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Joel 1-2
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Joel 1-2
Holman Christian Standard Bible
1 The word of the Lord that came(A) to Joel son of Pethuel:
A Plague of Locusts
2 Hear this,(B) you elders;
listen, all you inhabitants of the land.
Has anything like this ever happened in your days(C)
or in the days of your ancestors?
3 Tell your children about it,(D)
and let your children tell their children,
and their children the next generation.
4 What the devouring locust(E) has left,
the swarming locust has eaten;
what the swarming locust has left,
the young locust(F) has eaten;
and what the young locust has left,
the destroying locust(G) has eaten.
5 Wake up, you drunkards,(H) and weep;
wail, all you wine drinkers,
because of the sweet wine,
for it has been taken from your mouth.
6 For a nation has invaded My land,(I)
powerful and without number;
its teeth are the teeth of a lion,
and it has the fangs of a lioness.(J)
7 It has devastated My grapevine
and splintered My fig tree.
It has stripped off its bark and thrown it away;
its branches have turned white.
8 Grieve like a young woman dressed in sackcloth,(K)
mourning for the husband of her youth.
9 Grain and drink offerings have been cut off(L)
from the house of the Lord;
the priests, who are ministers of the Lord, mourn.(M)
10 The fields are destroyed;(N)
the land grieves;
indeed, the grain is destroyed;
the new wine is dried up;(O)
and the olive oil fails.(P)
11 Be ashamed, you farmers,(Q)
wail, you vinedressers,[a]
over the wheat and the barley,
because the harvest of the field has perished.(R)
12 The grapevine is dried up,(S)
and the fig tree is withered;
the pomegranate,(T) the date palm,(U) and the apple(V)—
all the trees of the orchard—have withered.
Indeed, human joy has dried up.(W)
13 Dress in sackcloth and lament,(X) you priests;(Y)
wail,(Z) you ministers of the altar.
Come and spend the night in sackcloth,(AA)
you ministers of my God,
because grain and drink offerings
are withheld from the house of your God.
14 Announce a sacred fast;(AB)
proclaim an assembly!
Gather the elders(AC)
and all the residents of the land
at the house of the Lord your God,(AD)
and cry out to the Lord.(AE)
The Day of the Lord
15 Woe because of that day!(AF)
For the Day of the Lord is near
and will come as devastation from the Almighty.(AG)
16 Hasn’t the food been cut off
before our eyes,(AH)
joy and gladness(AI)
from the house of our God?
17 The seeds lie shriveled in their casings.[b](AJ)
The storehouses are in ruin,
and the granaries are broken down,
because the grain has withered away.
18 How the animals groan!(AK)
The herds of cattle wander in confusion
since they have no pasture.
Even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment.
19 I call to You, Lord,(AL)
for fire has consumed
the pastures of the wilderness,(AM)
and flames have devoured
all the trees of the countryside.
20 Even the wild animals cry out to[c] You,(AN)
for the river beds are dried up,(AO)
and fire has consumed
the pastures of the wilderness.
2 Blow the horn in Zion;(AP)
sound the alarm on My holy mountain!
Let all the residents of the land tremble,
for the Day of the Lord is coming;(AQ)
in fact, it is near—
2 a day of darkness and gloom,(AR)
a day of clouds and dense overcast,(AS)
like the dawn spreading over the mountains;
a great and strong people(AT) appears,
such as never existed in ages past(AU)
and never will again
in all the generations to come.(AV)
3 A fire destroys[d] in front of them,(AW)
and behind them a flame devours.
The land in front of them
is like the Garden of Eden,(AX)
but behind them,
it is like a desert wasteland;(AY)
there is no escape from them.
4 Their appearance is like that of horses,(AZ)
and they gallop like war horses.
5 They bound on the tops of the mountains.
Their sound is like the sound of chariots,(BA)
like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble,(BB)
like a mighty army deployed for war.
6 Nations writhe in horror before them;(BC)
all faces turn pale.
7 They attack as warriors attack;
they scale walls as men of war do.
Each goes on his own path,(BD)
and they do not change their course.
8 They do not push each other;
each man proceeds on his own path.
They dodge the arrows, never stopping.
9 They storm the city;
they run on the wall;
they climb into the houses;(BE)
they enter through the windows like thieves.(BF)
10 The earth quakes before them;(BG)
the sky shakes.
