CHAPTER 2
1 Sing ye with a trump in Zion, yell ye in mine holy hill [or mountain]. All the dwellers of earth be disturbed [or troubled]; for the day of the Lord cometh,
2 for the day of darknesses and of mist is nigh, the day of cloud and of whirlwind. These locusts be as the morrowtide spread abroad on hills, a much people and strong. None was like it from the beginning, and after it shall not be, till into years of generation and of generation.
3 Before the face thereof shall be fire devouring, and after it shall be burning flame; as a garden of liking or Eden the land shall be before them, and wilderness of desert shall be after them, and none is that shall escape them.
4 The looking of them shall be as the looking of horses; and as horsemen, so they shall run.
5 As the sound of carts on the heads [or tops] of hills they shall skip; as the sound of the flame of fire devouring stubble, as a strong people made ready to battle.
6 Peoples shall be tormented of the face thereof, all faces shall be as driven into a pot.
7 As strong men they shall run, as men warriors they shall ascend on the wall. These men shall go in their ways, and they shall not bow away from their paths.
8 Each man shall not make strait his brother, each man shall go in his own path; but also they shall fall down by windows, and shall not be hurt.
9 They shall enter into the city, they shall run on the wall; they shall ascend on houses, they shall enter as a night thief by windows.
10 The earth trembled of his face, heavens were moved, the sun and the moon were made dark, and stars withdrew their shining.
11 And the Lord gave his voice before the face of his host, for his hosts be full many; for those be strong, and do the word of him. For the day of the Lord is great, and full fearedful, and who shall suffer it?
12 Now therefore saith the Lord, Be ye turned again to me in all your heart, in fasting, and weeping, and wailing;
13 and carve ye your hearts, and not your clothes, and be ye turned again to your Lord God, for he is benign, and merciful, patient, and of much mercy, and abiding, either forgiving, on malice.
14 Who knoweth, if God be turned again, and forgive, and leave blessing after him? sacrifice and moist sacrifice to our Lord God.
15 Sing ye with a trump in Zion, hallow ye fasting, call ye a company;
16 gather together the people, hallow ye the church, gather ye together eld [or old] men, gather ye together little children, and those sucking the breasts; a spouse go out of his bed, and a spousess out of her chamber.
17 Priests, the ministers of the Lord, shall weep betwixt the porch and the altar, and shall say, Lord! spare thou, spare thy people, and give thou not thine heritage into shame, that nations be lords of them. Why say they among peoples, Where is the God of them?
18 The Lord loved jealously his land, and spared his people.
19 And the Lord answered, and said to his people, Lo! I shall send to you wheat, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be [ful] filled with those; and I shall no more give you to be a shame among heathen men.
20 And I shall make him that is at the north far from you; and I shall cast him out into a land without way, and desert; his face against the east sea, and the last part thereof at the last sea; and the stink thereof shall ascend or go up, and the root thereof shall ascend [or go up], for he did proudly.
21 Earth, do not thou dread, make thou full out joy, and be glad; for the Lord magnified that he should do.
22 Beasts of the country, do not ye dread, for the fair things of desert burgeoned; for the tree brought his fruit, the fig tree and vinery [or the vineyard] gave their strength.
23 And the sons of Zion, make ye full out joy, and be ye glad in your Lord God, for he gave to you a teacher of rightfulness [or rightwiseness], and he shall make morrowtide rain and eventide rain to come down to you, as in the beginning.
24 And cornfloors shall be [full-]filled of wheat, and pressers shall flow with wine and oil.
25 And I shall yield to you the years which the locust, bruchus, and rust, and wortworm, my great strength, ate, which I sent into you.
26 And ye shall eat eating, and ye shall be [ful] filled; and ye shall praise the name of your Lord God, that made marvels with you; and my people shall not be shamed without end.
27 And ye shall know, that I am in the midst of Israel; and I am your Lord God, and none is more; and my people shall not be shamed without end.
28 And it shall be, after these things I shall shed [or pour] out my spirit on each man; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your eld [or old] men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.
29 But also I shall shed [or pour] out my spirit on my servants, and hand-maids, in those days;
30 and I shall give great wonders in heaven, and in earth, blood, and fire, and the heat of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darknesses, and the moon into blood, before that the great day and horrible of the Lord come.
32 And it shall be, each that calleth to help the name of the Lord shall be safe; for why salvation, either saving, shall be in the hill of Zion and in Jerusalem, as the Lord said, and in the residue men, which the Lord calleth.