Joel 2 - EasyEnglish Bible 2024（EASY）

Chapter 2God warns the people about an army of locusts

1Make a loud noise with a trumpet in Zion!

Do this on my holy hill to warn people of danger.

All the people who live in this country should shake with fear.

They should be afraid

because the day of the Lord

will soon come.

Yes, it is very near!

2It will be completely dark on that day.

Black clouds will cover the whole earth.

A great army is coming.

Like darkness it covers the mountains.

No army has ever been as powerful as this one is.

There will never be an army like it in the future.

3As they move, they destroy everything in front of them.

It is like a fire all around them.

The land in front of them is like the Garden of Eden.

But behind them it becomes like an empty desert.

Nothing can escape from them.

4They look like horses.

They are like horses that are running to a battle.

5They make a noise like chariots

as they jump over the tops of the mountains.

They make the sound of a fire

as it burns dry grass.

They are like a great army

that is preparing for a battle.

6 Nations are very afraid when they see this army.

Everyone's face becomes white with fear.

7The great army runs forward to attack.

Like soldiers, they climb over the walls of cities.

They march forward in their proper places.

They do not change their direction.

8They do not push against each other.

Each one of them goes straight forward.

No weapons are able to stop them

as they move forward together.

9They quickly attack a city

and they run over its walls.

They climb into the houses.

as they go through the windows like robbers.

10The earth shakes as they move forward.

Even the sky itself shakes.

The sun and moon become dark.

The stars no longer give any light.

11The Lord's voice shouts like thunder

as he leads his army.

His soldiers are too many to count.

They obey all his commands.

The day of the Lord

is great and terrible!

It seems that nobody will remain alive.

God tells the people to turn back to him

12The Lord says, ‘Even now it is not too late!

Show that you are sorry and return to me.

Fast, weep and cry to show that you are sad.

13Show me that you are really upset.

Do not only tear your clothes. That is not enough.’

Return to the Lord your God.

He is kind and he forgives people.

He does not quickly become angry,

and his faithful love is very great.

He does not like to punish you.

14No one knows what the Lord your God will do.

Perhaps he will change his mind.

Perhaps he will not punish you as he has said he will.

After that he may bless you.

He may give you grain and wine,

so that you can offer them to him.

15Make a loud noise with a trumpet in Zion!

Tell the people that they must fast.

Tell them to meet to worship the Lord.

16Bring all the people together.

Prepare them to worship the Lord.

Bring the old people together,

as well as the children and the babies.

Even men who have just married must come from their rooms.

And brides must also come from their rooms.

17The priests should weep,

as they serve the Lord

between the temple door and the altar.

They must pray, ‘Lord, Please be kind to your people.

Do not allow the people of foreign nations

to laugh at your own people.

Do not allow them to insult us.

They should not say about us,

“Their God cannot help them.” ’

God promises to bless his people

18Then the Lord showed that he loved his land.

He chose to be kind to his people.

19He answered them,

‘Listen! I will now give you plenty of grain, new wine and olive oil.

You will have as much as you need.

I will never again allow people of foreign nations to laugh at you.

20I will take the army from the north far away from you.

I will send it to a dry land where nothing grows.

Those who march in the front of that army

I will send into the Salt Sea in the east.

And I will send those who are at the back

into the Mediterranean Sea in the west.

Their dead bodies will make a disgusting smell.’

Yes, the Lord has done great things!

21Land, do not be afraid!

Instead, be very happy,

because the Lord has done great things.

22Wild animals, do not be afraid!

The fields in the wilderness again have grass

and they are green.

Fruit is growing on the trees.

The fig trees and the vines have plenty of fruit.

23Shout with joy, people of Zion!

Be very happy because of the things

that the Lord your God has done.

He has shown you that he is faithful.

He has given you rain in the right seasons,

as he has done before.

24Now there is plenty of grain on your threshing floors.

Your jars are full of new wine and olive oil.

25The Lord says,

‘I will give back to you the food that the locusts destroyed.

I sent that great army of locusts to punish you.

But I will now give you back as much food

as all the different locusts ate during those years.

26You will have plenty to eat.

You will not be hungry any more.

I have done great things for you.

So you will praise the name of the Lord your God.

My people will never again be ashamed.

27You will know that I am among my people in Israel.

I am the Lord your God.

There is no one else.

My people will never again be ashamed.

God promises to send his Spirit on all people

28After all that, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will speak my message to people.

Your old men will see things in their dreams.

Your young men will see visions.

29At that time, I will pour out my Spirit on all my servants,

both men and women.

30I will cause strange things to appear in the sky

and on the earth.

There will be blood, fire and clouds of smoke.

31The sun will become dark.

The moon will become red like the colour of blood.

Then the day of the Lord

will come.

It will be a great and terrible day!

32At that time, everyone who calls to the Lord for help will be safe.

This is what I, the Lord, have promised.

Some people on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem will escape.

The people who remain alive will be those that I choose to belong to me.’