The Book of the Prophet Joel 2

 The Book of the Prophet Joel 2

1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and 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.

2 A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, like the dawn spreading over the mountains, a great and powerful people, such as never was before, nor will be again after them, even to many generations.

3 Before them a fire devours, and behind them a flame burns; the land before them is like the garden of Eden, but behind them a desolate wilderness; nothing escapes them.

4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; they run like horsemen.

5 Like the rumbling of chariots on the mountaintops they leap; like the noise of a flame of fire consuming stubble, like a mighty people arrayed for battle.

6 Before him the peoples will tremble; every face will be like the blackening of a pot.

7 Like mighty men they will run, like warriors they will scale the walls; each will go in his own path and will not turn aside from his rank.

8 No one will jostle his brother; each will run in his own lane; they will rush upon the sword and not be wounded.

9 They will go through the city, they will run along the walls, they will climb into the houses, they will enter through the windows like a thief.

10 Before him the earth will tremble, the heavens will shake; the sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will withdraw their shining.

11 And the Lord raises his voice before his army, for his camps are very many, for he is mighty, executing his word; for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can endure it?

12 Yet even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.

13 Rend your hearts 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? 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, declare a holy fast, proclaim a sacred assembly.

16 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, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “Spare your people, O Lord, and do not give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should mock them; why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”