תִּקְעוּ שׁוֹפָר בְּצִיּוֹן וְהָרִיעוּ בְּהַר קָדְשִׁי יִרְגְּזוּ כֹּל יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ כִּי־בָא יוֹם־יְהוָה כִּי קָרוֹב׃   2:1

Joel 2:1   “Sound a horn in Zion,

                           and shout on the mountain of My holiness!

                  Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,

                           for the day of the Lord is coming,

                   for is near

יוֹם חֹשֶׁךְ וַאֲפֵלָה יוֹם עָנָן וַעֲרָפֶל כְּשַׁחַר פָּרֻשׂ עַל־הֶהָרִים עַם רַב וְעָצוּם כָּמֹהוּ לֹא נִהְיָה מִן־הָעוֹלָם   2:2 וְאַחֲרָיו לֹא יוֹסֵף עַד־שְׁנֵי דּוֹר וָדוֹר׃

Joel 2:2   a day of darkness and gloom,

                           a day cloudy with thick darkness,

                  like dawn spreading over the mountains,

                           a people great and mighty,

                  the likes of which had not been from antiquity,

                           and after which would not be again

                  until years of generations and generations.”

לְפָנָיו אָכְלָה אֵשׁ וְאַחֲרָיו תְּלַהֵט לֶהָבָה כְּגַן־עֵדֶן הָאָרֶץ לְפָנָיו וְאַחֲרָיו מִדְבַּר שְׁמָמָה וְגַם־פְּלֵיטָה   2:3     לֹא־הָיְתָה לּוֹ׃

Joel 2:3   “A fire consumes before it,

                            and a flame shall blaze after it;

                  before it the land had been like the garden of Eden,

                            and after it, a wilderness of devastation;

                  and indeed, there is no escape for it.”

כְּמַרְאֵה סוּסִים מַרְאֵהוּ וּכְפָרָשִׁים כֵּן יְרוּצוּן׃   2:4

Joel 2:4   “Its appearance will be as the likeness of horses;

                            and like horsemen, so would they run.”

כְּקוֹל מַרְכָּבוֹת עַל־רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים יְרַקֵּדוּן כְּקוֹל לַהַב אֵשׁ אֹכְלָה קָשׁ כְּעַם עָצוּם עֱרוּךְ מִלְחָמָה׃   2:5

Joel 2:5   “They will echo like the sound of chariots on the tops of mountains,

                            like the sound of a spire of fire consuming stubble,

                   like a mighty people set in an array of battle.”

מִפָּנָיו יָחִילוּ עַמִּים כָּל־פָּנִים קִבְּצוּ פָארוּר׃   2:6

Joel 2:6   “The peoples would shrink from its presence;

                             all faces reflect the heat.”

כְּגִבּוֹרִים יְרֻצוּן כְּאַנְשֵׁי מִלְחָמָה יַעֲלוּ חוֹמָה וְאִישׁ בִּדְרָכָיו יֵלֵכוּן וְלֹא יְעַבְּטוּן אֹרְחוֹתָם׃   2:7

Joel 2:7   “They would run like mighty men;

                            like men of war they would ascend a wall,

                  and each would proceed in his own path,

                           and they would not exchange their directions.”

וְאִישׁ אָחִיו לֹא יִדְחָקוּן גֶּבֶר בִּמְסִלָּתוֹ יֵלֵכוּן וּבְעַד הַשֶּׁלַח יִפֹּלוּ לֹא יִבְצָעוּ׃   2:8

Joel 2:8   “And they would not crowd one another;

                            a man on his own way they would move,

                  and they would fall away from the weapon;

                            they would not be slowed down.”

בָּעִיר יָשֹׁקּוּ בַּחוֹמָה יְרֻצוּן בַּבָּתִּים יַעֲלוּ בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹנִים יָבֹאוּ כַּגַּנָּב׃   2:9

Joel 2:9   “They would run about in the city;

                            they would run on the wall;

                   they would go up into the houses;

                            they would enter through the windows like a thief.”

לְפָנָיו רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ רָעֲשׁוּ שָׁמָיִם שֶׁמֶשׁ וְיָרֵחַ קָדָרוּ וְכוֹכָבִים אָסְפוּ נָגְהָם׃   2:10

Joel 2:10   “The earth trembles before it,

                             the heavens quake,

                    sun and moon darken,

                             and the stars withdraw their brightness.”

