Joel 2 ESV | WeDevote Bible

The Day of the Lord

12:1 ver. 15; Isa. 58:1; Hos. 5:8; Amos 3:6Blow a trumpet in 2:1 See ch. 3:17Zion;

sound an alarm on 2:1 See ch. 3:17my holy mountain!

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,

for 2:1 See ch. 1:15the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,

22:2 Amos 5:18, 20; Zeph. 1:15a day of darkness and gloom,

2:2 Amos 5:18, 20; Zeph. 1:15a day of clouds and thick darkness!

Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains

2:2 ch. 1:6; [ver. 11, 25] a great and powerful people;

2:2 [ch. 1:2]their like has never been before,

nor will be again after them

through the years of all generations.

32:3 ch. 1:19, 20Fire devours before them,

and behind them a flame burns.

The land is like 2:3 Gen. 2:8, 9; See Isa. 51:3the garden of Eden before them,

but 2:3 Zech. 7:14behind them a desolate wilderness,

and nothing escapes them.

42:4 Rev. 9:7Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,

and like war horses they run.

52:5 Rev. 9:9; [Nah. 3:2] As with the rumbling of chariots,

they leap on the tops of the mountains,

like the crackling of 2:5 Isa. 5:24; 47:14; Obad. 18; Nah. 1:10a flame of fire

devouring the stubble,

2:5 [See ver. 2above]like a powerful army

drawn up for battle.

6Before them peoples are in anguish;

2:6 Nah. 2:10all faces grow pale.

7Like warriors they charge;

like soldiers they scale the wall.

They march each on his way;

they do not swerve from their paths.

8They do not jostle one another;

2:8 Prov. 30:27each marches in his path;

they burst through the weapons

and are not halted.

92:9 Isa. 33:4They leap upon the city,

they run upon the walls,

2:9 [Jer. 9:21] they climb up into the houses,

2:9 [Jer. 9:21] they enter through the windows 2:9 [John 10:1]like a thief.

102:10 ch. 3:16; [Ps. 18:7; Amos 8:8] The earth quakes before them;

the heavens tremble.

2:10 ch. 3:15; Isa. 13:10; Ezek. 32:7; Matt. 24:29; [Rev. 9:2]The sun and the moon are darkened,

and the stars withdraw their shining.

112:11 ch. 3:16; [1 Thess. 4:16] The Lord utters his voice

before 2:11 ver. 25his army,

for his camp is exceedingly great;

2:11 Rev. 18:8he who executes his word is powerful.

2:11 See ch. 1:15For the day of the Lord is 2:11 ver. 31great and very awesome;

2:11 Mal. 3:2; [Num. 24:23]who can endure it?

Return to the Lord

12“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,

2:12 Deut. 4:30; 1 Sam. 7:3; Jer. 4:1; Hos. 12:6“return to me with all your heart,

2:12 [1 Sam. 7:6]with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

13and 2:13 [Ps. 34:18] rend your hearts and not 2:13 See Gen. 37:29your garments.”

Return to the Lord your God,

2:13 Ex. 34:6; Ps. 86:5, 15; Jonah 4:2for he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;

2:13 [Num. 23:19; Ezek. 24:14]and he relents over disaster.

142:14 Jonah 3:9Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,

and 2:14 Hag. 2:19; Mal. 3:10leave a blessing behind him,

2:14 ch. 1:9, 13a grain offering and a drink offering

for the Lord your God?

152:15 See ver. 1Blow the trumpet in Zion;

2:15 See ch. 1:14consecrate a fast;

call a solemn assembly;

16gather the people.

2:16 See Josh. 3:5Consecrate the congregation;

assemble the elders;

2:16 [2 Chr. 20:13] gather the children,

even nursing infants.

2:16 [Deut. 24:5; Eccles. 3:5; Zech. 12:12-14; 1 Cor. 7:5]Let the bridegroom leave his room,

and the bride her chamber.

