Joel 2

HCSB

Joel 2

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Blow the horn in Zion;^(A)
sound the alarm on My holy mountain!
Let all the residents of the land tremble,
for the Day of the Lord is coming;^(B)
in fact, it is near—

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a day of darkness and gloom,^(C)
a day of clouds and dense overcast,^(D)
like the dawn spreading over the mountains;
a great and strong people^(E) appears,
such as never existed in ages past^(F)
and never will again
in all the generations to come.^(G)

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A fire destroys^(a) in front of them,^(H)
and behind them a flame devours.
The land in front of them
is like the Garden of Eden,^(I)
but behind them,
it is like a desert wasteland;^(J)
there is no escape from them.

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Their appearance is like that of horses,^(K)
and they gallop like war horses.

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They bound on the tops of the mountains.
Their sound is like the sound of chariots,^(L)
like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble,^(M)
like a mighty army deployed for war.

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Nations writhe in horror before them;^(N)
all faces turn pale.

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They attack as warriors attack;
they scale walls as men of war do.
Each goes on his own path,^(O)
and they do not change their course.

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They do not push each other;
each man proceeds on his own path.
They dodge the arrows, never stopping.

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They storm the city;
they run on the wall;
they climb into the houses;^(P)
they enter through the windows like thieves.^(Q)

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The earth quakes before them;^(R)
the sky shakes.
The sun and moon grow dark,^(S)
and the stars cease their shining.^(T)

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The Lord raises His voice^(U)
in the presence of His army.^(V)
His camp is very large;
Those who carry out His command are powerful.^(W)
Indeed, the Day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful^(X)—
who can endure it?^(Y)

God’s Call for Repentance

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Even now—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
turn to Me with all your heart,^(Z)
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.^(AA)

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Tear your hearts,^(AB)
not just your clothes,^(AC)
and return to the Lord your God.
For He is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger, rich in faithful love,
and He relents from sending disaster.^(AD)

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Who knows? He may turn and relent^(AE)
and leave a blessing behind Him,^(AF)
so you can offer grain and wine
to the Lord your God.^(AG)

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Blow the horn in Zion!^(AH)
Announce a sacred fast;^(AI)
proclaim an assembly.

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Gather the people;
sanctify the congregation;^(AJ)
assemble the aged;^(b)^(AK)
gather the children,
even those nursing at the breast.
Let the groom leave his bedroom,^(AL)
and the bride her honeymoon chamber.

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Let the priests,^(AM) the Lord’s ministers,
weep between the portico and the altar.^(AN)
Let them say:
“Have pity on Your people, Lord,^(AO)
and do not make Your inheritance a disgrace,^(AP)
an object of scorn among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”^(AQ)

God’s Response to His People

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18} Then the Lord became jealous for His land^(AR) and spared His people.^(AS) ^{Tools
19} The Lord answered His people:

Look, I am about to send you
grain, new wine, and olive oil.^(AT)
You will be satiated with them,
and I will no longer make you
a disgrace among the nations.^(AU)

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I will drive the northerner far from you^(AV)
and banish him to a dry and desolate land,
his front ranks into the Dead Sea,^(AW)
and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea.^(AX)
His stench will rise;
yes, his rotten smell will rise,^(AY)
for he has done catastrophic things.

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Don’t be afraid, land;^(AZ)
rejoice and be glad,
for the Lord has done great things.^(BA)

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Don’t be afraid, wild animals,
for the wilderness pastures have turned green,^(BB)
the trees bear their fruit,
and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.

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Children of Zion,^(BC) rejoice and be glad
in the Lord your God,^(BD)
because He gives you the autumn rain
for your vindication.^(c)^(BE)
He sends showers for you,
both autumn and spring rain^(BF) as before.

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The threshing floors will be full of grain,^(BG)
and the vats will overflow
with new wine and olive oil.

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I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust ate,^(BH)
the young locust, the destroying locust,
and the devouring locust—
My great army that I sent against you.

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You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied.^(BI)
You will praise the name of Yahweh your God,^(BJ)
who has dealt wondrously with you.^(BK)
My people will never again be put to shame.^(BL)

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You will know that I am present in Israel^(BM)
and that I am Yahweh your God,
and there is no other.^(BN)
My people will never again be put to shame.^(BO)

God’s Promise of His Spirit

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^(d) After this^(BP)
I will pour out My Spirit^(BQ) on all humanity;^(BR)
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your old men will have dreams,
and your young men will see visions.

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I will even pour out My Spirit
on the male and female slaves in those days.^(BS)

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I will display wonders
in the heavens and on the earth:^(BT)
blood, fire, and columns of smoke.

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The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood^(BU)
before the great and awe-inspiring Day of the Lord comes.^(BV)

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Then everyone who calls
on the name of Yahweh will be saved,^(BW)
for there will be an escape
for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
as the Lord promised,^(BX)
among the survivors the Lord calls.

