Joel 1-2
New American Standard Bible
2Hear this, you elders, And listen, all inhabitants of the land. Has anything like this happened in your days, Or in your fathers’ days?
3Tell your sons about it, And have your sons tell their sons, And their sons the next generation.
4What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; And what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.
5Awake, you heavy drinkers, and weep; And wail, all you wine drinkers, Because of the sweet wine, For it has been eliminated from your mouth.
6For a nation has invaded my land, Mighty and without number; Its teeth are the teeth of a lion, And it has the jaws of a lioness.
7It has made my vine a waste And my fig tree a stump. It has stripped them bare and hurled them away; Their branches have become white.
8Wail like a virgin clothed with sackcloth For the groom of her youth.
9The grain offering and the drink offering have been cut off From the house of the Lord. The priests mourn, The ministers of the Lord.
10The field is ruined, The land mourns; For the grain is ruined, The new wine has dried up, Fresh oil has failed.
11Be ashamed, you farm workers, Wail, you vinedressers, For the wheat and the barley; Because the harvest of the field is destroyed.
12The vine has dried up And the fig tree has withered; The pomegranate, the palm also, and the apple tree, All the trees of the field have dried up. Indeed, joy has dried up From the sons of mankind.
13Put on sackcloth And mourn, you priests; Wail, you ministers of the altar! Come, spend the night in sackcloth, You ministers of my God, For the grain offering and the drink offering Have been withheld from the house of your God.
14Consecrate a fast, Proclaim a solemn assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land To the house of the Lord your God, And cry out to the Lord.
15Woe for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, And it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
16Has food not been cut off before our eyes, and Joy and rejoicing from the house of our God?
17The seeds have dried up under their shovels; The storehouses have become desolate, The grain silos are ruined, Because the grain has dried up.
18How the animals have groaned! The herds of cattle have wandered aimlessly Because there is no pasture for them; Even the flocks of sheep have suffered.
19To You, Lord, I cry out; For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, And the flame has burned up all the trees of the field.
20Even the animals of the field pant for You; For the stream beds of water are dried up, And fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
Chapter 2
1Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the Lord is coming; Indeed, it is near, 2A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations. 3A fire consumes before them, And behind them a flame devours. The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, But a desolate wilderness behind them, And nothing at all escapes them. 4Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like war horses, so they run. 5 With a noise as of chariots They leap about on the tops of the mountains, Like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, Like a mighty people drawn up for battle. 6Before them the people are in anguish; All faces turn pale. 7They run like warriors, They climb the wall like soldiers; And each of them marches in line, Nor do they lose their way. 8They do not crowd each other, Every warrior of them marches in his path; When they burst through the defenses, They do not break ranks. 9They storm the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter through the windows like a thief. 10Before them the earth quakes, The heavens tremble, The sun and the moon become dark, And the stars lose their brightness. 11The Lord utters His voice before His army; His camp is indeed very great, For mighty is one who carries out His word. The day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it? 12'Yet even now,' declares the Lord, 'Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping, and mourning; 13And tear your heart and not merely your garments.' Now return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in mercy And relenting of catastrophe. 14Who knows, He might turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him, Resulting in a grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God. 15Blow a trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, 16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Have the groom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber. 17Let the priests, the Lord’S ministers, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, 'Spare Your people, Lord, And do not make Your inheritance a disgrace, With the nations jeering at them. Why should those among the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’?' 18Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, And will have compassion for His people. 19The Lord will answer and say to His people, 'Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine, and oil, And you will be satisfied in full with them; And I will never again make you a disgrace among the nations. 20But I will remove the northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a dry and desolate land, Its advance guard into the eastern sea, And its rear guard into the western sea. And its stench will ascend and its odor of decay will come up, Because it has done great things.' 21Do not fear, land; shout for joy and rejoice, For the Lord has done great things. 22Do not fear, animals of the field, For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green, For the tree has produced its fruit, The fig tree and the vine have yielded in full. 23So shout for joy, you sons of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the early rain for your vindication. And He has brought down for you the rain, The early and latter rain as before. 24The threshing floors will be full of grain, And the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil. 25'Then I will compensate you for the years That the swarming locust has eaten, The creeping locust, the stripping locust, and the gnawing locust— My great army which I sent among you. 26You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied, And you will praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; Then My people will never be put to shame. 27So you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, And that I am the Lord your God And there is no other; And My people will never be put to shame. 28'It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, Your old men will have dreams, Your young men will see visions. 29And even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 30I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire, and columns of smoke. 31The sun will be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32And it will come about that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Will be saved; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, Just as the Lord has said, Even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.King James Version
Chapter 1
1The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. 2Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?
