Joel 2

VIN^{(i) 1} Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming —it is indeed near. ² A day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and thick darkness, like the dawn spreads on the mountains, a great and strong army! There has been nothing like it from old, and after it nothing will be again for generations to come. ³ A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame blazeth; the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing escapeth them. ⁴ Their form is like the form of horses, and they are running like war-horses. ⁵ As the noise of chariots, on the tops of the mountains they skip, As the noise of a flame of fire devouring stubble, As a mighty people set in array for battle. ⁶ Before them the peoples are in anguish: all faces turn 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 "They do not crowd each other. They march every one in his path. They burst through the weapons and do not break ranks. ⁹ "They rush to the city. They run on the wall. They climb into the houses. They enter in at the windows like a thief. ¹⁰ Before them the earth quaketh, the heavens tremble; the sun and the moon are become black, 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 "And even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, and weeping, and wailing." 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 knoweth, he may turn and grieve,—and leave behind him, a blessing, a meal-offering and a drink-offering, to the LORD your God? ¹⁵ Blow the trumpet 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 suck the breasts. Let the bridegroom go forth from 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 do not give your heritage to mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" ¹⁸ Then the LORD will be jealous for His land and have pity on His people. ¹⁹ the LORD answered his people: "Behold, I will send you grain, new wine and oil. You will be satisfied with it. I will no more make you a reproach among 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. ²¹ Do not fear, O land. Be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things. ²² Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness spring, for the tree bears its fruit, the fig tree and the vine yield their strength. ²³ Be glad, O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the LORD your God, because he has given for you the autumn rains for your righteousness, and he has poured down for you rainwater, the autumn and spring rains, as before. ²⁴ The threshing floors will be full of wheat, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. ²⁵ "Then I will restore to you the years that the locust swarm devoured, as did the young locust, the other locusts, and the ravaging locust, that great army of mine that I sent among 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 be put to shame. ²⁷ And you will be certain that I am in Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other: and my people will never be shamed. 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. ²⁹ And also on the servants and on the handmaids I will pour out My Spirit in those days. ³⁰ I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, fire, and pillars of smoke. ³¹ The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. ³² And it will happen—everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be rescued, because on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as the LORD said, and among the survivors whom the LORD is calling.