וַיהוָה נָתַן קוֹלוֹ לִפְנֵי חֵילוֹ כִּי רַב מְאֹד מַחֲנֵהוּ כִּי עָצוּם עֹשֵׂה דְבָרוֹ כִּי־גָדוֹל יוֹם־יְהוָה וְנוֹרָא מְאֹד   2:11    וּמִי יְכִילֶנּוּ׃

Joel 2:11   Thus the Lord puts His voice before His rampart,

                             for His encampment is exceedingly great,

                     for He Who accomplishes His word is mighty,

                             for the day of the Lord would be very great and dreadful.

                     So who would endure it?

וְגַם־עַתָּה נְאֻם־יְהוָה שֻׁבוּ עָדַי בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶם וּבְצוֹם וּבְבְכִי וּבְמִסְפֵּד׃   2:12

Joel 2:12   “But even now,” declares the Lord,

                             “turn back up to Me with all your heart,

                    and with fasting, and with weeping, and with wailing,

וְקִרְעוּ לְבַבְכֶם וְאַל־בִּגְדֵיכֶם וְשׁוּבוּ אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם כִּי־חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם הוּא אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב־חֶסֶד   2:13  וְנִחָם עַל־הָרָעָה׃

Joel 2:13   and rend your heart, not your garments,

                             and return to the Lord, your God!”

                    For He is gracious and compassionate,

                             patient of “anger,” and abundantly merciful,

                    and consoles Himself over the evil doer,

מִי יוֹדֵעַ יָשׁוּב וְנִחָם וְהִשְׁאִיר אַחֲרָיו בְּרָכָה מִנְחָה וָנֶסֶךְ לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃   2:14

Joel 2:14   who He is knowing could turn and repent,

                              and leave after him a blessing,

                    a meal offering or a drink offering to the Lord, your God.       [Return to Psal. 11:7]

תִּקְעוּ שׁוֹפָר בְּצִיּוֹן קַדְּשׁוּ־צוֹם קִרְאוּ עֲצָרָה׃   2:15

Joel 2:15   Sound a horn in Zion!

                              Dedicate a fast!

                     Proclaim a solemn assembly!

אִסְפוּ־עָם קַדְּשׁוּ קָהָל קִבְצוּ זְקֵנִים אִסְפוּ עוֹלָלִים וְיֹנְקֵי שָׁדָיִם יֵצֵא חָתָן מֵחֶדְרוֹ וְכַלָּה מֵחֻפָּתָהּ׃   2:16

Joel 2:16   Assemble the people!

                              Consecrate the congregation!

                    Gather the elders!

                              Collect the children and the nurslings of breasts!

                    Have the bridegroom emerge from his chamber,

                               and the bride from her canopy.

בֵּין הָאוּלָם וְלַמִּזְבֵּחַ יִבְכּוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים מְשָׁרְתֵי יְהוָה וְיֹאמְרוּ חוּסָה יְהוָה עַל־עַמֶּךָ וְאַל־תִּתֵּן נַחֲלָתְךָ   2:17 לְחֶרְפָּה לִמְשָׁל־בָּם גּוֹיִם לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ בָעַמִּים אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם׃

Joel 2:17   Have the priests, the ministers of the Lord,

                              weep between the porch and the altar,

                     and let them say, “Have pity, O Lord, on Your people,

                               that You do not give away Your possession as a reproach,

                     allowing the nations dominion among them.

                              Why should they say among the peoples,

                     ‘Where is their God?’”

וַיְקַנֵּא יְהוָה לְאַרְצוֹ וַיַּחְמֹל עַל־עַמּוֹ׃   2:18

Joel 2:18   Then the Lord might become passionate for His land,

                              and have pity on His people.

וַיַּעַן יְהוָה וַיֹּאמֶר לְעַמּוֹ הִנְנִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם אֶת־הַדָּגָן וְהַתִּירוֹשׁ וְהַיִּצְהָר וּשְׂבַעְתֶּם אֹתוֹ וְלֹא־אֶתֵּן   2:19           אֶתְכֶם עוֹד חֶרְפָּה בַּגּוֹיִם׃

Joel 2:19   And the Lord might answer and say to His people,

                              “Behold I will be sending the corn

                     and the new wine and the fresh oil to you,

                              and you will be satisfied with it,

                     and I will not make you a scorn among the nations again.”

