Joel, chapter 2

Locusts and an Enemy Army

Sound the trumpet on ZionG, the Lord's sacred hill.

Warn everyone to tremble!

The judgment day of the LordI is coming soon.

²It will be dark and gloomy with storm clouds overhead.

Troops will cover the mountains like thunderclouds.

No army this powerfulO has ever been gathered before

or will be gathered again.

³Fiery flames surround them; no one escapes.

Before they invaded, the land was like EdenG;

now only a desert remains.

⁴They look like horses and charge like cavalry.

⁵They roar over mountains like noisy chariotsO,

or a mighty army ready for battle.

They are a forest fire that feasts on straw.

⁶The very sight of them is frightening.*

⁷They climb over walls like warriors;

they march in columns and never turn aside.*

⁸They charge straight ahead, without pushing each other;

even arrows and spears cannot make them retreat.

⁹They swarm over city walls and enter our homes;

they crawl in through windowsI, just like thieves.

¹⁰They make the earth tremble and the heavens shake;

the sun and moon turn darkI,

and stars stop shining.

¹¹The Lord God leads this army of countless troops,

and they obey his commands.

The day of his judgmentI is so terrible

that no one can stand it.

The Lord's Invitation

¹²The Lord said:

It isn't too late. You can still return to me

with all your heart.

Start crying and mourning! Go without eating.

¹³Don't rip your clothes to show your sorrow.

Instead, turn back to me with broken heartsI.

I am merciful, kind, and caring.

I don't easily lose my temper,

and I don't like to punish.

¹⁴I am the Lord your God.

Perhaps I will change my mind

and treat you with mercy.

Then you will be blessed with enough grain and wine

for offering sacrificesI to me.

¹⁵ CSound the trumpet on ZionG! Call the people together.

Show your sorrow by going without food.

¹⁶Make sure that everyone is fit to worship meH.

Bring adults, children, babies,

and even bring newlyweds from their festivities.

¹⁷ C Tell my servants, the priestsP, to cry inside the temple

and to offer this prayer near the altar:*

“Save your people, Lord God!

Don't let foreign nations make jokes about us.

Don't let them laugh and ask,

‘Where is your God?’ ”

The Lord's Blessings and Judgment of Nations

The Lord Will Bless the Land

¹⁸The Lord was deeply concerned about his land

and had pity on his people.

¹⁹In answer to their prayers he said,

“I will give you enough grain, wine, and olive oilO

to satisfy your needs.

No longer will I let you be insulted by the nations.

²⁰An army attacked from the northI,

but I will chase it into a scorching desert.

There it will rot and stink

from the Dead Sea to the MediterraneanG.”

The Lord works wonders ²¹and does great things.

So tell the soil to celebrate

²²and wild animals to stop being afraid.

Grasslands are green again;

fruit trees and fig trees are loaded with fruit.

GrapevinesO are covered with grapes.

²³People of ZionG, celebrate in honor

of the Lord your God!

He is generous and has sent the autumn and spring rains

in the proper seasons.*

²⁴Grain will cover your threshing placesO;

jars will overflow with wine and olive oil.

The Lord Will Rescue His People

²⁵I, the Lord your God, will make up for the losses

caused by those swarms and swarms of locusts*O

I sent to attack you.

²⁶My people, you will eat until you are satisfied.

Then you will praise me

for the wonderful things I have done.

Never again will you be put to shame.

²⁷ CIsrael, you will know that I stand at your side.

I am the Lord your God— there are no other gods.

Never again will you be put to shame.

The Lord Will Work Wonders

²⁸ C Later, I will give my SpiritI to everyone.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy.

Your old men will have dreams,

and your young men will see visions.

²⁹In those days I will even give my Spirit to my servants,

both men and women.

³⁰I will work wonders in the sky above

and on the earth below.

There will be blood and fire and clouds of smoke.

³¹ C The sun will turn dark,

and the moon will be as red as blood

before that great and terrible dayI when I appear.

³² C Then I, the Lord will save everyone who faithfully worships me. I have promised there will be survivors on Mount Zion and in JerusalemG, and among them will be my chosen ones.