Joel 2

¹ Blow the ram's-horn in Zion, sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everybody in the countrytremble, 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, across the mountains spreadsa vast and mighty people, such as has never been before, such as wil never be again to the remotest ages.

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

⁴ They look like horses, like chargers they gal op on,

⁵ with a racket like that of chariots they spring over the mountain tops, with a crackling like a blazing firedevouring the stubble, a mighty army in battle array.

⁶ At the sight of them, people are appal ed and every face grows pale.

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

⁸ they never jostle each other, each marches straight ahead: arrows fly, they stil press forward, neverbreaking ranks.

⁹ They hurl themselves at the city, they leap onto the wal s, swarm up the houses, getting in through thewindows like thieves.

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

¹¹ Yahweh's voice rings out at the head of his troops! For mighty indeed is his army, strong, the enforcerof his orders, for great is the Day of Yahweh, and very terrible -- who can face it?

¹² 'But now -- declares Yahweh- come back to me with al your heart, fasting, weeping, mourning.'

¹³ Tear your hearts and not your clothes, and come back to Yahweh your God, for he is gracious andcompassionate, slow to anger, rich in faithful love, and he relents about inflicting disaster.

¹⁴ Who knows if he wil not come back, relent and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal offering and alibation to be presented to Yahweh your God?

¹⁵ Blow the ram's-horn in Zion! Order a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,

¹⁶ cal the people together, summon the community, assemble the elders, gather the children, eveninfants at the breast! Call the bridegroom from his bedroom and the bride from her bower!

¹⁷ Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, stand weeping between portico and altar, saying, 'Spare yourpeople, Yahweh! Do not expose your heritage to the contempt, to the sarcasm of the nations! Why give thepeoples cause to say, "Where is their God?" '

¹⁸ Then, becoming jealous over his country, Yahweh took pity on his people.

¹⁹ Yahweh said in answer to his people, 'Now I shal send you wheat, wine and olive oil until you haveenough. Never again wil I expose you to the contempt of the nations.

²⁰ I shal take the northerner far away from you and drive him into an arid, desolate land, his vanguard tothe eastern sea, his rearguard to the western sea. He wil give off a stench, he wil give off a foul stink (for whathe made bold to do).'

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

²² Wild animals, do not be afraid; the desert pastures are green again, the trees bear fruit, vine and figtree yield their richness.

²³ Sons of Zion, be glad, rejoice in Yahweh your God; for he has given you autumn rain as justicedemands, and he wil send the rains down for you, the autumn and spring rain as of old.

²⁴ The threshing-floors wil be ful 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 younglocust, my great army which I sent to invade you.

²⁶ 'You will eat to your heart's content, and praise the name of Yahweh your God who has treated you sowonderful y. (My people will never be humiliated again!)

²⁷ 'And you will know that I am among you in Israel, I, Yahweh your God, and no one else. My people willnever be humiliated again!'