Joel 2:1-11

The Day of Yahweh is Near

1 Blow [the] trumpet[a] in Zion, and sound the alarm on {my holy mountain}![b] Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of Yahweh [is] coming --[it is] indeed near.
2 A day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and thick darkness, like the dawn spreads on the mountains, a great and strong army! There has been nothing like it from old, and after it nothing will be again {for generations to come}.[c]
3 {Before them}[d] a fire devours, and behind them a flame burns. Like the garden of Eden is the land {before them},[e] and after them [it is like] a desolate desert, and nothing can escape them.
4 Like [the] appearance of horses is their appearance, and like horsemen they run;
5 like [the] sound of chariots on the tops of the mountains, they leap about; like [the] sound of a flame of fire devouring stubble; like a strong army arranged in rows [for] battle.
6 {From before them}[f] nations writhe, all faces {turn pale}.[g]
7 They run like mighty warriors,[h] they scale the wall like men of war; each goes on its own way, and they do not swerve [from] their paths.
8 They do not jostle {one another}; each goes on its own trail; and through the falling weapons, they are not halted.
9 In the city they rush forth; on the walls they run. Into the houses they climb up; through the windows they enter like [a] thief.
10 {Before them} [the] earth quakes; [the] heavens tremble; [the] sun and [the] moon grow dark, and [the] stars {have withheld} their splendor
11 And Yahweh {utters} his voice before his army, because his encampment [is] very large; strong [is the] one who carries out his decree, for great [is] the day of Yahweh and exceedingly fearful. Who can endure it?

Footnotes 14

  • [a]. Hebrew "shofar"
  • [b]. Literally "mountain of my holiness"
  • [c]. Literally "until years of generations"
  • [d]. Literally "before the presence of it"
  • [e]. Literally "before the presence of it"
  • [f]. Or "From in front of it," or "From the presence of it"
  • [g]. Literally "gather paleness"
  • [h]. That is, the "great and strong army" (see 2:2)
  • [i]. Literally "each man his brother"
  • [j]. Hebrew "weapon"
  • [k]. Hebrew "wall"
  • [l]. Literally "Before the presence of it"
  • [m]. Literally "gathered"
  • [n]. Literally "gives"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.