Joel 2 NKJV ISV Parallel

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1Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand:

1"Sound the ram's horn in Zion! Sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Tremble, all of you inhabitants of the land, because the Day of the LORD is coming. Oh, how near it is!

2A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations.

2A day of doom and gloom, a day of clouds and shadows like the dawn spreads out to cover the mountains— a people strong and robust. Never has there been anything like it, neither will anything follow to compare with it, even through the lifetime of generation upon generation."

3A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them.

3"A fire blazes in their presence, and behind them a conflagration rages. Before they come, the land is like the garden in Eden; after they leave, there is only a barren wasteland. Indeed, nothing escapes them.

4Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run.

4As to their form, they're like horses; and like chariot horses, how they can run!

5With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array.

5They leap like the rumbling of chariots echoing from mountain tops, like the roar of wild fire that devours the chaff, as an army firmly established in battle array.

6Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color.

6The people are terrified in their presence; every face grows pale.

7They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; Every one marches in formation, And they do not break ranks.

7They run like elite soldiers, climbing ramparts like men trained for war. Each man advances in proper order, never breaking rank.

8They do not push one another; Every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, They are not cut down.

8Neither does a man crowd his fellow soldier; each one marches in his own path. When they fall by the sword they are not injured.

9They run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief.

9They swarm through the city, running upon its ramparts. Climbing atop the houses, they enter through windows like a thief."

10The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness.

10"The land quivers in their presence; even the heavens shake. The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will stop shining.

11The LORD gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?

11The LORD will shout in the presence of his forces, because his encampment is very great; for powerful is he who carries out his message. Truly the Day of the LORD is great, and very terrifying. Who will be able to survive it?"

12“Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”

12"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Turn back to me with your whole heart, with fasting, tears, and mourning.

13So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.

13Tear your hearts, not your garments; and turn back to the LORD your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to become angry, overflowing in gracious love, and grieves about this evil.

14Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him— A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?

14Who knows? He will turn back and relent, will he not, leaving behind a blessing, even a grain offering and drink offering for the LORD your God?"

15Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;

15"Sound the ram's horn in Zion! Dedicate a fast and call for a solemn assembly!

16Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.

16Gather the people! Dedicate the congregation! Bring in the elders. Gather the youngsters and even the nursing infants. Call the bridegroom from his wedding preparations, and the bride from her dressing room.

17Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”

17As they serve between the porch and the altar, let the priests and ministers of the LORD weep and pray: 'Spare your people, LORD, and do not make your heritage a disgrace so that nations ridicule them. Why should they say among the people, "Where is their God?"'"

18Then the LORD will be zealous for His land, And pity His people.

18Then the LORD will show great concern for his land, and will have compassion on his people.

19The LORD will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.

19The LORD will say to his people, "Look! I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be content with them. I will no longer cause you to be a disgrace among the nations."

20“But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things.”

20"I will remove the northerners from you, driving them to a barren and desolate land— the front toward the Dead Sea and the back toward the Mediterranean. Their stench will rise, and their stinking odor will ascend, because they have done great things."

21Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things!

21"Stop being afraid, land! Rejoice and be glad, because the LORD will do great things.

22Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.

22Stop being afraid, beasts of the field, because the desert pastures will bloom, the trees will bear their fruit, and the fig tree and vine will deliver their wealth.

23Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month.

23And so be glad, children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, because he has given you the right amount of early rain, and he will cause the rain to fall for you, both the early rain and the later rain as before.

24The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.

24The threshing floors will be smothered in grain, and the vats will overflow with wine and oil.

25“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.

25"Then I will restore to you the years that the locust swarm devoured, as did the young locust, the other locusts, and the ravaging locust, that great army of mine that I sent among you.

26You 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 be put to shame.

26You will have plenty to eat, and will be fully satisfied. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has performed wonders specifically for you. And my people will never be ashamed.

27Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.

27As a result, you will know that I am in the midst of Israel; that I myself am the LORD your God— and there is none other! And my people will never be ashamed."

28“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, Your young men shall see visions.

28 "Then it will come about at a later time that I will pour out my Spirit on every person. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your elderly people will dream dreams, and your young people will see visions.

29And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

29Also at that time I will pour out my Spirit upon men and women servants.

30“And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.

30I will display warnings in the heavens, and on the earth blood, fire, and columns of smoke.

31The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.

31The sun will be given over to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and terrifying Day of the LORD.

32And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among the remnant whom the LORD calls.

32And everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD will be delivered. For as the LORD has said, 'In Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, the survivors whom the LORD is calling.'"

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