Read Scripturead-freewith Bible Gateway Plus—trusted Study Bibles and commentaries beside every verse. Try it FREE for 7 days.
Log In/Sign Up

#
Joel 2
New International Version

### An Army of Locusts

2 Blow the trumpet(A)in Zion;(B)
sound the alarm on my holy hill.(C)

Let all who live in the land tremble,
for the day of theLord(D)is coming.
It is close at hand(E)—
2 a day of darkness(F)and gloom,(G)
a day of clouds(H)and blackness.(I)
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
a large and mighty army(J)comes,
such as never was in ancient times(K)
nor ever will be in ages to come.

3 Before them fire(L)devours,
behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,(M)
behind them, a desert waste(N)—
nothing escapes them.
4 They have the appearance of horses;(O)
they gallop along like cavalry.
5 With a noise like that of chariots(P)
they leap over the mountaintops,
like a crackling fire(Q)consuming stubble,
like a mighty army drawn up for battle.

6 At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;(R)
every face turns pale.(S)
7 They charge like warriors;(T)
they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line,(U)
not swerving(V)from their course.
8 They do not jostle each other;
each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defenses
without breaking ranks.
9 They rush upon the city;
they run along the wall.
They climb into the houses;(W)
like thieves they enter through the windows.(X)

10 Before them the earth shakes,(Y)
the heavens tremble,(Z)
the sun and moon are darkened,(AA)
and the stars no longer shine.(AB)
11 TheLord(AC)thunders(AD)
at the head of his army;(AE)
his forces are beyond number,
and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
The day of theLordis great;(AF)
it is dreadful.
Who can endure it?(AG)

### Rend Your Heart

12 “Even now,” declares theLord,
“return(AH)to me with all your heart,(AI)
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

13 Rend your heart(AJ)
and not your garments.(AK)
Return(AL)to theLordyour God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,(AM)
slow to anger and abounding in love,(AN)
and he relents from sending calamity.(AO)
14 Who knows? He may turn(AP)and relent(AQ)
and leave behind a blessing(AR)—
grain offerings and drink offerings(AS)
for theLordyour God.

15 Blow the trumpet(AT)in Zion,(AU)
declare a holy fast,(AV)
call a sacred assembly.(AW)
16 Gather the people,
consecrate(AX)the assembly;
bring together the elders,(AY)
gather the children,
those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom(AZ)leave his room
and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests, who minister(BA)before theLord,
weep(BB)between the portico and the altar.(BC)
Let them say, “Spare your people,Lord.
Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,(BD)
a byword(BE)among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?(BF)’”

### TheLord’s Answer

18 Then theLordwas jealous(BG)for his land
and took pity(BH)on his people.

19 TheLordreplied[a]to them:

“I am sending you grain, new wine(BI)and olive oil,(BJ)
enough to satisfy you fully;(BK)
never again will I make you
an object of scorn(BL)to the nations.

20 “I will drive the northern horde(BM)far from you,
pushing it into a parched and barren land;
its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea
and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.
And its stench(BN)will go up;
its smell will rise.”

Surely he has done great things!
21 Do not be afraid,(BO)land of Judah;
be glad and rejoice.(BP)
Surely theLordhas done great things!(BQ)
22 Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.(BR)
The trees are bearing their fruit;
the fig tree(BS)and the vine(BT)yield their riches.(BU)
23 Be glad, people of Zion,
rejoice(BV)in theLordyour God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
because he is faithful.(BW)
He sends you abundant showers,(BX)
both autumn(BY)and spring rains,(BZ)as before.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
the vats will overflow(CA)with new wine(CB)and oil.

