Joel

1,1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. 1,2 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or in the days of your fathers 1,3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. 1,4 That which the !almer"worm hath left hath the locust eaten# and that which the locust hath left hath the can$er"worm eaten# and that which the can$er"worm hath left hath the cater!iller eaten. 1,5 %wa$e, ye drun$ards, and wee!, and wail, all ye drin$ers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it is cut off from your mouth. 1,6 &or a !eo!le is come u! u!on my land, mighty, and without number# his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the 'aw"teeth of a lioness. 1,7 He hath laid my vine waste, and blasted my fig"tree# he hath made it clean bare, and cast it down, the branches thereof are made white. 1,8 Lament li$e a virgin girded with sac$cloth for the husband of her youth. 1,9 The meal"offering and the drin$"offering is cut off from the house of the LORD# the !riests mourn, even the LORD() ministers. 1,10 The field is wasted, the land mourneth# for the corn is wasted, the new wine is dried u!, the oil languisheth. 1,11 *e ashamed, O ye husbandmen, wail, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley# because the harvest of the field is !erished. 1,12 The vine is withered, and the fig"tree languisheth# the !omegranate"tree, the !alm"tree also, and the a!!le"tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered# for 'oy is withered away from the sons of men. {S} 1,13 +ird yourselves, and lament, ye !riests, wail, ye ministers of the altar# come, lie all night in sac$cloth, ye ministers of my +od# for the meal"offering and the drin$"offering is withholden from the house of your +od. 1,14 )anctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land unto the house of the LORD your +od, and cry unto the LORD. 1,15 %las for the day, for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the %lmighty shall it come. 1,16 -s not the food cut off before our eyes, yea, 'oy and gladness from the house of our +od 1,17 The grains shrivel under their hoes# the garners are laid desolate, the barns are bro$en down# for the corn is withered. 1,18 How do the beasts groan, the herds of cattle are !er!le.ed, because they have no !asture# yea, the floc$s of shee! are made desolate. 1,19 /nto Thee, O LORD, do - cry# for the fire hath devoured the !astures of the wilderness, and the flame hath set abla0e all the trees of the field. 1,20 1ea, the beasts of the field !ant unto Thee# for the water broo$s are dried u!, and the fire hath devoured the !astures of the wilderness. {S} 2,1 *low ye the horn in 2ion, and sound an alarm in 3y holy mountain# let all the inhabitants of the land tremble# for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is at hand# 2,2 % day of dar$ness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thic$ dar$ness, as blac$ness s!read u!on the mountains# a great !eo!le and a mighty, there hath not been ever the li$e, neither shall be any more after them, even to the years of many generations. 2,3 % fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame bla0eth# the land is as the garden of 4den before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness# yea, and nothing esca!eth them. 2,4 The a!!earance of them is as the a!!earance of horses# and as horsemen, so do they run. 2,5 Li$e the noise of chariots, on the to!s of the mountains do they lea!, li$e the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a mighty !eo!le set in battle array. 2,6 %t their !resence the !eo!les are in anguish# all faces have gathered blac$ness. 2,7 They run li$e mighty men, they climb the wall li$e men of war#

