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Joel 2
International Children’s Bible
Joel 2
International Children’s Bible
The Coming Day of Judgment
2 Blow the trumpet in Jerusalem.
Shout a warning on my holy mountain.
Let all the people who live in the land shake with fear.
The Lord’s day of judging is coming.
The Lord’s day of judging is near.
2 It will be a dark, gloomy day.
It will be a cloudy and black day.
Like the light at sunrise,
the great and powerful army will spread over the mountains.
There has never been anything like it before.
And there will never be anything like it again.
3 The army destroys the land
like a burning fire.
The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden.
The land behind them is like an empty desert.
Nothing will escape them.
4 They look like horses.
They run like war horses.
5 Listen to them!
It is like the noise of chariots
rumbling over the mountains.
It is like the noise of crackling flames
burning dry stalks.
They are like a powerful army lined up for battle.
6 Before this army, nations shake with fear.
Their faces become pale.
7 The army charges ahead like soldiers.
They climb over the walls like warriors.
They all march straight ahead.
They do not move off their path.
8 They do not run into each other.
Each one walks in line.
They charge through all efforts to stop them
and stay in line.
9 They run into the city.
They run along the tops of the walls.
They climb into the houses.
They enter through windows like a thief.
10 Before them, earth and sky shake.
The sun and the moon become dark,
and the stars stop shining.
11 The Lord calls out orders loudly
as he leads his army.
That army obeys his commands.
It is very large and powerful.
The Lord’s day of judging
is an overwhelming and terrible day.
No one can stand up against it.
Change Your Hearts
12 The Lord says, “Now, come back to me with all your heart.
Go without food, and cry and be sad.”
13 Tearing your clothes is not enough to show you are sad.
Let your heart be broken.
Come back to the Lord your God.
He is kind and shows mercy.
He doesn’t become angry quickly.
He has great love.
He would rather forgive than punish.
14 Who knows? Maybe the Lord will change his mind
and leave behind a blessing for you.
Then you may give grain and drink offerings
to the Lord your God.
15 Blow the trumpet in Jerusalem.
Call for a special time of going without food.
Call for a special meeting.
16 Bring the people together.
Make the meeting holy for the Lord.
Bring together the elders.
Bring together the children,
even babies that still feed at their mothers’ breasts.
The bridegroom should come from his room.
The bride should come from her bedroom.
17 The priests, the Lord’s servants, should cry.
They should cry between the altar and entrance to the Temple.
They should say, “Lord, have mercy on your people.
Don’t let them be put to shame.
Don’t let other nations make fun of them.
Don’t let people in other nations ask,
‘Where is their God?’”
The Lord Restores the Land
18 Then the Lord became concerned about his land.
He felt sorry for his people.
19 The Lord said to them:
“I will send you grain, wine and olive oil.
You will have plenty.
No more will I shame you
among the nations.
20 I will force the army from the north to leave your land.
I will force them into a dry, empty land.
Their soldiers in front will be forced into the Dead Sea.
And those in the rear will be forced into the Mediterranean Sea.
Their bodies will rot and stink
because they did horrible things.”
21 But, land, don’t be afraid.
Be happy and full of joy
because the Lord has begun to do wonderful things.
22 Wild animals, don’t be afraid.
The open pastures will grow grass.
The trees will grow fruit.
The fig trees and the vines will grow much fruit.
23 So be happy, people of Jerusalem.
Be joyful in the Lord your God.
He will do what is right
and will give you rain.
He will send the early rain
and the late rain for you, as before.
24 And the threshing floors will be full of wheat.
And the barrels will overflow with wine and olive oil.
The Lord Speaks
25 “I sent my great army against you.
Those swarming locusts and the hopping locusts,
the destroying locusts and the cutting locusts[a] ate your crops.
But I will pay you back
for those years of trouble.
26 Then you will have plenty to eat.
You will be full.
You will praise the name of the Lord your God.
He has done miracles for you.
My people will never again be shamed.
27 Then you will know that I am among the people of Israel.
You will know that I am the Lord your God.
There is no other God.
My people will never be shamed again.
28 “After this,
I will give my Spirit freely to all kinds of people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your old men will dream dreams.
Your young men will see visions.
29 At that time I will give my Spirit
even to servants, both men and women.
30 I will show miracles
in the sky and on the earth:
blood, fire and thick smoke.
31 The sun will become dark.
The moon will become red as blood.
And then the Lord’s overwhelming and terrible day of judging will come.
32 Then anyone who asks the Lord for help
will be saved.
Even on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be people who will be saved.
This will happen just as the Lord has said.
Those left alive after the day of punishment
are the people whom the Lord called.
Footnotes
- 2:25 swarming . . . locusts These are different names for an insect like a large grasshopper. The locust can quickly destroy trees, plants and crops. In this destruction by locusts, Joel sees a warning. God will cause this type of destruction when he punishes his people.
Joel 2
New International Version
Joel 2
New International Version
An Army of Locusts
Let all who live in the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord(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 The Lord(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 the Lord is great;(AF)
it is dreadful.
Who can endure it?(AG)
Rend Your Heart
12 “Even now,” declares the Lord,
“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 the Lord your 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 the Lord your 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 the Lord,
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)’”
The Lord’s Answer
19 The Lord replied[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 the Lord has 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 the Lord your 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 the Lord your 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 the Lord(CK) your God,
and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.(CL)
The Day of the Lord
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 the Lord.(CV)
32 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord(CW) will be saved;(CX)
for on Mount Zion(CY) and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,(CZ)
as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors(DA)
whom the Lord calls.[c](DB)
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The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.