25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts(CC)have eaten(CD)—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm[b]—
my great army(CE)that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,(CF)
and you will praise(CG)the name of theLordyour God,
who has worked wonders(CH)for you;
never again will my people be shamed.(CI)
27 Then you will know(CJ)that I am in Israel,
that I am theLord(CK)your God,
and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.(CL)

### The Day of theLord

28 “And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit(CM)on all people.(CN)
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,(CO)
your old men will dream dreams,(CP)
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants,(CQ)both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.(CR)
30 I will show wonders in the heavens(CS)
and on the earth,(CT)
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness(CU)
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of theLord.(CV)
32 And everyone who calls
on the name of theLord(CW)will be saved;(CX)
for on Mount Zion(CY)and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,(CZ)
as theLordhas said,
even among the survivors(DA)
whom theLordcalls.[c](DB)

#### Footnotes

1. Joel 2:19 OrLordwill be jealous … / and take pity … /19 TheLordwill reply
2. Joel 2:25 The precise meaning of the four Hebrew words used here for locusts is uncertain.
3. Joel 2:32 In Hebrew texts 2:28-32 is numbered 3:1-5.

#### Cross references

1. Joel 2:1:S Nu 10:2, 7
2. Joel 2:1:ver 15
3. Joel 2:1:S Ex 15:17
4. Joel 2:1:S Joel 1:15; Zep 1:14-16
5. Joel 2:1:S Eze 12:23; S 30:3; Ob 1:15
6. Joel 2:2:ver 10, 31; S Job 9:7; S Isa 8:22; S 13:10; Am 5:18
7. Joel 2:2:S Eze 34:12; S Da 9:12; S Mt 24:21
8. Joel 2:2:S Eze 38:9
9. Joel 2:2:Zep 1:15; Rev 9:2
10. Joel 2:2:S Joel 1:6
11. Joel 2:2:Joel 1:2
12. Joel 2:3:S Ps 97:3; S Isa 1:31
13. Joel 2:3:S Ge 2:8
14. Joel 2:3:Ex 10:12-15; Ps 105:34-35; S Isa 14:17
15. Joel 2:4:Rev 9:7
16. Joel 2:5:Rev 9:9
17. Joel 2:5:Isa 5:24; 30:30
18. Joel 2:6:S Isa 13:8
19. Joel 2:6:S Isa 29:22
20. Joel 2:7:S Job 16:14
21. Joel 2:7:Pr 30:27
22. Joel 2:7:Isa 5:27
23. Joel 2:9:Ex 10:6
24. Joel 2:9:Jer 9:21
25. Joel 2:10:Ps 18:7; Na 1:5
26. Joel 2:10:S Eze 38:19
27. Joel 2:10:S ver 2; S Isa 5:30; S Mt 24:29; Mk 13:24; Rev 9:2
28. Joel 2:10:S Job 9:7; S Ps 102:26; Isa 13:10; S Eze 32:8
29. Joel 2:11:S Isa 2:12; S Eze 30:3; S Joel 1:15; Ob 1:15
30. Joel 2:11:S Ps 29:3
31. Joel 2:11:S ver 2, 25
32. Joel 2:11:Zep 1:14
33. Joel 2:11:S Eze 22:14; Zep 2:11; Rev 6:17
34. Joel 2:12:S Dt 4:30; S Eze 33:11; S Hos 12:6
35. Joel 2:12:S 1Sa 7:3
36. Joel 2:13:Ps 51:17; Isa 57:15
37. Joel 2:13:S Ge 37:29; S Nu 14:6; Job 1:20
38. Joel 2:13:S Isa 19:22
39. Joel 2:13:S Dt 4:31
40. Joel 2:13:Ex 34:6; S Ps 86:5, 15
41. Joel 2:13:S Jer 18:8; Jnh 4:2
42. Joel 2:14:Jer 26:3; Jnh 3:9
43. Joel 2:14:Am 5:15; Jnh 1:6
44. Joel 2:14:Jer 31:14; Hag 2:19; Zec 8:13; Mal 3:10
45. Joel 2:14:S Joel 1:13
46. Joel 2:15:S Nu 10:2
47. Joel 2:15:ver 1
48. Joel 2:15:S 2Ch 20:3; Jer 36:9
