Joel 2

¹ Sound the trumpet in Zion, give the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the country tremble, for the day of Yahweh is coming, yes, it is near.

² Day of darkness and gloom, day of cloud and blackness. Like the dawn there spreads across the mountains a vast and mighty host, such as has never been before, such as will never be again to the remotest ages.

³ In their van the fire devours, in their rear a flame consumes. The country is like a garden of Eden ahead of them and a desert waste behind them. Nothing escapes them.

⁴ They look like horses, like chargers they gallop on,

⁵ with a racket like the clatter of chariots they hurtle over the mountain tops, with a crackling like a blazing fire devouring the stubble, a mighty army in battle array.

⁶ At the sight of them the peoples are appalled and every face grows pale.

⁷ Like fighting men they press forward, like warriors scale the walls, each marching straight ahead, not turning from his path;

⁸ they never jostle each other, each marches straight ahead: arrows fly, they still press forward, without breaking ranks.

⁹ They hurl themselves at the city, they leap on to its walls, climb to the housetops, and make their way through windows like marauders.

¹⁰ As they come on, the earth quakes, the skies tremble, sun and moon grow dark, the stars lose their brilliance.

¹¹ Yahweh makes his voice heard at the head of his army, and indeed his regiments are innumerable, all-powerful is the one that carries out his orders, for great is the day of Yahweh, and very terrible-who can face it?

¹² ‘But now, now-it is Yahweh who speaks-come back to me with all your heart, fasting, weeping, mourning.’

¹³ Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn, turn to Yahweh your God again, for he is all tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness, and ready to relent.

¹⁴ Who knows if he will not turn again, will not relent, will not leave a blessing as he passes, oblation and libation for Yahweh your God?

¹⁵ Sound the trumpet in Zion! Order a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,

¹⁶ call the people together, summon the community, assemble the elders, gather the children, even the infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his bedroom and the bride her alcove.

¹⁷ Between vestibule and altar let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, lament. Let them say, ‘Spare your people, Yahweh! Do not make your heritage a thing of shame, a byword for the nations. Why should it be said among the nations,

¹⁸ Then Yahweh, jealous on behalf of his land, took pity on his people.

¹⁹ Yahweh spoke in answer to his people, ‘Now I send you corn and wine and oil, until you have enough. Never again shall I make you a thing of shame for the nations.

²⁰ I will drive the invader from the north far away from you and drive him into an arid, desolate land, his vanguard to the eastern sea, his rearguard to the western sea. He will give off a stench, give off a foul stink.’ (For he has done great things.)

²¹ O soil, do not be afraid; be glad, rejoice, for Yahweh has done great things.

²² Beasts of the field, do not be afraid; the pastures on the heath are green again, the trees bear fruit, vine and fig tree yield abundantly.

²³ Sons of Zion, be glad, rejoice in Yahweh your God; for he has given you the autumn rain, since he is just, and has poured the rains down for you, the autumn and spring rain as before.

²⁴ The threshing-floors will be full of grain, the vats overflow with wine and oil.

²⁵ ‘I will make up to you for the years devoured by grown locust and hopper by shearer and young locust, my great army which I sent to invade you.’

²⁶ You will eat to your heart’s content, will eat your fill, and praise the name of Yahweh your God who has treated you so wonderfully. (My people will not be disappointed any more.)

²⁷ And you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, that I am Yahweh your God, with none to equal me. My people will not be disappointed any more.