Joel 2
1Blow 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 comes, for it is near at hand;
2A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great and strong people; there has not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, through the years of many generations.
3A 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; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
4The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
5Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
6Before their face the people shall be in great pain: all faces are drained of color.
7They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march each one on his way, and they shall not break their ranks:
8Neither shall one jostle another; they shall walk each one in his path: and when they lunge between the swords, they shall not be wounded.
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.
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:
11And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executes his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can endure it?
12Therefore also now,
says the LORD,
turn you even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
13And tear your hearts, 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 relents from sending calamity.
14Who knows if he will return and have pity, and leave a blessing behind him; even a grain offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
15Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that nurse: let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her chamber.
17Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare your people, O LORD, and give not your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: why should they say among the people, Where is their God?
18Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
19Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people,
Behold, I will send you grain, and wine, and oil, and you shall be satisfied with them: and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations:
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 eastern sea, and his back toward the western sea, and his stench shall come up, and his foul smell shall come up,
because he has done great things.
21Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
22Be not afraid, you beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring up, for the tree bears her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.
23Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he has given you the former rain faithfully, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
24And the threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25And I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, and the consuming locust, and the cutting locust, my great army which I sent among you.
26And you shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
27And you 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.
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:
29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible 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 has said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
Commentaries for Joel 2:0