וְאֶת־הַצְּפוֹנִי אַרְחִיק מֵעֲלֵיכֶם וְהִדַּחְתִּיו אֶל־אֶרֶץ צִיָּה וּשְׁמָמָה אֶת־פָּנָיו אֶל־הַיָּם הַקַּדְמֹנִי וְסֹפוֹ   2:20    אֶל־הַיָּם הָאַחֲרוֹן וְעָלָה בָאְשׁוֹ וְתַעַל צַחֲנָתוֹ כִּי הִגְדִּיל לַעֲשׂוֹת׃

Joel 2:20   “And I will remove the northerner from you,

                              and I will drive him away to a dry and desolate land,

                    with his face eastern to the sea

                              and his end to the western sea,

                     so his stench will go up

                              and his foul odor will ascend,”

                      for He is doing great things.

אַל־תִּירְאִי אֲדָמָה גִּילִי וּשְׂמָחִי כִּי־הִגְדִּיל יְהוָה לַעֲשׂוֹת׃   2:21

Joel 2:21   Do not be afraid, ground,

                              for the Lord is doing great things.

אַל־תִּירְאוּ בַּהֲמוֹת שָׂדַי כִּי דָשְׁאוּ נְאוֹת מִדְבָּר כִּי־עֵץ נָשָׂא פִרְיוֹ תְּאֵנָה וָגֶפֶן נָתְנוּ חֵילָם׃   2:22

Joel 2:22   Do not be afraid, beasts of the field,

                              for the pastures of the wilderness grow green,

                     for the tree carries its fruit,

                              the fig tree and the vine yield their strength.

וּבְנֵי צִיּוֹן גִּילוּ וְשִׂמְחוּ בַּיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם כִּי־נָתַן לָכֶם אֶת־הַמּוֹרֶה לִצְדָקָה וַיּוֹרֶד לָכֶם גֶּשֶׁם מוֹרֶה   2:23 וּמַלְקוֹשׁ בָּרִאשׁוֹן׃

Joel 2:23   So, children of Zion,

                              be glad and rejoice in the Lord, your God,

                     for He has given the early rain to you for salvation,

                              as He had brought the rain down for you,

                     the early rain and the later rain, in the beginning.

וּמָלְאוּ הַגֳּרָנוֹת בָּר וְהֵשִׁיקוּ הַיְקָבִים תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר׃   2:24

Joel 2:24   Then the threshing floors shall be full of corn,

                              and new wine and fresh oil shall overflow the vats.

וְשִׁלַּמְתִּי לָכֶם אֶת־הַשָּׁנִים אֲשֶׁר אָכַל הָאַרְבֶּה הַיֶּלֶק וְהֶחָסִיל וְהַגָּזָם חֵילִי הַגָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר שִׁלַּחְתִּי   2:25        בָּכֶם׃

Joel 2:25   “And I shall repay to you

                              the years that the locust had consumed,

                     the cankerworm and the caterpillar and the maggot,

                              My great army that I sent among you.”

וַאֲכַלְתֶּם אָכוֹל וְשָׂבוֹעַ וְהִלַּלְתֶּם אֶת־שֵׁם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה עִמָּכֶם לְהַפְלִיא וְלֹא־יֵבֹשׁוּ עַמִּי   2:26 לְעוֹלָם׃

Joel 2:26   “Now you shall eat fully with satisfaction,

                              and praise the name of the Lord, your God,

                    Who has dealt with you extraordinarily,

                              so My people will never have to be ashamed.”

וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי בְקֶרֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל אָנִי וַאֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְאֵין עוֹד וְלֹא־יֵבֹשׁוּ עַמִּי לְעוֹלָם׃   2:27

Joel 2:27   “And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,

                              and I am the Lord, your God,

                    and there is no other,

                              and My people shall never be ashamed.”

Well, Joel has done little lamenting in this chapter.  Like so many chapters of the various prophets, this one ends on an upbeat note.

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