and they move on every one in his ways, and they entangle not their !aths. 2,8 5either doth one thrust another, they march every one in his highway# and they brea$ through the wea!ons, and suffer no harm. 2,9 They lea! u!on the city, they run u!on the wall, they climb u! into the houses# they enter in at the windows li$e a thief. 2,10 *efore them the earth 6ua$eth, the heavens tremble# the sun and the moon are become blac$, and the stars withdraw their shining. 2,11 %nd the LORD uttereth His voice before His army# for His cam! is very great, for he is mighty that e.ecuteth His word# for great is the day of the LORD and very terrible# and who can abide it 2,12 1et even now, saith the LORD, turn ye unto 3e with all your heart, and with fasting, and with wee!ing, and with lamentation# 2,13 %nd rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your +od# for He is gracious and com!assionate, long"suffering, and abundant in mercy, and re!enteth Him of the evil. 2,14 7ho $noweth whether He will not turn and re!ent, and leave a blessing behind Him, even a meal"offering and a drin$"offering unto the LORD your +od {P} 2,15 *low the horn in 2ion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly# 2,16 +ather the !eo!le, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suc$ the breasts# let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her !avilion. 2,17 Let the !riests, the ministers of the LORD, wee! between the !orch and the altar, and let them say8 ()!are thy !eo!le, O LORD, and give not Thy heritage to re!roach, that the nations should ma$e them a byword8 wherefore should they say among the !eo!les8 7here is their +od ( 2,18 Then was the LORD 'ealous for His land, and had !ity on His !eo!le. 2,19 %nd the LORD answered and said unto His !eo!le8 (*ehold, will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith# and - will no more ma$e you a re!roach among the nations# 2,20 *ut - will remove far off from you the northern one, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the eastern sea, and his hinder !art toward the western sea# that his foulness may come u!, and his ill savour may come u!, because he hath done great things.( 2,21 &ear not, O land, be glad and re'oice# for the LORD hath done great things. 2,22 *e not afraid, ye beasts of the field# for the !astures of the wilderness do s!ring, for the tree beareth its fruit, the fig"tree and the vine do yield their strength. 2,23 *e glad then, ye children of 2ion, and re'oice in the LORD your +od# for He giveth you the former rain in 'ust measure, and He causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, at the first. 2,24 %nd the floors shall be full of corn, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. 2,25 %nd - will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the can$er"worm, and the cater!iller, and the !almer"worm, 3y great army which - sent among you. 2,26 %nd ye shall eat in !lenty and be satisfied, and shall !raise the name of the LORD your +od, that hath dealt wondrously with you# and 3y !eo!le shall never be ashamed. 2,27 %nd ye shall $now that - am in the midst of -srael, and that - am the LORD your +od, and there is none else# and 3y !eo!le shall never be ashamed. {P} 3,1 %nd it shall come to !ass afterward, that - will !our out 3y s!irit u!on all flesh# and your sons and your daughters shall !ro!hesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions# 3,2 %nd also u!on the servants and u!on the handmaids in those days will - !our out 3y s!irit. 3,3 %nd - will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and !illars of smo$e. 3,4 The sun shall be turned into dar$ness,

and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come. 3,5 %nd it shall come to !ass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered# for in mount 2ion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that esca!e, as the LORD hath said, and among the remnant those whom the LORD shall call. 4,1 &or, behold, in those days, and in that time, when - shall bring bac$ the ca!tivity of Judah and Jerusalem, 4,2 will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehosha!hat# and will enter into 'udgment with them there for 3y !eo!le and for 3y heritage -srael, whom they have scattered among the nations, and divided 3y land. 4,3 %nd they have cast lots for 3y !eo!le# and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, and have drun$. 4,4 %nd also what are ye to 3e, O Tyre, and 2idon, and all the regions of Philistia will ye render retribution on 3y behalf and if ye render retribution on 3y behalf, swiftly, s!eedily will - return your retribution u!on your own head. 4,5 &orasmuch as ye have ta$en 3y silver and 3y gold, and have carried into your tem!les 3y goodly treasures# 4,6 the children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the sons of Jevanim, that ye might remove them far from their border# 4,7 behold, - will stir them u! out of the !lace whither ye have sold them, and will return your retribution u!on your own head# 4,8 and - will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the men of )heba, to a nation far off# for the LORD hath s!o$en. {P} 4,9 Proclaim ye this among the nations, !re!are war# stir u! the mighty men# let all the men of war draw near, let them come u!. 4,10 *eat your !lowshares into swords, and your !runing"hoo$s into s!ears# let the wea$ say8 (- am strong.( 4,11 Haste ye, and come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together# thither cause Thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD, 4,12 Let the nations be stirred u!, and come u! to the valley of Jehosha!hat# for there will - sit to 'udge all the nations round about. 4,13 Put ye in the sic$le, for the harvest is ri!e# come, tread ye, for the wine!ress is full, the vats overflow# for their wic$edness is great. 4,14 3ultitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, &or the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 4,15 The sun and the moon are become blac$, and the stars withdraw their shining. 4,16 %nd the LORD shall roar from 2ion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall sha$e# but the LORD will be a refuge unto His !eo!le, and a stronghold to the children of -srael. 4,17 )o shall ye $now that - am the LORD your +od, dwelling in 2ion 3y holy mountain# then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers !ass through her any more. {S} 4,18 %nd it shall come to !ass in that day, that the mountains shall dro! down sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with mil$, and all the broo$s of Judah shall flow with waters# and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of )hittim. 4,19 4gy!t shall be a desolation, and 4dom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. 4,20 *ut Judah shall be inhabited for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. 4,21 %nd - will hold as innocent their blood that - have not held as innocent# and the LORD dwelleth in 2ion. {P}