Joel 2
2
Announcement of alarm and peril
1Blow the horn in Zion;
give a shout on my holy mountain!
Let all the people of the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming.
It is near—
2a day of darkness and no light,
a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness spread out upon the mountains,
a great and powerful army#2.2 Or a great and strong people comes,
unlike any that has ever come before them,
or will come after them in centuries ahead.
3In front of them a fire consumes;
and behind them a flame burns.
Land ahead of them is like Eden’s garden,
but they leave behind them a barren wasteland;
nothing escapes them.
4They resemble horses,
and like warhorses they charge,
5like the rumbling of chariots.
They leap on the mountaintops—
like the crackling of a fire’s flame,
devouring the stubble;
like a powerful army
ready for battle.
6In their presence, peoples shake with fear;
all faces turn red with worry.
7Like warriors they charge;
like soldiers they climb the wall.
Each keeps to their own path;
they didn’t change their course.
8They don’t crowd each other;
each keeps to their own path.
Even if they fall among the weapons,
they won’t stop.
9They rush upon the city;
they run upon the walls.
They climb into the houses;
they enter through the windows like thieves.
10The earth quakes before them;
the heavens shake.
The sun and the moon are darkened;
the stars have stopped shining,
11because the LORD utters his voice
at the head of his army.
How numerous are his troops!
Mighty are those who obey his word.
The day of the LORD is great;
it stirs up great fear—who can endure it?
Change your hearts
12Yet even now, says the LORD,
return to me with all your hearts,
with fasting, with weeping, and with sorrow;
13tear your hearts
and not your clothing.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate,
very patient, full of faithful love,
and ready to forgive.
14Who knows whether he will have a change of heart
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the LORD your God?
15Blow the horn in Zion;
demand a fast;
request a special assembly.
16Gather the people;
prepare a holy meeting;
assemble the elders;
gather the children,
even nursing infants.
Let the groom leave his room
and the bride her chamber.
17Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the LORD’s ministers, weep.
Let them say, “Have mercy, LORD, on your people,
and don’t make your inheritance a disgrace,
an example of failure among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
Words of compassion and promise
18Then the LORD became passionate about this land,#2.18 Or then the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity on his people.
19The LORD responded to the people:
See, I am sending you
the corn, new wine, and fresh oil,
and you will be fully satisfied by it;
and I will no longer make you
a disgrace among the nations.
20I will remove the northern army far from you
and drive it into a dried-up and desolate land,
its front into the eastern sea,
and its rear into the western sea.
Its stench will rise up;
its stink will come to the surface.
The LORD is about to do great things!
21Don’t fear, fertile land;
rejoice and be glad,
for the LORD is about to do great things!
22Don’t be afraid, animals of the field,
for the meadows of the wilderness will turn green;
the tree will bear its fruit;
the fig tree and grapevine will give their full yield.
23Children of Zion,
rejoice and be glad in the LORD your God,
because he will give you the early rain as a sign of righteousness;
he will pour down abundant rain for you,
the early and the late rain, as before.#2.23 Or at the first
24The threshing floors will be full of grain;
the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil.
25I will repay you for the years
that the cutting locust,
the swarming locust, the hopping locust, and the devouring locust have eaten—
my great army, which I sent against you.
26You will eat abundantly and be satisfied,
and you will praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has done wonders for you;
and my people will never again be put to shame.
27You will know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the LORD your God—no other exists;
never again will my people be put to shame.
28After that I will pour out my spirit upon everyone;
your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
and your young men will see visions.
29In those days, I will also pour out my
spirit on the male and female slaves.
30I will give signs in the heavens and on the earth—blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood before the great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 32But everyone who calls on the LORD’s name will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be security, as the LORD has promised; and in Jerusalem, the LORD will summon those who survive.
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Joel 2: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
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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