# Joel_02 ## The Army of Locusts ([[Amos_07|Amos 7.1–9]]) - 1 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; - sound the alarm on My holy mountain! - Let all who dwell in the land tremble, - for the Day of the LORD is coming; - indeed, it is near— - 2 a day of darkness and gloom, - a day of clouds and blackness. - Like the dawn overspreading the mountains - a great and strong army appears, - such as never was of old, - nor will ever be in ages to come. - 3 Before them a fire devours, - and behind them a flame scorches. - The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, - but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland— - surely nothing will escape them. - 4 Their appearance is like that of horses, - and they gallop like swift steeds. {[[#^29-02-a| a ]]} - 5 With a sound like that of chariots - they bound over the mountaintops, - like the crackling of fire consuming stubble, - like a mighty army deployed for battle. - 6 Nations writhe in horror before them; - every face turns pale. - 7 They charge like mighty men; - they scale the walls like men of war. - Each one marches in formation, - not swerving from the course. - 8 They do not jostle one another; - each proceeds in his path. - They burst through the defenses, - never breaking ranks. - 9 They storm the city; - they run along the wall; - they climb into houses, - entering through windows like thieves. - 10 Before them the earth quakes; - the heavens tremble. - The sun and moon grow dark, - and the stars lose their brightness. - 11 The LORD raises His voice - in the presence of His army. - Indeed, His camp is very large, - for mighty are those who obey His command. - For the Day of the LORD is great and very dreadful. - Who can endure it? ## Return with All Your Heart - 12 “Yet even now,” - declares the LORD, - “return to Me with all your heart, - with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” - 13 So rend your hearts and not your garments, - and return to the LORD your God. - For He is gracious and compassionate, - slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. {[[#^29-02-b| b ]]} - And He relents from sending disaster. - 14 Who knows? He may turn and relent - and leave a blessing behind Him— - grain and drink offerings - for the LORD your God. - 15 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, - consecrate a fast, - proclaim a sacred assembly. - 16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, - assemble the aged, gather the children, - even those nursing at the breast. - Let the bridegroom leave his room, - and the bride her chamber. - 17 Let the priests who minister before the LORD - weep between the portico and the altar, - saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, - and do not make Your heritage a reproach, - an object of scorn among the nations. - Why should they say among the peoples, - ‘Where is their God?’ ” ## Restoration Promised - 18 Then the LORD became jealous for His land, - and He spared His people. 19 And the LORD answered His people: - “Behold, I will send you - grain, new wine, and oil, - and by them you will be satisfied. - I will never again make you - a reproach among the nations. - 20 The northern army I will drive away from you, - banishing it to a barren and desolate land, - its front ranks into the Eastern Sea, {[[#^29-02-c| c ]]} - and its rear guard into the Western Sea. {[[#^29-02-d| d ]]} - And its stench will rise; - its foul odor will ascend. For He has done great things. - 21 Do not be afraid, O land; - rejoice and be glad, - for the LORD has done great things. - 22 Do not be afraid, O beasts of the field, - for the open pastures have turned green, - the trees bear their fruit, - and the fig tree and vine yield their best. {[[#^29-02-e| e ]]} - 23 Be glad, O children of Zion, - and rejoice in the LORD your God, - for He has given you the autumn rains - for your vindication. - He sends you showers, - both autumn and spring rains, as before. - 24 The threshing floors will be full of grain, - and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. - 25 I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts— - the swarming locust, the young locust, - the destroying locust, and the devouring locust {[[#^29-02-f| f ]]}— - My great army that I sent against you. - 26 You will have plenty to eat, - until you are satisfied. - You will praise the name of the LORD your God, - who has worked wonders for you. - My people will never again - be put to shame. - 27 Then you will know that I am present in Israel - and that I am the LORD your God, - and there is no other. - My people will never again - be put to shame. ## I Will Pour Out My Spirit ([[Acts_02|Acts 2.14–36]]) - 28 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 My menservants and maidservants, - I will pour out My Spirit in those days. - 30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, - blood and fire and columns {[[#^29-02-g| g ]]} of smoke. - 31 The sun will be turned to darkness - and the moon to blood - before the coming of the great and awesome {[[#^29-02-h| h ]]} Day of the LORD. - 32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD - will be saved; {[[#^29-02-i| i ]]} - for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem - there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, - among the remnant called by the LORD. --- ### Footnotes: - 4 a Or *like charioteers*  or *like cavalry*  ^29-02-a - 13 b Forms of the Hebrew *chesed*  are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion ; the range of meaning includes *love , goodness , kindness , faithfulness , and mercy* , as well as *loyalty to a covenant* .  ^29-02-b - 20 c That is, the Dead Sea  ^29-02-c - 20 d That is, the Mediterranean Sea, also called the Great Sea  ^29-02-d - 22 e Literally *their strength*   ^29-02-e - 25 f The precise identification of the four kinds of insects mentioned here is uncertain.  ^29-02-f - 30 g LXX *clouds*  or *billows*   ^29-02-g - 31 h Or *dreadful* ; LXX *glorious*   ^29-02-h - 32 i Cited in [[Acts_02|Acts 2.17–21]] and [[Romans_10|Romans 10.13]]  ^29-02-i --- - Previous chapter: [[Joel_01]] - Next chapter: [[Joel_03]] - TOC: [[TOC_Joel]] --- ###### The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible (https://bereanbible.com), BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub (https://biblehub.com), Discovery Bible (https://discoverybible.com), OpenBible.com (https://openbible.com), and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0). ---