Joel 2 Parallel Bible Translations

Joel 2 ▼
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1 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm signal on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land shake with fear, for the day of the LORD is about to come. Indeed, it is near! Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near, Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand—
2 It will be a day of dreadful darkness, a day of foreboding storm clouds, like blackness spread over the mountains. It is a huge and powerful army--there has never been anything like it ever before, and there will not be anything like it for many generations to come! a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations. a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come.
3 Like fire they devour everything in their path; a flame blazes behind them. The land looks like the Garden of Eden before them, but behind them there is only a desolate wilderness--for nothing escapes them! Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste— nothing escapes them.
4 They look like horses; they charge ahead like war horses. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses they run. They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry.
5 They sound like chariots rumbling over mountain tops, like the crackling of blazing fire consuming stubble, like the noise of a mighty army being drawn up for battle. As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle. With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
6 People writhe in fear when they see them. All of their faces turn pale with fright. Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale. At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale.
7 They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. Each one proceeds on his course; they do not alter their path. Like warriors they charge; like soldiers they scale the wall. They march each on his way; they do not swerve from their paths. They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course.
8 They do not jostle one another; each of them marches straight ahead. They burst through the city defenses and do not break ranks. They do not jostle one another; each marches in his path; they burst through the weapons and are not halted. They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks.
9 They rush into the city; they scale its walls. They climb up into the houses; they go in through the windows like a thief. They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls, they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief. They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows.
10 The earth quakes before them; the sky reverberates. The sun and the moon grow dark; the stars refuse to shine. The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.
11 The voice of the LORD thunders as he leads his army. Indeed, his warriors are innumerable; Surely his command is carried out! Yes, the day of the LORD is awesome and very terrifying--who can survive it? The LORD utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the LORD is great and very awesome; who can endure it? The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?
12 |Yet even now,| the LORD says, |return to me with all your heart--with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your garments!| “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; “Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
13 Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and boundless in loyal love--often relenting from calamitous punishment. and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
14 Who knows? Perhaps he will be compassionate and grant a reprieve, and leave blessing in his wake--a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the LORD your God! Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God? Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God.
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion. Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly! Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.
16 Gather the people; sanctify an assembly! Gather the elders; gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out from his bedroom and the bride from her private quarters. gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests, those who serve the LORD, weep from the vestibule all the way back to the altar. Let them say, |Have pity, O LORD, on your people; please do not turn over your inheritance to be mocked, to become a proverb among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, |Where is their God?| Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, “Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
18 Then the LORD became zealous for his land; he had compassion on his people. Then the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity on his people. Then the LORD was jealous for his land and took pity on his people.
19 The LORD responded to his people, |Look! I am about to restore your grain as well as fresh wine and olive oil. You will be fully satisfied. I will never again make you an object of mockery among the nations. The LORD answered and said to his people, “Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. The LORD replied to them: “I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations.
20 I will remove the one from the north far from you. I will drive him out to a dry and desolate place. Those in front will be driven eastward into the Dead Sea, and those in back westward into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise up as a foul smell.| Indeed, the LORD has accomplished great things. “I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his vanguard into the eastern sea, and his rear guard into the western sea; the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things. “I will drive the northern horde far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land; its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things!
21 Do not fear, my land! Rejoice and be glad, because the LORD has accomplished great things! “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things! Do not be afraid, land of Judah; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things!
22 Do not fear, wild animals! For the pastures of the wilderness are again green with grass. Indeed, the trees bear their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield to their fullest. Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield. Do not be afraid, you wild animals, for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.
23 Citizens of Zion, rejoice! Be glad because of what the LORD your God has done! For he has given to you the early rains as vindication. He has sent to you the rains--both the early and the late rains as formerly. “Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.
24 The threshing floors are full of grain; the vats overflow with fresh wine and olive oil. “The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
25 I will make up for the years that the 'arbeh -locust consumed your crops--the yeleq -locust, the hasil -locust, and the gazam -locust--my great army that I sent against you. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm — my great army that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, and your hunger will be fully satisfied; you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has acted wondrously in your behalf. My people will never again be put to shame. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.
27 You will be convinced that I am in the midst of Israel. I am the LORD your God; there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.
28 After all of this I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29 Even on male and female servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30 I will produce portents both in the sky and on the earth--blood, fire, and columns of smoke. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sunlight will be turned to darkness and the moon to the color of blood, before the day of the LORD comes--that great and terrible day! The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
32 It will so happen that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who survive, just as the LORD has promised; the remnant will be those whom the LORD will call. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls. And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.
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