Joel 2:1-17
Joel 2.1-17
Locusts and an Enemy Army
Sound the trumpet on Zion, the Lord's sacred hill. Warn everyone to tremble! The judgment day of the Lord is coming soon. It will be dark and gloomy with storm clouds overhead. Troops will cover the mountains like thunderclouds. No army this powerful has ever been gathered before or will ever be again. Fiery flames surround them; no one escapes. Before they invaded, the land was like Eden; now only a desert remains.
They look like horses and charge like cavalry. They roar over mountains like noisy chariots, or a mighty army ready for battle. They are a forest fire that feasts on straw. The very sight of them is frightening. They climb over walls like warriors; they march in columns and never turn aside. They charge straight ahead, without pushing each other; even arrows and spears cannot make them retreat. They swarm over city walls and enter our homes; they crawl in through windows, just like thieves.
They make the earth tremble and the heavens shake; the sun and moon turn dark, and stars stop shining. The Lord God leads this army of countless troops, and they obey his commands. The day of his judgment is so terrible that no one can stand it.
The Lord's Invitation
The Lord said:
It isn't too late. You can still return to me with all your heart. Start crying and mourning! Go without eating. Don't rip your clothes to show your sorrow. Instead, turn back to me with broken hearts. I am merciful, kind, and caring. I don't easily lose my temper, and I don't like to punish.
I am the Lord your God. Perhaps I will change my mind and treat you with mercy. Then you will be blessed with enough grain and wine for offering sacrifices to me.
Sound the trumpet on Zion! Call the people together. Show your sorrow by going without food. Make sure that everyone is fit to worship me. Bring adults, children, babies, and even bring newlyweds from their festivities.
Tell my servants, the priests, to cry inside the temple and to offer this prayer near the altar: "Save your people, Lord God! Don't let foreign nations make jokes about us. Don't let them laugh and ask, 'Where is your God?'"
God bless you.
Locusts and an Enemy Army
Sound the trumpet on Zion, the Lord's sacred hill. Warn everyone to tremble! The judgment day of the Lord is coming soon. It will be dark and gloomy with storm clouds overhead. Troops will cover the mountains like thunderclouds. No army this powerful has ever been gathered before or will ever be again. Fiery flames surround them; no one escapes. Before they invaded, the land was like Eden; now only a desert remains.
They look like horses and charge like cavalry. They roar over mountains like noisy chariots, or a mighty army ready for battle. They are a forest fire that feasts on straw. The very sight of them is frightening. They climb over walls like warriors; they march in columns and never turn aside. They charge straight ahead, without pushing each other; even arrows and spears cannot make them retreat. They swarm over city walls and enter our homes; they crawl in through windows, just like thieves.
They make the earth tremble and the heavens shake; the sun and moon turn dark, and stars stop shining. The Lord God leads this army of countless troops, and they obey his commands. The day of his judgment is so terrible that no one can stand it.
The Lord's Invitation
The Lord said:
It isn't too late. You can still return to me with all your heart. Start crying and mourning! Go without eating. Don't rip your clothes to show your sorrow. Instead, turn back to me with broken hearts. I am merciful, kind, and caring. I don't easily lose my temper, and I don't like to punish.
I am the Lord your God. Perhaps I will change my mind and treat you with mercy. Then you will be blessed with enough grain and wine for offering sacrifices to me.
Sound the trumpet on Zion! Call the people together. Show your sorrow by going without food. Make sure that everyone is fit to worship me. Bring adults, children, babies, and even bring newlyweds from their festivities.
Tell my servants, the priests, to cry inside the temple and to offer this prayer near the altar: "Save your people, Lord God! Don't let foreign nations make jokes about us. Don't let them laugh and ask, 'Where is your God?'"
God bless you.
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