Joel 2:11-15

2:11 The voice of the Lord thunders ¹  as he leads his army. ² 

Indeed, his warriors ³  are innumerable; ⁴ 

Surely his command is carried out! ⁵ 

Yes, the day of the Lord is awesome ⁶ 

and very terrifying – who can survive ⁷  it?

An Appeal for Repentance

2:12 “Yet even now,” the Lord says,

“return to me with all your heart –

with fasting, weeping, and mourning.

Tear your hearts, ⁸ 

not just your garments!”

2:13 Return to the Lord your God,

for he is merciful and compassionate,

slow to anger and boundless in loyal love ⁹  – often relenting from calamitous punishment. ¹⁰ 

2:14 Who knows?

Perhaps he will be compassionate and grant a reprieve, ¹¹ 

and leave blessing in his wake ¹²  –

a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the Lord your God! ¹³ 

2:15 Blow the trumpet ¹⁴  in Zion.

Announce a holy fast;

proclaim a sacred assembly!

[2:11]  ¹ tn Heb “the Lord gives his voice.”

[2:11]  ² tn Heb “before his army.”

[2:11]  ³ tn Heb “military encampment.”

[2:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “very large.”

[2:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “he makes his word powerful.”

[2:11]  ⁶ tn Or “powerful.” Heb “great.”

[2:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “endure.” The MT and LXX read “endure,” while one of the Qumran manuscripts (4QXXII^c) has “bear.”

[2:12]  ⁸ sn The figurative language calls for genuine repentance, and not merely external ritual that goes through the motions.

[2:13]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and great of loyal love.”

[2:13]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and he relents from calamity.”

[2:14]  ²² tn Heb “turn” or “turn back.”

[2:14]  ²³ tn Heb “leave a blessing behind him.”

[2:14]  ²⁴ tn The phrase “for you to offer” does not appear in the Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[2:15]  ²⁹ tn See the note on this term in 2:1.