7He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.
8Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.
11And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
12Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
17Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
18Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
27And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Christian Standard Bible
2Hear this, you elders; listen, all you inhabitants of the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors?
3Tell your children about it, and let your children tell their children, and their children the next generation.
4What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.
5Wake up, you drunkards, and weep; wail, all you wine drinkers, because of the sweet wine, for it has been taken from your mouth.
6For a nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it has the fangs of a lioness.
7It has devastated my grapevine and splintered my fig tree. It has stripped off its bark and thrown it away; its branches have turned white.
8Grieve like a young woman dressed in sackcloth, mourning for the husband of her youth.
9Grain and drink offerings have been cut off from the house of the Lord; the priests, who are ministers of the Lord, mourn.
10The fields are destroyed; the land grieves; indeed, the grain is destroyed; the new wine is dried up; and the fresh oil fails.
11Be ashamed, you farmers, wail, you vinedressers, over the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.
12The grapevine is dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the date palm, and the apple — all the trees of the orchard—have withered. Indeed, human joy has dried up.
13Dress in sackcloth and lament, you priests; wail, you ministers of the altar. Come and spend the night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God, because grain and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.
14Announce a sacred fast; proclaim an assembly! Gather the elders and all the residents of the land at the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
15Woe because of that day! For the day of the Lord is near and will come as devastation from the Almighty.
16Hasn’t the food been cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17The seeds lie shriveled in their casings. The storehouses are in ruin, and the granaries are broken down, because the grain has withered away.
18How the animals groan! The herds of cattle wander in confusion since they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep and goats suffer punishment.
19I call to you, Lord, for fire has consumed the pastures of the wilderness, and flames have devoured all the trees of the orchard.
20Even the wild animals cry out to you, for the river beds are dried up, and fire has consumed the pastures of the wilderness.
2a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and total darkness, like the dawn spreading over the mountains; a great and strong people appears, such as never existed in ages past and never will again in all the generations to come.
3A fire devours in front of them, and behind them a flame blazes. The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland; there is no escape from them.
4Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like war horses.
5They bound on the tops of the mountains. Their sound is like the sound of chariots, like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for war.
6Nations writhe in horror before them; all faces turn pale.
7They attack as warriors attack; they scale walls as men of war do. Each goes on his own path, and they do not change their course.
8They do not push each other; each proceeds on his own path. They dodge the arrows, never stopping.
9They storm the city; they run on the wall; they climb into the houses; they enter through the windows like thieves.
10The earth quakes before them; the sky shakes. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars cease their shining.
11The Lord makes his voice heard in the presence of his army. His camp is very large; those who carry out his command are powerful. Indeed, the day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful — who can endure it?
12Even now— this is the Lord’s declaration— turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
13Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster.
14Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind him, so you can offer grain and wine to the Lord your God.
15Blow the horn in Zion! Announce a sacred fast; proclaim an assembly.
16Gather the people; sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the infants, even babies nursing at the breast. Let the groom leave his bedroom, and the bride her honeymoon chamber.
17Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say: "Have pity on your people, Lord, and do not make your inheritance a disgrace, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’"
20I will drive the northerner far from you and banish him to a dry and desolate land, his front ranks into the Dead Sea, and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise; yes, his rotten smell will rise, for he has done astonishing things.
