Study Desk

The word of the Lord that came^(a) to Joel^(b) son of Pethuel.

Hear this,^(c) you elders;^(d) listen, all who live in the land.^(e) Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors?^(f)

Tell it to your children,^(g) and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.^(h)

What the locust⁽ⁱ⁾ swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left^(j) other locusts^[a] have eaten.^(k)

Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine;^(l) wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched^(m) from your lips.

A nation has invaded my land, a mighty army without number;⁽ⁿ⁾ it has the teeth^(o) of a lion, the fangs of a lioness.

It has laid waste^(p) my vines and ruined my fig trees.^(q) It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white.

Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth^(r) grieving for the betrothed of her youth.

Grain offerings and drink offerings^(s) are cut off from the house of the Lord . The priests are in mourning,^(t) those who minister before the Lord .

The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up;^(u) the grain is destroyed, the new wine^(v) is dried up, the olive oil fails.^(w)

Despair, you farmers,^(x) wail, you vine growers; grieve for the wheat and the barley,^(y) because the harvest of the field is destroyed.^(z)

The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered;^(aa) the pomegranate,^(ab) the palm and the apple^[b] tree— all the trees of the field—are dried up.^(ac) Surely the people's joy is withered away.

Put on sackcloth,^(ad) you priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister^(ae) before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings^(af) are withheld from the house of your God.

Declare a holy fast;^(ag) call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land^(ah) to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out^(ai) to the Lord .^(aj)

Alas for that^(ak) day! For the day of the Lord ^(al) is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.^[c](am)

Has not the food been cut off^(an) before our very eyes— joy and gladness^(ao) from the house of our God?^(ap)

The seeds are shriveled beneath the clods.^[d](aq) The storehouses are in ruins, the granaries have been broken down, for the grain has dried up.

How the cattle moan! The herds mill about because they have no pasture;^(ar) even the flocks of sheep are suffering.^(as)

To you, Lord , I call,^(at) for fire^(au) has devoured the pastures^(av) in the wilderness and flames have burned up all the trees of the field.

Even the wild animals pant for you;^(aw) the streams of water have dried up^(ax) and fire has devoured the pastures^(ay) in the wilderness.

Blow the trumpet^(a) in Zion;^(b) sound the alarm on my holy hill.^(c) Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord ^(d) is coming. It is close at hand^(e)—

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.

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.

They have the appearance of horses;^(o) they gallop along like cavalry.

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.

At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;^(r) every face turns pale.^(s)

They charge like warriors;^(t) they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line,^(u) not swerving^(v) from their course.

They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks.

They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses;^(w) like thieves they enter through the windows.^(x)

Before them the earth shakes,^(y) the heavens tremble,^(z) the sun and moon are darkened,^(aa) and the stars no longer shine.^(ab)

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)

"Even now," declares the Lord , "return^(ah) to me with all your heart,^(ai) with fasting and weeping and mourning."

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)

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.

Blow the trumpet^(at) in Zion,^(au) declare a holy fast,^(av) call a sacred assembly.^(aw)

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.

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)'"

Then the Lord was jealous^(bg) for his land and took pity^(bh) on his people.

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.

"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!

Do not be afraid,^(bo) land of Judah; be glad and rejoice.^(bp) Surely the Lord has done great things!^(bq)

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)

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.

The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow^(ca) with new wine^(cb) and oil.

"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.

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)

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)

"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.

Even on my servants,^(cq) both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.^(cr)

I will show wonders in the heavens^(cs) and on the earth,^(ct) blood and fire and billows of smoke.

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)

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)

^[a]"In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes^(a) of Judah^(b) and Jerusalem,

I will gather^(c) all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.^[b](d) There I will put them on trial^(e) for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered^(f) my people among the nations and divided up my land.

They cast lots^(g) for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine^(h) to drink.

"Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon⁽ⁱ⁾ and all you regions of Philistia?^(j) Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done.^(k)

For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.^[c](l)

You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks,^(m) that you might send them far from their homeland.

"See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them,⁽ⁿ⁾ and I will return^(o) on your own heads what you have done.

I will sell your sons^(p) and daughters to the people of Judah,^(q) and they will sell them to the Sabeans,^(r) a nation far away." The Lord has spoken.^(s)

Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war!^(t) Rouse the warriors!^(u) Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.

Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks^(v) into spears.^(w) Let the weakling^(x) say, "I am strong!"^(y)

Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble^(z) there. Bring down your warriors,^(aa) Lord !

"Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,^(ab) for there I will sit to judge^(ac) all the nations on every side.

Swing the sickle,^(ad) for the harvest^(ae) is ripe. Come, trample the grapes,^(af) for the winepress^(ag) is full and the vats overflow— so great is their wickedness!"

Multitudes,^(ah) multitudes in the valley^(ai) of decision! For the day of the Lord ^(aj) is near in the valley of decision.^(ak)

The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine.^(al)

The Lord will roar^(am) from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem;^(an) the earth and the heavens will tremble.^(ao) But the Lord will be a refuge^(ap) for his people, a stronghold^(aq) for the people of Israel.

"Then you will know^(ar) that I, the Lord your God,^(as) dwell in Zion,^(at) my holy hill.^(au) Jerusalem will be holy;^(av) never again will foreigners invade her.^(aw)

"In that day the mountains will drip new wine,^(ax) and the hills will flow with milk;^(ay) all the ravines of Judah will run with water.^(az) A fountain will flow out of the Lord 's house^(ba) and will water the valley of acacias.^[d](bb)

But Egypt^(bc) will be desolate, Edom^(bd) a desert waste, because of violence^(be) done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood.

Judah will be inhabited forever^(bf) and Jerusalem through all generations.

Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?^(bg) No, I will not.^(bh)" The Lord dwells in Zion!^(bi)