Joel 2

Jubilee Bible 2000

2 ¶ Blow the shofar in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the earth tremble for the day of the LORD comes, for it is near at hand;

² a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of shadow that spreads itself upon the mountains as the dawn: a people great and strong; there has not ever been the like, neither shall there be any more after him, even to the years of many generations.

³ A fire devours before him and behind him a flame burns: the earth is as the garden of Eden before him, and behind him a desolate wilderness; neither shall anyone escape him.

⁴ His appearance is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.

⁵ Like the thunder of chariots they shall leap over the tops of mountains, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

⁶ Before him the peoples shall fear: all faces shall go pale.

⁷ They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war, and they shall march each one in his ways, and they shall not break his ranks.

⁸ No one shall crowd his companion; they shall walk each one in his path: and even falling upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

⁹ They shall go through the city; they shall run upon the wall; they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

¹⁰ The earth shall quake before him; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall go dark; and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

¹¹ and the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for many are his camps and strong, that execute his word; for the day of the LORD is great, and very terrible; and who can abide it?

¹² ¶ Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn unto me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping, and with mourning:

¹³ and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in mercy, and he does repent of chastisement.

¹⁴ Who knows if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him even a present and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?

¹⁵ Blow the shofar in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:

¹⁶ gather the people, sanctify the meeting, assemble the elders, gather the children and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber and the bride out of her closet.

¹⁷ Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Forgive thy people, O LORD, and do not give thine heritage to reproach that the Gentiles should rule over her: why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?

¹⁸ ¶ Then the LORD will be jealous for his earth and forgive his people.

¹⁹ Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you bread and new wine and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no longer make you a reproach among the Gentiles:

²⁰ But I will remove far off from you he of the north wind and will drive him into a land barren and desolate; his face shall be toward the east sea, and his end unto the western sea, and he shall exhale his foul odour, and he shall decompose, because he has lifted himself up.

²¹ Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD has done great things.

²² Be not afraid, ye animals of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness shall become green again, for the trees shall bear their fruit, the fig tree and the vine shall give their fruits.

²³ Ye also, sons of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the LORD your God for he has given you the former rain according to righteousness, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain as in the beginning.

²⁴ And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

²⁵ And I will restore to you the years that the caterpillar has eaten, the locust, and the cankerworm, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

²⁶ And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God that has dealt wondrously with you; and my people shall never again be ashamed.

²⁷ And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is none other; and my people shall never be ashamed.

²⁸ ¶ And it shall come to pass after this that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

²⁹ and even upon the slaves and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

³⁰ And I will show wonders in the heaven and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

³¹ The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and the terrible day of the LORD comes.

³² And it shall come to pass that whoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall escape: for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be salvation, as the LORD has said, and in those who are left, to whom the LORD shall have called.