172:17 Ezek. 8:16Between the 2:17 1 Kgs. 6:3; 2 Chr. 3:4vestibule and the 2:17 2 Chr. 4:1altar

2:17 See ch. 1:9let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep

and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,

and make not your heritage a reproach,

a byword among the nations.2:17 Or reproach, that the nations should rule over them

2:17 Ps. 42:3; 79:10; 115:2Why should they say among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?’”

The Lord Had Pity

182:18 Zech. 1:14; 8:2Then the Lord became jealous for his land

2:18 [Ps. 103:13]and had pity on his people.

19The Lord answered and said to his people,

“Behold, 2:19 [ch. 1:10; Ps. 4:7]; See Mal. 3:10-12I am sending to you

grain, wine, and oil,

2:19 [ch. 1:10; Ps. 4:7]; See Mal. 3:10-12and you will be satisfied;

and I will no more make you

a reproach among the nations.

20“I will remove the northerner far from you,

and drive him into a parched and desolate land,

his vanguard2:20 Hebrew face into 2:20 Ezek. 47:18; Zech. 14:8the eastern sea,

and his rear guard2:20 Hebrew his end into 2:20 Zech. 14:8the western sea;

2:20 Isa. 34:3; [Amos 4:10]the stench and foul smell of him will rise,

for he has done great things.

21“Fear not, O land;

be glad and rejoice,

for 2:21 Ps. 126:2, 3the Lord has done great things!

22Fear not, 2:22 See ch. 1:18you beasts of the field,

for 2:22 [ch. 1:19] the pastures of the wilderness are green;

2:22 [Zech. 8:12]the tree bears its fruit;

the fig tree and 2:22 [Zech. 8:12]vine give their full yield.

232:23 Ps. 100:1, 2; Hab. 3:18; Zech. 10:7“Be glad, O children of Zion,

and 2:23 Ps. 100:1, 2; Hab. 3:18; Zech. 10:7rejoice in the Lord your God,

for he has given 2:23 Deut. 11:14; Jer. 5:24the early rain for your vindication;

he has poured down for you abundant rain,

2:23 Deut. 11:14; Jer. 5:24the early and 2:23 Hos. 6:3the latter rain, as before.

24“The threshing floors shall be full of grain;

the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25I will restore2:25 Or pay back to you the years

that 2:25 ch. 1:4the swarming locust has eaten,

2:25 ch. 1:4the hopper, 2:25 ch. 1:4the destroyer, and 2:25 ch. 1:4the cutter,

2:25 ver. 11my great army, which I sent among you.

262:26 Lev. 25:19“You 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 2:26 [Isa. 49:23]shall never again be put to shame.

272:27 ch. 3:17You shall know that I am 2:27 Hos. 11:9; See Ezek. 37:26in the midst of Israel,

and that 2:27 See Ex. 20:2I am the Lord your God 2:27 [Isa. 44:8] and there is none else.

And my people 2:27 [See ver. 26above]shall never again be put to shame.

The Lord Will Pour Out His Spirit

282:28 Ch 3:1 in Hebrew2:28 ver. 28-32, cited Acts 2:17-21“And it shall come to pass afterward,

that 2:28 Isa. 32:15; Ezek. 39:29; Zech. 12:10; John 7:39I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

2:28 [Acts 2:39] your sons and 2:28 [Acts 21:9]your daughters shall prophesy,

your old men shall dream dreams,

and your young men shall see visions.

292:29 [1 Cor. 12:13]Even on the male and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

30“And I will show 2:30 [Matt. 24:30; Luke 21:11]wonders in the heavens and 2:30 [Matt. 24:30; Luke 21:11]on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.

312:31 See ver. 10The sun shall be turned to darkness, 2:31 Rev. 6:12and the moon to blood, 2:31 Mal. 4:5before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.

32And it shall come to pass that 2:32 Cited Rom. 10:13everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 2:32 Isa. 46:13; 59:20; Obad. 17For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among 2:32 Jer. 31:7; Mic. 4:7; Zech. 8:12the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

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