Joel 2:11-15
New English Translation
11 The voice of the Lord thunders[a] as he leads his army.[b]
Indeed, his warriors[c] are innumerable;[d]
Surely his command is carried out![e]
Yes, the day of the Lord is awesome[f]
and very terrifying—who can survive[g] it?
An Appeal for Repentance
12 “Yet even now,” the Lord says,
“return to me with all your heart—
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
13 Tear your hearts,[h]
not just your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and boundless in loyal love[i]—often relenting from calamitous punishment.[j]
14 Who knows?
Perhaps he will be compassionate and grant a reprieve,[k]
and leave blessing in his wake[l]—
a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the Lord your God![m]
15 Blow the trumpet[n] in Zion.
Announce a holy fast;
proclaim a sacred assembly.
Footnotes
- Joel 2:11 tn Heb “the Lord gives his voice.”
- Joel 2:11 tn Heb “before his army.”
- Joel 2:11 tn Heb “military encampment.”
- Joel 2:11 tn Heb “very large.”
- Joel 2:11 tn Heb “he makes his word powerful.”
- Joel 2:11 tn Or “powerful.” Heb “great.”
- Joel 2:11 tn Heb “endure.” The MT and LXX read, “endure,” while one of the Qumran manuscripts (4QXXIIc) has, “bear.”
- Joel 2:13 sn The figurative language calls for genuine repentance and not merely external ritual that goes through the motions.
- Joel 2:13 tn Heb “and great of loyal love.”
- Joel 2:13 tn Heb “and he relents from calamity.”
- Joel 2:14 tn Heb “turn” or “turn back.”
- Joel 2:14 tn Heb “leave a blessing behind him.”
- Joel 2:14 tn The phrase “for you to offer” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
- Joel 2:15 tn See the note on this term in 2:1.
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