Footnotes:

a. Joel 2:3: Lit consumes

b. Joel 2:16: Or elders

c. Joel 2:23: Or righteousness

d. Joel 2:28: Jl 3:1 in Hb

Cross references:

A. Joel 2:1: Joel 2:15; Jeremiah 4:5; Jeremiah 51:27

B. Joel 2:1: Joel 1:15; Joel 2:11; Joel 2:31; Joel 3:14

C. Joel 2:2: Joel 2:31

D. Joel 2:2: Isaiah 60:2

E. Joel 2:2: Joel 1:6; Joel 2:11; Joel 2:25

F. Joel 2:2: Daniel 9:12; Daniel 12:1; Joel 1:2

G. Joel 2:2: Exodus 10:14

H. Joel 2:3: Psalm 97:3; Isaiah 9:18-19

I. Joel 2:3: Genesis 2:8-15; Ezekiel 36:35

J. Joel 2:3: Exodus 10:5; Exodus 10:15; Psalm 105:34-35

K. Joel 2:4: Revelation 9:7

L. Joel 2:5: Revelation 9:9

M. Joel 2:5: Isaiah 5:24; Isaiah 30:30

N. Joel 2:6: Isaiah 13:8; Nahum 2:10

O. Joel 2:7: Proverbs 30:27

P. Joel 2:9: Exodus 10:6

Q. Joel 2:9: Jeremiah 9:21

R. Joel 2:10: Psalm 18:7; Nahum 1:5

S. Joel 2:10: Isaiah 13:10; Isaiah 34:4; Jeremiah 4:23; Ezekiel 32:7-8; Matthew 24:29

T. Joel 2:10: Joel 3:15

U. Joel 2:11: Psalm 46:6; Isaiah 13:4

V. Joel 2:11: Joel 2:25

W. Joel 2:11: Jeremiah 50:34

X. Joel 2:11: Joel 1:15; Joel 2:31; Joel 3:14

Y. Joel 2:11: Ezekiel 22:14

Z. Joel 2:12: 2 Chronicles 7:14

AA. Joel 2:12: Esther 4:3

AB. Joel 2:13: Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 57:15

AC. Joel 2:13: Jeremiah 41:5

AD. Joel 2:13: Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; 1 Chronicles 21:15; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:15; Psalm 103:8; Psalm 145:8; Jeremiah 18:8; Jonah 4:2

AE. Joel 2:14: Jonah 3:9

AF. Joel 2:14: Haggai 2:19

AG. Joel 2:14: Joel 1:9; Joel 1:13

AH. Joel 2:15: Joel 2:1

AI. Joel 2:15: 2 Kings 10:20

AJ. Joel 2:16: 2 Chronicles 29:5

AK. Joel 2:15: 2 Chronicles 20:3; Nehemiah 9:1; Jeremiah 36:6; Jeremiah 36:9

AL. Joel 2:16: Psalm 19:5

AM. Joel 2:17: Joel 1:9

AN. Joel 2:17: Joel 1:13

AO. Joel 2:17: Isaiah 37:20; Amos 7:2; Amos 7:5

AP. Joel 2:17: Psalm 44:13; Psalm 74:10

AQ. Joel 2:17: Psalm 42:3; Psalm 42:10; Psalm 79:10; Psalm 115:2

AR. Joel 2:18: Ezekiel 36:5; Ezekiel 36:6; Ezekiel 8:2

AS. Joel 2:18: Isaiah 60:10; Isaiah 63:9; Isaiah 63:15

AT. Joel 2:19: Jeremiah 31:12

AU. Joel 2:19: Ezekiel 34:29; Ezekiel 36:15

AV. Joel 2:20: Jeremiah 1:14-15

AW. Joel 2:20: Zechariah 14:8

AX. Joel 2:20: Deuteronomy 11:24

AY. Joel 2:20: Isaiah 34:3; Amos 4:10

AZ. Joel 2:21: Joel 1:10

BA. Joel 2:21: Psalm 126:2-3

BB. Joel 2:22: Psalm 65:12; Jeremiah 9:10; Joel 1:19

BC. Joel 2:23: Psalm 149:2

BD. Joel 2:23: Isaiah 12:2-6

BE. Joel 2:23: Deuteronomy 11:13-15

BF. Joel 2:23: Hosea 6:3; Zechariah 10:1

BG. Joel 2:24: Leviticus 26:10; Amos 9:13; Malachi 3:10

BH. Joel 2:25: Joel 1:4-7; Joel 2:2-11

BI. Joel 2:26: Deuteronomy 11:15; Isaiah 62:9

BJ. Joel 2:26: Psalm 113:1; Psalm 135:1; Psalm 148:5; Psalm 148:13

BK. Joel 2:26: Psalm 126:2; Isaiah 25:1

BL. Joel 2:26: Isaiah 45:17

BM. Joel 2:27: Joel 3:17; Joel 3:21

BN. Joel 2:27: Deuteronomy 4:35; Deuteronomy 4:39; Isaiah 45:5-6

BO. Joel 2:27: Isaiah 49:23

BP. Joel 2:28: Acts 2:17-21

BQ. Joel 2:28: Isaiah 32:15; Isaiah 44:3; Ezekiel 39:29

BR. Joel 2:28: Isaiah 40:5; Isaiah 49:26

BS. Joel 2:29: 1 Corinthians 12:13

BT. Joel 2:30: Luke 21:11; Luke 21:25-26

BU. Joel 2:31: Isaiah 13:9-10; Isaiah 34:4; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24

BV. Joel 2:31: Malachi 4:1; Malachi 4:5

BW. Joel 2:32: Romans 10:13

BX. Joel 2:32: Obadiah 1:17