The sun and moon grow dark,(BH)
and the stars cease their shining.(BI)
11 The Lord raises His voice(BJ)
in the presence of His army.(BK)
His camp is very large;
Those who carry out His command are powerful.(BL)
Indeed, the Day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful(BM)—
who can endure it?(BN)
God’s Call for Repentance
12 Even now—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
turn to Me with all your heart,(BO)
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.(BP)
13 Tear your hearts,(BQ)
not just your clothes,(BR)
and return to the Lord your God.
For He is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger, rich in faithful love,
and He relents from sending disaster.(BS)
14 Who knows? He may turn and relent(BT)
and leave a blessing behind Him,(BU)
so you can offer grain and wine
to the Lord your God.(BV)
15 Blow the horn in Zion!(BW)
Announce a sacred fast;(BX)
proclaim an assembly.
16 Gather the people;
sanctify the congregation;(BY)
assemble the aged;[e](BZ)
gather the children,
even those nursing at the breast.
Let the groom leave his bedroom,(CA)
and the bride her honeymoon chamber.
17 Let the priests,(CB) the Lord’s ministers,
weep between the portico and the altar.(CC)
Let them say:
“Have pity on Your people, Lord,(CD)
and do not make Your inheritance a disgrace,(CE)
an object of scorn among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”(CF)
God’s Response to His People
18 Then the Lord became jealous for His land(CG) and spared His people.(CH) 19 The Lord answered His people:
Look, I am about to send you
grain, new wine, and olive oil.(CI)
You will be satiated with them,
and I will no longer make you
a disgrace among the nations.(CJ)
20 I will drive the northerner far from you(CK)
and banish him to a dry and desolate land,
his front ranks into the Dead Sea,(CL)
and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea.(CM)
His stench will rise;
yes, his rotten smell will rise,(CN)
for he has done catastrophic things.
21 Don’t be afraid, land;(CO)
rejoice and be glad,
for the Lord has done great things.(CP)
22 Don’t be afraid, wild animals,
for the wilderness pastures have turned green,(CQ)
the trees bear their fruit,
and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
23 Children of Zion,(CR) rejoice and be glad
in the Lord your God,(CS)
because He gives you the autumn rain
for your vindication.[f](CT)
He sends showers for you,
both autumn and spring rain(CU) as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain,(CV)
and the vats will overflow
with new wine and olive oil.
25 I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust ate,(CW)
the young locust, the destroying locust,
and the devouring locust—
My great army that I sent against you.
26 You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied.(CX)
You will praise the name of Yahweh your God,(CY)
who has dealt wondrously with you.(CZ)
My people will never again be put to shame.(DA)
27 You will know that I am present in Israel(DB)
and that I am Yahweh your God,
and there is no other.(DC)
My people will never again be put to shame.(DD)
God’s Promise of His Spirit
28 [g] After this(DE)
I will pour out My Spirit(DF) on all humanity;(DG)
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your old men will have dreams,
and your young men will see visions.
29 I will even pour out My Spirit
on the male and female slaves in those days.(DH)
30 I will display wonders
in the heavens and on the earth:(DI)
blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood(DJ)
before the great and awe-inspiring Day of the Lord comes.(DK)
32 Then everyone who calls
on the name of Yahweh will be saved,(DL)
for there will be an escape
for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
as the Lord promised,(DM)
among the survivors the Lord calls.
Joel 1-2
New International Version
Joel 1-2
New International Version
1 The word of the Lord that came(A) to Joel(B) son of Pethuel.
An Invasion of Locusts
2 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)
3 Tell it to your children,(G)
and let your children tell it to their children,
and their children to the next generation.(H)
4 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)
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth(R)
grieving for the betrothed of her youth.
9 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.
10 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)
11 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)
12 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.
A Call to Lamentation
13 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.
14 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)
15 Alas for that(AK) day!
For the day of the Lord(AL) is near;
it will come like destruction from the Almighty.[c](AM)
16 Has not the food been cut off(AN)
before our very eyes—
joy and gladness(AO)
from the house of our God?(AP)
17 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.
18 How the cattle moan!
The herds mill about
because they have no pasture;(AR)
even the flocks of sheep are suffering.(AS)
19 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.
20 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.
An Army of Locusts
Let all who live in the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord(BC) is coming.
