Joel 2 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Blow the trumpet on Zion. {\cf2\super [10]} \par Shout a warning on my holy mountain.\par Let all the people that live in the land\par shake with fear.\par The Lord’s special day is coming.\par The Lord’s special day is near.\par

² It will be a dark, gloomy day.\par It will be a dark and cloudy day.\par At sunrise, you will see the army\par spread over the mountains.\par It will be a great and powerful army.\par There has never been anything\par like it before.\par And there will never be anything\par like it again.\par

³ The army will destroy the land\par like a burning fire.\par In front of them, the land will be like\par the Garden of Eden.\par Behind them, the land will be like\par an empty desert.\par Nothing will escape them.\par

⁴ \{The locusts\} look like horses.\par They run like war horses.\par

⁵ Listen to them.\par It is like the noise of chariots {\cf2\super [11]} \par riding over the mountains.\par It is like the noise of flames\par burning the chaff. {\cf2\super [12]} \par They are a powerful people.\par They are ready for war.\par

⁶ Before this army, people shake with fear.\par Their faces become pale from fear.\par

⁷ The soldiers run fast.\par The soldiers climb over the walls.\par Each soldier marches straight ahead.\par They don’t move from their path.\par

⁸ They don’t trip each other.\par Each soldier walks in his \{own\} path.\par If one of the soldiers is hit and falls down,\par the others keep right on marching.\par

⁹ They run to the city.\par They quickly climb over the wall.\par They climb into the houses.\par They climb through the windows\par like thieves.\par

¹⁰ Before them, earth and sky shake.\par The sun and the moon become dark.\par And the stars stop shining.\par

¹¹ The Lord calls loudly to his army.\par His camp is very large.\par That army obeys his commands.\par That army is very powerful.\par The Lord’s special day\par is a great and terrible day.\par No person can stop it.\par

¹² This is the Lord’s message:\par “Now come back to me with all your heart,\par \{You did bad things,\}\par cry, cry and don’t eat any food!\par

¹³ Tear your hearts, not your clothes.” {\cf2\super [13]} \par Come back to the Lord your God.\par He is kind and merciful.\par He does not become angry quickly.\par He has great love.\par Maybe he will change his mind\par about the bad \{punishment he planned\}.\par

¹⁴ Who knows, maybe the Lord\par will change his mind.\par And maybe he will leave behind\par a blessing for you.\par Then you can give grain and drink offerings\par to the Lord your God.\par

¹⁵ Blow the trumpet at Zion. {\cf2\super [14]} \par Call for a special meeting.\par Call for a special time for not eating.\par

¹⁶ Bring together the people.\par Call for a special meeting.\par Bring together the older men.\par Bring together the children.\par Bring the small babies\par that still suck their mother’s breasts.\par Let the bride and her new husband\par come from their bedroom.\par

¹⁷ Let the priests, the Lord’s servants,\par cry between the porch {\cf2\super [15]} and the altar. {\cf2\super [16]} \par All of those people should say these things:\par “Lord, have mercy on your people.\par Don’t let your people be put to shame.\par Don’t let other people tell jokes\par about your people.\par Don’t let people in other nations\par \{laugh at us and\} say,\par ‘Where is their God?’”\par

¹⁸ Then the Lord became excited about his land.\par He felt sorry for his people.\par

¹⁹ The Lord spoke to his people.\par He said,\par “I will send you grain, wine, and oil.\par You will have plenty.\par I won’t shame you among the nations any more.\par

²⁰ No, I will force those people from the north {\cf2\super [17]} to leave your land.\par I will make them go into a dry,\par empty land.\par Some of them will go to the eastern sea.\par Some of them will go to the western sea.\par Those people did such terrible things.\par But they will be like a dead\par and rotting thing.\par There will be such a terrible smell!”\par

²¹ Land, don’t be afraid.\par Be happy and full of joy.\par The Lord will do great things.\par

²² Animals of the field, don’t be afraid.\par The desert pastures will grow grass.\par The trees will grow fruit.\par The fig trees and the vines will grow\par plenty of fruit.\par

²³ So be happy, people of Zion. {\cf2\super [18]} \par Be joyful in the Lord your God.\par He will be good and give you rain.\par He will send you the early rains\par and the late rains like before.\par

²⁴ The threshing floors {\cf2\super [19]} will be filled\par with wheat.\par And the barrels will overflow\par with wine and olive oil.\par

²⁵ “I, the Lord, sent my army against you.\par The swarming locusts\par and the hopping locusts\par and the destroying locusts\par and the cutting locusts {\cf2\super [20]} \par ate everything you had.\par But I, the Lord, will pay you back\par for those years \{of trouble\}.\par

²⁶ Then you will have plenty to eat.\par You will be full.\par You will praise the name\par of the Lord your God.\par He has done wonderful things for you.\par My people will never \{again\} be ashamed.\par

²⁷ You will know that I am with Israel.\par You will know that I am the Lord your God.\par There is no other God.\par My people will never be ashamed again.”\par

²⁸ “After this I will pour (give) my Spirit\par on all kinds of people.\par Your sons and daughters will prophesy. {\cf2\super [21]} \par Your old men will dream dreams.\par Your young men will see visions. {\cf2\super [22]} \par

²⁹ At that time I will pour out (give) my Spirit\par even on servants, both men and women.\par

³⁰ I will show amazing things\par in the sky and on the earth—\par There will be blood, fire, and thick smoke.\par

³¹ The sun will be changed into darkness,\par The moon will be changed into blood.\par And then the great and wonderful\par Day of the Lord will come!\par

³² And then, any person\par that calls on the name of the Lord\par will be saved.\par There will be survivors on Mount Zion {\cf2\super [23]} and in Jerusalem,\par just like the Lord said.\par Yes, the survivors that the Lord is calling\par will come \{back\}.\par