Joel 2:1-17

English Standard Version

The Day of the Lord

2 ^(A)Blow a trumpet in ^(B)Zion;
    sound an alarm on ^(C)my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
    for ^(D)the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,
²^(E)a day of darkness and gloom,
    ^(F)a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains
    ^(G)a great and powerful people;
^(H)their like has never been before,
    nor will be again after them
    through the years of all generations.

³^(I)Fire devours before them,
    and behind them a flame burns.
The land is like ^(J)the garden of Eden before them,
    but ^(K)behind them a desolate wilderness,
    and nothing escapes them.

⁴^(L)Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,
    and like war horses they run.
⁵^(M)As with the rumbling of chariots,
    they leap on the tops of the mountains,
like the crackling of ^(N)a flame of fire
    devouring the stubble,
^(O)like a powerful army
    drawn up for battle.

⁶Before them peoples are in anguish;
    ^(P)all faces grow pale.
⁷Like warriors they charge;
    like soldiers they scale the wall.
They march each on his way;
    they do not swerve from their paths.
⁸They do not jostle one another;
    ^(Q)each marches in his path;
they burst through the weapons
    and are not halted.
⁹^(R)They leap upon the city,
    they run upon the walls,
^(S)they climb up into the houses,
    ^(T)they enter through the windows ^(U)like a thief.

¹⁰^(V)The earth quakes before them;
    the heavens tremble.
^(W)The sun and the moon are darkened,
    and the stars withdraw their shining.
¹¹^(X)The Lord utters his voice
    before ^(Y)his army,
for his camp is exceedingly great;
    ^(Z)he who executes his word is powerful.
^(AA)For the day of the Lord is ^(AB)great and very awesome;
    ^(AC)who can endure it?

Return to the Lord

¹²“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
    ^(AD)“return to me with all your heart,
^(AE)with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
¹³    and ^(AF)rend your hearts and not ^(AG)your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
    ^(AH)for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
    ^(AI)and he relents over disaster.
¹⁴^(AJ)Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
    and ^(AK)leave a blessing behind him,
^(AL)a grain offering and a drink offering
    for the Lord your God?

¹⁵^(AM)Blow the trumpet in Zion;
    ^(AN)consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
¹⁶    gather the people.
^(AO)Consecrate the congregation;
    assemble the elders;
^(AP)gather the children,
    even nursing infants.
^(AQ)Let the bridegroom leave his room,
    and the bride her chamber.

¹⁷^(AR)Between the ^(AS)vestibule and the ^(AT)altar
    ^(AU)let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep
and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
    and make not your heritage a reproach,
    a byword among the nations.^[a]
^(AV)Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?’”