It is close at hand(BD)—
2 a day of darkness(BE) and gloom,(BF)
a day of clouds(BG) and blackness.(BH)
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
a large and mighty army(BI) comes,
such as never was in ancient times(BJ)
nor ever will be in ages to come.
3 Before them fire(BK) devours,
behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,(BL)
behind them, a desert waste(BM)—
nothing escapes them.
4 They have the appearance of horses;(BN)
they gallop along like cavalry.
5 With a noise like that of chariots(BO)
they leap over the mountaintops,
like a crackling fire(BP) consuming stubble,
like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
6 At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;(BQ)
every face turns pale.(BR)
7 They charge like warriors;(BS)
they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line,(BT)
not swerving(BU) from their course.
8 They do not jostle each other;
each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defenses
without breaking ranks.
9 They rush upon the city;
they run along the wall.
They climb into the houses;(BV)
like thieves they enter through the windows.(BW)
10 Before them the earth shakes,(BX)
the heavens tremble,(BY)
the sun and moon are darkened,(BZ)
and the stars no longer shine.(CA)
11 The Lord(CB) thunders(CC)
at the head of his army;(CD)
his forces are beyond number,
and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
The day of the Lord is great;(CE)
it is dreadful.
Who can endure it?(CF)
Rend Your Heart
12 “Even now,” declares the Lord,
“return(CG) to me with all your heart,(CH)
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
13 Rend your heart(CI)
and not your garments.(CJ)
Return(CK) to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,(CL)
slow to anger and abounding in love,(CM)
and he relents from sending calamity.(CN)
14 Who knows? He may turn(CO) and relent(CP)
and leave behind a blessing(CQ)—
grain offerings and drink offerings(CR)
for the Lord your God.
15 Blow the trumpet(CS) in Zion,(CT)
declare a holy fast,(CU)
call a sacred assembly.(CV)
16 Gather the people,
consecrate(CW) the assembly;
bring together the elders,(CX)
gather the children,
those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom(CY) leave his room
and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests, who minister(CZ) before the Lord,
weep(DA) between the portico and the altar.(DB)
Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.
Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,(DC)
a byword(DD) among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?(DE)’”
The Lord’s Answer
19 The Lord replied[e] to them:
“I am sending you grain, new wine(DH) and olive oil,(DI)
enough to satisfy you fully;(DJ)
never again will I make you
an object of scorn(DK) to the nations.
20 “I will drive the northern horde(DL) 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(DM) will go up;
its smell will rise.”
Surely he has done great things!
21 Do not be afraid,(DN) land of Judah;
be glad and rejoice.(DO)
Surely the Lord has done great things!(DP)
22 Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.(DQ)
The trees are bearing their fruit;
the fig tree(DR) and the vine(DS) yield their riches.(DT)
23 Be glad, people of Zion,
rejoice(DU) in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
because he is faithful.(DV)
He sends you abundant showers,(DW)
both autumn(DX) and spring rains,(DY) as before.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
the vats will overflow(DZ) with new wine(EA) and oil.
25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts(EB) have eaten(EC)—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm[f]—
my great army(ED) that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,(EE)
and you will praise(EF) the name of the Lord your God,
who has worked wonders(EG) for you;
never again will my people be shamed.(EH)
27 Then you will know(EI) that I am in Israel,
that I am the Lord(EJ) your God,
and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.(EK)
The Day of the Lord
28 “And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit(EL) on all people.(EM)
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,(EN)
your old men will dream dreams,(EO)
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants,(EP) both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.(EQ)
30 I will show wonders in the heavens(ER)
and on the earth,(ES)
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness(ET)
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.(EU)
32 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord(EV) will be saved;(EW)
for on Mount Zion(EX) and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,(EY)
as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors(EZ)
whom the Lord calls.[g](FA)
Footnotes
- Joel 1:4 The precise meaning of the four Hebrew words used here for locusts is uncertain.
- Joel 1:12 Or possibly apricot
- Joel 1:15 Hebrew Shaddai
- Joel 1:17 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Joel 2:19 Or Lord will be jealous … / and take pity … / 19 The Lord will reply
- Joel 2:25 The precise meaning of the four Hebrew words used here for locusts is uncertain.
- Joel 2:32 In Hebrew texts 2:28-32 is numbered 3:1-5.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.