49. Joel 2:15:S Ex 32:5; Nu 10:3
50. Joel 2:16:S Ex 19:10, 22
51. Joel 2:16:Joel 1:2
52. Joel 2:16:Ps 19:5
53. Joel 2:17:Joel 1:13
54. Joel 2:17:S Isa 22:12
55. Joel 2:17:Eze 8:16; Mt 23:35
56. Joel 2:17:Dt 9:26-29; Ps 44:13
57. Joel 2:17:S 1Ki 9:7; S Job 17:6
58. Joel 2:17:S Ps 42:3
59. Joel 2:18:S Isa 26:11; Zec 1:14; 8:2
60. Joel 2:18:S Ps 72:13
61. Joel 2:19:Ps 4:7
62. Joel 2:19:S Jer 31:12
63. Joel 2:19:S Lev 26:5
64. Joel 2:19:S Eze 34:29
65. Joel 2:20:Jer 1:14-15
66. Joel 2:20:S Isa 34:3
67. Joel 2:21:S Isa 29:22; S 54:4; Zep 3:16-17
68. Joel 2:21:S Ps 9:2
69. Joel 2:21:S Ps 126:3; S Isa 25:1
70. Joel 2:22:S Ps 65:12
71. Joel 2:22:S 1Ki 4:25
72. Joel 2:22:S Nu 16:14
73. Joel 2:22:Joel 1:18-20; Zec 8:12
74. Joel 2:23:Ps 33:21; 97:12; 149:2; Isa 12:6; 41:16; 66:14; Hab 3:18; Zec 10:7
75. Joel 2:23:S Isa 45:8
76. Joel 2:23:S Job 36:28; S Eze 34:26
77. Joel 2:23:Ps 84:6
78. Joel 2:23:S Lev 26:4; S Ps 135:7; Jas 5:7
79. Joel 2:24:Lev 26:10; Mal 3:10
80. Joel 2:24:S Pr 3:10; Joel 3:18; Am 9:13
81. Joel 2:25:S Ex 10:14; Am 4:9
82. Joel 2:25:S Dt 28:39
83. Joel 2:25:S Joel 1:6
84. Joel 2:26:S Lev 26:5
85. Joel 2:26:S Lev 23:40; S Isa 62:9
86. Joel 2:26:S Ps 126:3; S Isa 25:1
87. Joel 2:26:S Isa 29:22
88. Joel 2:27:S Ex 6:7
89. Joel 2:27:S Ex 6:2; S Isa 44:8; Joel 3:17
90. Joel 2:27:Isa 45:17; 54:4; Zep 3:11
91. Joel 2:28:S Isa 11:2; S 44:3
92. Joel 2:28:S Nu 11:17; S Mk 1:8; Gal 3:14
93. Joel 2:28:S 1Sa 19:20
94. Joel 2:28:Jer 23:25
95. Joel 2:29:1Co 12:13; Gal 3:28
96. Joel 2:29:S Eze 36:27
97. Joel 2:30:Lk 21:11
98. Joel 2:30:Mk 13:24-25
99. Joel 2:31:S ver 2; S Isa 22:5; S Jer 4:23; S Mt 24:29
100. Joel 2:31:S Joel 1:15; Ob 1:15; Mal 3:2; 4:1, 5
101. Joel 2:32:S Ge 4:26; S Ps 105:1
102. Joel 2:32:S Ps 106:8; Ac 2:17-21*; Ro 10:13*
103. Joel 2:32:S Isa 46:13
104. Joel 2:32:Ob 1:17
105. Joel 2:32:S Isa 1:9; 11:11; Mic 4:7; 7:18; S Ro 9:27
106. Joel 2:32:Ac 2:39

New International Version(NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 byBiblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

### More on the NIV

- Unleash God's Word!

#### Bible Gateway Recommends

NIV, Lucado Encouraging Word Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New International Version
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV Application Bible, Red Letter, Comfort Print: Bringing the Ancient Message of the Bible into Your World
Retail: $54.99
Our Price: $35.00
Save: $19.99 (36%)
Buy Now
NIV, Artisan Collection Bible, Gilded Edges, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV, Chronological Study Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New International Version
Retail: $49.99
Our Price: $34.99
Save: $15.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV, The Story, Hardcover, Comfort Print: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People
Retail: $19.98
Our Price: $7.50
Save: $12.48 (62%)
Buy Now
NIV, Biblical Theology Study Bible, Comfort Print: Follow God’s Redemptive Plan as It Unfolds throughout Scripture
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
View more titles