Joel 2

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

1Blow the horn in Zion, the hill where Jerusalem stands. Sound the alarm on God's holy mountain. Let everyone in the land shake with fear. The day of the LORD is coming. It is very close.

2A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

2It will be a day of darkness and gloom. Clouds and blackness will cover it. Like morning light spreading over the hills, a great, strong army comes. There has never been an army like it. There never will be one again.

3A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

3Fire eats up the land in front of them. Flames burn behind them. Ahead of them the land looks like the garden of Eden. Behind them it is an empty desert. Nothing gets away from them.

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

4They look like horses. They run the way war horses run.

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

5They leap over the hilltops with a noise like war carts. They crackle like fire burning dry grass. They are like a strong army lined up to fight.

6Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

6People twist with fear when they see them. Every face turns pale.

7They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:

7They charge like strong men. They climb walls like soldiers. Each one marches straight ahead. Not one turns aside.

8Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

8They do not push each other. Each one keeps to his own path. They break through the defenses and never break their lines.

9They shall run to and fro in 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.

9They rush into the city. They run along the wall. They climb into houses. They come in through the windows like thieves.

10The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

10The earth shakes in front of them. The heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark. The stars stop shining.

11And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

11The LORD calls out in front of his army. His camp is very large. Those who obey his command are strong. The day of the LORD is great and terrible. Who can stand through it?

12Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

12"Even now," says the LORD, "come back to me with all your heart. Go without food. Cry and be sad."

13And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

13Tear open your hearts, not your clothes. Come back to the LORD your God. He is kind and full of mercy. He is slow to get angry and full of love. He holds back the trouble he was going to send.

Note"Repenteth him of the evil" in the old English means God holds back the disaster he was going to send. It does not mean God does anything wicked.

14Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?

14Who knows? He may turn back and leave a blessing behind him. Then you will have grain and drink to offer to the LORD your God.

NoteThe old word "meat" meant any kind of food. A "meat offering" was a gift of grain, not animal meat.

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

15Blow the horn in Zion. Set apart a time to go without food. Call everyone together for a holy meeting.

16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, 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.

16Gather the people. Make the whole group ready for God. Bring the old people. Bring the children and the babies still nursing. Even a new husband and his bride must leave their rooms and come.

Note"Closet" in 1611 meant a small private room, not a place for hanging clothes.

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

17The priests, the men who serve the LORD, should cry between the porch and the altar. They should say, "Spare your people, LORD. Do not let them be shamed by other nations. Why should people say, 'Where is their God?'"

18Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

18Then the LORD cared deeply about his land. He felt sorry for his people.

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

19The LORD answered his people: "I will send you grain, new wine, and oil. You will have plenty. I will never again let other nations shame you."

20But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

20"I will drive the army from the north far away from you. I will push it into a dry, empty land. Its front will go to the eastern sea. Its back will go to the western sea. It will rot and smell terrible." The LORD has done great things.

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

21Do not be afraid, land. Be glad and full of joy. The LORD has done great things.

22Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.

22Do not be afraid, wild animals. The open fields are turning green again. The trees give their fruit. Fig trees and grapevines give their best.

23Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

23Be glad, people of Zion. Be full of joy in the LORD your God. He has given you the fall rains to set things right. He sends showers, both fall and spring rains, as he did before.

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

24The floors where grain is beaten out will be full of grain. The big tubs will overflow with new wine and oil.

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

25"I will pay you back for the years the locusts ate. Locusts of every kind ate your crops. They were my great army, and I sent them against you."

Note"Cankerworm," "caterpiller," and "palmerworm" are old names for locusts, bugs like grasshoppers that eat crops.

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

26You will have plenty to eat. You will be full. You will praise the name of the LORD your God. He has done wonderful things for you. My people will never be shamed again.

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

27Then you will know that I am here with Israel. I am the LORD your God. There is no other God. My people will never be shamed again.

28And it shall come to pass afterward, 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:

28Later I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will tell what God says. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions, pictures God shows them.

29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

29In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servant men and servant women.

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

30I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth. There will be blood, fire, and tall columns of smoke.

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

31The sun will turn dark. The moon will turn red like blood. This will happen before the great and frightening day of the LORD comes.

32And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

32Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be safety. The LORD has promised this. It is for the people left alive, the ones he calls.