Chapter 2
The Day of the Lord Is Coming[a]
1 Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sound the alarm on my holy mountain.
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming.
2 A day of darkness and gloom is near,
a day of clouds and blackness.
Like the dawn spreading over the mountains,
a vast and powerful army approaches.
Their like has never been seen,
nor will it ever be seen again
in the ages to come.
3 Their vanguard is a devouring fire,
while behind them is a consuming flame.
Ahead of them the land is like the Garden of Eden,
but behind them lies a desert waste,
and from that army there is no escape.
4 They have the appearance of horses;
like cavalry they charge.
5 They leap over the mountaintops
with a deafening din like that of chariots,
like the crackling of a blazing fire
devouring stubble,
like a mighty army
drawn up for battle.
6 At the sight of them
people shrink back in anguish,
their faces without color.
7 Like warriors they press forward;
like soldiers they scale the walls.
They advance, marching straight ahead,
without swerving from their paths.
8 They do not jostle one another;
each marches straight ahead.
They surge through defenses
without breaking ranks.
9 They burst ahead to assault the city,
leaping onto the walls.
They climb into the houses,
entering like thieves through the windows.
10 As they move forward,
the earth quakes before them
and the heavens tremble.
The sun and the moon are darkened,
and the stars withhold their light.
11 The Lord’s voice thunders
at the head of his army.
Mighty and numerous are his forces,
and they enforce his orders.
Great is the day of the Lord
and exceedingly terrible;
who can endure it?
Rend Your Hearts and Not Your Garments[b]
12 Yet even now, says the Lord,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.
13 Rend your hearts and not your garments,
and turn back to the Lord, your God.
For he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and always prepared to relent from punishing.
14 Perhaps he will turn back and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
cereal offerings and libations
to be presented to the Lord, your God.
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion!
Proclaim a fast!
Announce a solemn assembly!
16 Gather the people together;
summon the community;
assemble the elders;
gather the children,
even infants at the breast.
Call forth the bridegroom from his bedroom
and the bride from her wedding chamber.
17 Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord,
stand weeping, between the temple porch and the altar,
as they say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
and do not allow your heritage[c] to be mocked
and subjected to the contempt of the nations.
Why should the peoples say
‘Where is their God?’ ”
18 Thereupon, the Lord was stirred to feel concern for his land, and he took pity on his people. 19 In response to their request, the Lord said to his people:
I will send you
grain and wine and oil,
and you will have all you need.
Never again will I expose you
to the contempt of the nations.
20 I shall drive the northern army far from you
and banish them to an arid and desolate land,
with their vanguard toward the eastern sea,[e]
and their rearguard toward the western sea.
They will give off a stench,
and a foul stench will rise up.
21 Fear not, O land;
be glad and rejoice,
for the Lord has done great things.
22 Be not afraid, you beasts of the field,
for the open pastures are green once again.
The trees will bear fruit;
the fig tree and the vine will yield a full harvest.
23 O children of Zion, be glad,
and rejoice in the Lord, your God.
For he has given you food in good measure
by sending you rain,
the autumn and spring rains as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain,
and the vats will overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopping, the destroying, and the cutting locust,
my great army which I sent against you.
26 You will eat until you are satisfied,
and you will praise the name of the Lord, your God,
for he has dealt wondrously with you,
and my people will never again be put to shame.
27 And you shall know
that I am in the midst of Israel.
I am the Lord, your God, and there is no other;
my people shall never again be put to shame.
Footnotes
- Joel 2:1 The day of the Lord refers to the judgment. The text is from those who express fear before the greatness of the God who comes. The cloud of insects that is advancing like an invading army in battle array destroys everything in its path, and nothing can stop it. It announces the judgment of God.
- Joel 2:12 The moment has come to cry out to God; however, the collective liturgy must not be an external rite but rather must signify a collective movement of conversion. The Lord regards the inner part of humans rather than their outward appearances.
- Joel 2:17 Your heritage: can refer to the people of Israel or to the land of Palestine.
- Joel 2:17 In events that take place, the people of the Old Testament recognize the wrath of God; but it is not the last word.
- Joel 2:20 It was from the north that invading armies usually entered Palestine. The eastern sea and the western sea are, respectively, the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean.