1 Blow a horn in Zion, || And shout in My holy hill, || All inhabitants of the earth tremble, || For the Day of YHWH is coming, for [it is] near! 2 A day of darkness and thick darkness, || A day of cloud and thick darkness, || As darkness spread on the mountains, || A people numerous and mighty, || Like there has not been from of old, || And after it there is not again—Until the years of generation and generation. 3 Before it fire has consumed, || And after it a flame burns, || As the Garden of Eden [is] the land before it, || And after it a wilderness—a desolation! And also there has not been to it an escape, 4 As the appearance of horses [is] its appearance, || And as horsemen, so they run. 5 As the noise of chariots, they skip on the tops of the mountains, || As the noise of a flame of fire devouring stubble, || As a mighty people set in array for battle. 6 Pained are peoples from its face, || All faces have gathered paleness. 7 They run as mighty ones, || As men of war they go up a wall, || And they each go in his own ways, || And they do not change their paths. 8 And each does not press his brother, || They each go on in his way, || If they fall by the missile, they are not cut off. 9 In the city they run to and fro, || On the wall they run, || Into houses they go up by the windows, || They go in as a thief. 10 At their face the earth has trembled, || The heavens have shaken, || Sun and moon have been black, || And stars have gathered up their shining. 11 And YHWH has given forth His voice before His force, || For His camp [is] very great, || For mighty [is] the doer of His word, || For great [is] the Day of YHWH—very fearful, || And who bears it? 12 “And also now,” a declaration of YHWH, || “Turn back to Me with all your heart, || And with fasting, and with weeping, || And with lamentation.” 13 And tear your heart, and not your garments, || And turn back to your God YHWH, || For He [is] gracious and merciful, || Slow to anger, and abundant in kindness, || And relenting from evil. 14 Who knows—He turns back, || Indeed—He has relented, || And He has left behind Him a blessing, || A present and drink-offering of your God YHWH? 15 Blow a horn in Zion, || Sanctify a fast—proclaim a restraint. 16 Gather the people, sanctify an assembly, || Assemble the aged, || Gather infants and sucklings of the breasts, || Let a bridegroom go out from his inner chamber, || And a bride out of her closet. 17 Let the priests weep between the porch and the altar, servants of YHWH, || And let them say: “Have pity, O YHWH, on Your people, || And do not give Your inheritance to reproach, || To the ruling over them of nations, || Why do they say among peoples, Where [is] their God?” 18 And let YHWH be zealous for His land, || And have pity on His people. 19 Let YHWH answer and say to His people, || “Behold, I am sending to you the grain, || And the new wine, and the oil, || And you have been satisfied with it, || And I make you no longer a reproach among nations, 20 And the northern I put far off from you, || And have driven him to a land dry and desolate, || With his face toward the Eastern Sea, || And his rear to the Western Sea, || And his stink has come up, || And his stench comes up, || For he has exerted himself to work.” 21 Do not fear, O land! Be glad and rejoice, || For YHWH has exerted Himself to work. 22 Do not fear, O livestock of the field! For pastures of a wilderness have sprung up, || For the tree has borne its fruit, || Fig tree and vine have given their strength! 23 And you sons of Zion, || Be glad and rejoice in your God YHWH, || For He has given to you the Teacher for righteousness, || And causes a shower to come down to you, || Early rain and spring rain [as] in the beginning. 24 And the floors have been full [with] pure grain, || And the presses have overflown [with] new wine and oil. 25 “And I have repaid to you the years that the locust consumed, || The cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, || My great force that I sent against you. 26 And you have eaten, eating and being satisfied, || And have praised the Name of your God YHWH, || Who has dealt with you wonderfully, || And My people are not ashamed for all time. 27 And you have known that I [am] in the midst of Israel, || And I [am] your God YHWH, and there is none else, || And My people are not ashamed for all time. 28 And it has come to pass afterward, || I pour out My Spirit on all flesh, || And your sons and your daughters have prophesied, || Your old men dream dreams, || Your young men see visions. 29 And also on the menservants and on the maidservants, || In those days I pour out My Spirit. 30 And I have given wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood, and fire, and columns of smoke. 31 The sun is turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, || Before the coming of the Day of YHWH, || The great and the fearful. 32 And it has come to pass, || Everyone who calls on the Name of YHWH is delivered, || For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there is an escape, || As YHWH has said, || And among the remnants whom YHWH is calling!”
Joel · Literal Standard Version
Joel 2 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (32)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Joel 2:15; Joel 1:15; 1 Peter 4:7; Malachi 4:1; Zephaniah 1:14
- 2 Joel 1:6; Zephaniah 1:14–15; Joel 2:10–11; Amos 5:18–20; Joel 2:5
- 3 Isaiah 51:3; Genesis 2:8; Joel 1:19–20; Zechariah 7:14; Amos 7:4
- 4 Revelation 9:7
- 5 Isaiah 5:24; Revelation 9:9; Isaiah 30:30; Matthew 3:12; Nahum 2:3–4
- 6 Nahum 2:10; Isaiah 13:8; Jeremiah 30:6; Lamentations 4:8; Psalm 119:83
- 7 Proverbs 30:27; Jeremiah 5:10; 2 Samuel 2:18–19; Isaiah 5:26–29; 2 Samuel 1:23
- 8 2 Chronicles 23:10; Job 33:18; Nehemiah 4:23; 2 Chronicles 32:5; Nehemiah 4:17
- 9 Jeremiah 9:21; John 10:1; Exodus 10:6
- 10 Matthew 24:29; Isaiah 13:10; Joel 3:15–16; Psalm 18:7; Acts 2:20
- 11 Malachi 3:2; Nahum 1:6; Revelation 18:8; Joel 3:16; Jeremiah 30:7
- 12 James 4:8–9; Isaiah 55:6–7; 2 Chronicles 7:13–14; Hosea 12:6; Jeremiah 29:12–13
- 13 Psalm 86:15; Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 57:15; Exodus 34:6–7; Matthew 5:3–4
- 14 Jonah 3:9; Haggai 2:19; 2 Samuel 12:22; 2 Kings 19:4; Amos 5:15
- 15 Joel 1:14; Joel 2:1; Numbers 10:3; 1 Kings 21:12; 1 Kings 21:9
- 16 2 Chronicles 20:13; 2 Chronicles 29:5; 1 Corinthians 7:5; 1 Samuel 16:5; Exodus 19:22
- 17 Psalm 115:2; Psalm 79:10; Ezekiel 8:16; Hosea 14:2; Exodus 34:9
- 18 Zechariah 8:2; Psalm 103:13; Zechariah 1:14; James 5:11; Lamentations 3:22
- 19 Ezekiel 34:29; Ezekiel 36:15; Jeremiah 31:12; Isaiah 62:8–9; Joel 2:24
- 20 Zechariah 14:8; Amos 4:10; Isaiah 34:3; Deuteronomy 11:24; Ezekiel 47:18
- 21 Zephaniah 3:16–17; Isaiah 54:4; Psalm 126:1–3; Isaiah 41:10; 1 Samuel 12:16
- 22 Zechariah 8:12; Psalm 65:12; Isaiah 51:3; Psalm 67:6; Amos 9:14–15
- 23 James 5:7–8; Philippians 4:4; Leviticus 26:4; Hosea 6:3; Deuteronomy 11:14
- 24 Malachi 3:10; Amos 9:13; Joel 3:18; Joel 3:13; Leviticus 26:10
- 25 Zechariah 10:6; Joel 1:4–7; Joel 2:2–11
- 26 Romans 10:11; Psalm 22:26; Romans 5:5; Deuteronomy 12:7; Isaiah 49:23
- 27 Ezekiel 37:26–28; Leviticus 26:11–12; Zephaniah 3:17; Ezekiel 39:28; Isaiah 45:5
- 28 Acts 2:16–21; Ezekiel 39:29; Isaiah 32:15; Acts 2:39; Acts 2:2–4
- 29 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11
- 30 Acts 2:19–20; Luke 21:11; Matthew 24:29; Luke 21:25–26; Judges 20:40
- 31 Revelation 6:12–13; Matthew 24:29; Malachi 4:1; Malachi 4:5; Joel 3:15
- 32 Romans 10:11–14; Acts 2:20–21; Isaiah 46:13; Romans 11:26; Jeremiah 33:3
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… for it was the third hour of the day; but that this was what had been spoken by the prophet: "It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, and they shall prophesy." The God, therefore, who did promise by the prophet, that He would send His Spirit …
… pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your old men shall dream, and your young men shall see visions: and even on my servants and mine handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit." Chapter 31 — Of the Predictions Concerning the Salvation of the World in Christ, in… …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Do thou also then groan, even as that holy one, I forbid it not. "Rend," as the prophet commanded, "thine heart, and not thy garments." Out of deeps call upon God, for it is said, "Out of the depths have I cried to Thee, O Lord." From beneath, out of the heart, draw forth a voice, make thy prayer a …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
"The day of the Lord," Scripture says, "is great and very terrible," and elsewhere "Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord: to what end is it for you?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)