gracious) and rachum (merciful),

slow to anger, and of rav chesed,

and He relents from sending calamity.

14Who knoweth but that He will return and have pity,

and leave behind Him a brocha;

even a minchah and a nesekh

unto Hashem Eloheichem?

15Blow the shofar in Tziyon,

sanctify a tzom, call an atzarah (solemn assembly);

16Gather the people,

set apart as kodesh the kahal (congregation),

assemble the zekenim,

gather the olalim,

even those nursing at the breast;

let the choson go forth of his cheder,

and the kallah out of her chuppah (canopy).

17Let the kohanim, the mesharetim of Hashem, weep

between the Ulam and the Mizbe'ach,

and let them say:

Spare Thy people, Hashem,

and make not Thine nachalah (inheritance) an object of scorn,

a byword among the Goyim.

Why should they say among the peoples:

Where is their G-d?

18Then will Hashem be jealous for His land,

and take pity on His people.

19Yea, Hashem will answer and say unto His people:

Hineni, I am sending you dagan, and tirosh, and yitzhar,

and ye shall be satisfied therewith;

and I will no more make you an object of scorn among the Goyim;

20But I will remove far off from you the northern [army],#2:20 i.e., army of locusts

and will drive him into an eretz barren and desolate,

with his vanguard toward the eastern sea,#2:20 i.e., Dead Sea

and his rearguard toward the western sea,#2:20 i.e., Mediterranean Sea

and his stench and foul smell will go up.

Surely it hath done great things.

21Fear not, O land;

be glad and rejoice;

for Hashem hath done great things.

22Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field;

for the pastures of the midbar do spring up,

for the etz beareth her fruit,

the te'enah and the gefen do yield their strength.

23Be glad then, ye bnei Tziyon,

and rejoice in Hashem Eloheichem;

for He hath given you the former rain according to (His) tzedakah,

and He will cause to come down for you the rain,

the yoreh (former rain), and the malkosh (latter rain) as before.

24And the threshing floors shall be full of wheat,

and the vats shall overflow with yayin and yitzhar.

25And I will restore to you the shanim (years)

that the arbeh (great locust) hath eaten,

the crawling locust, and the other locust, and the locust swarm,

My great army which I sent among you.

26And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied,

and praise the Shem of Hashem Eloheichem,

that hath dealt wondrously with you;

and My people shall never be ashamed.

27And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Yisroel,

and that I am Hashem Eloheichem, and there is no other;

and My people shall never be put to shame.

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