21Don’t be afraid, land; rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done astonishing things.
22Don’t be afraid, wild animals, for the wilderness pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
23Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God, because he gives you the autumn rain for your vindication. He sends showers for you, both autumn and spring rain as before.
24The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil.
25I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust— my great army that I sent against you.
26You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied. You will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. My people will never again be put to shame.
27You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.
28After this I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions.
29I will even pour out my Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days.
30I will display wonders in the heavens and on the earth: blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
31The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
32Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, for there will be an escape for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as the Lord promised, among the survivors the Lord calls.
New Living Translation
2Hear this, you leaders of the people. Listen, all who live in the land. In all your history, has anything like this happened before?
3Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story down from generation to generation.
4After the cutting locusts finished eating the crops, the swarming locusts took what was left! After them came the hopping locusts, and then the stripping locusts, too!
5Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you wine-drinkers! All the grapes are ruined, and all your sweet wine is gone.
6A vast army of locusts has invaded my land, a terrible army too numerous to count. Its teeth are like lions’ teeth, its fangs like those of a lioness.
7It has destroyed my grapevines and ruined my fig trees, stripping their bark and destroying it, leaving the branches white and bare.
8Weep like a bride dressed in black, mourning the death of her husband.
9For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of the Lord. So the priests are in mourning. The ministers of the Lord are weeping.
10The fields are ruined, the land is stripped bare. The grain is destroyed, the grapes have shriveled, and the olive oil is gone.
11Despair, all you farmers! Wail, all you vine growers! Weep, because the wheat and barley — all the crops of the field — are ruined.
12The grapevines have dried up, and the fig trees have withered. The pomegranate trees, palm trees, and apple trees — all the fruit trees — have dried up. And the people’s joy has dried up with them.
13Dress yourselves in burlap and weep, you priests! Wail, you who serve before the altar! Come, spend the night in burlap, you ministers of my God. For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of your God.
14Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Bring the leaders and all the people of the land into the Temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to him there.
15The day of the Lord is near, the day when destruction comes from the Almighty. How terrible that day will be!
16Our food disappears before our very eyes. No joyful celebrations are held in the house of our God.
17The seeds die in the parched ground, and the grain crops fail. The barns stand empty, and granaries are abandoned.
18How the animals moan with hunger! The herds of cattle wander about confused, because they have no pasture. The flocks of sheep and goats bleat in misery.
19Lord, help us! The fire has consumed the wilderness pastures, and flames have burned up all the trees.
20Even the wild animals cry out to you because the streams have dried up, and fire has consumed the wilderness pastures.
Chapter 2
1Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem ! Raise the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the Lord is upon us. 2It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a great and mighty army appears. Nothing like it has been seen before or will ever be seen again.
3Fire burns in front of them, and flames follow after them. Ahead of them the land lies as beautiful as the Garden of Eden. Behind them is nothing but desolation; not one thing escapes.
4They look like horses; they charge forward like warhorses.
5Look at them as they leap along the mountaintops. Listen to the noise they make — like the rumbling of chariots, like the roar of fire sweeping across a field of stubble, or like a mighty army moving into battle.
6Fear grips all the people; every face grows pale with terror.
7The attackers march like warriors and scale city walls like soldiers. Straight forward they march, never breaking rank.
8They never jostle each other; each moves in exactly the right position. They break through defenses without missing a step.
9They swarm over the city and run along its walls. They enter all the houses, climbing like thieves through the windows.
10The earth quakes as they advance, and the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars no longer shine.
12That is why the Lord says, 'Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
13Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.' Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.
14Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine to the Lord your God as before.
15Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting.
16Gather all the people — the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room.
17Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence, stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar. Let them pray, 'Spare your people, Lord! Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery. Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say, ‘Has the God of Israel left them?’'
18Then the Lord will pity his people and jealously guard the honor of his land.
19The Lord will reply, 'Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy your needs. You will no longer be an object of mockery among the surrounding nations.
20I will drive away these armies from the north. I will send them into the parched wastelands. Those in the front will be driven into the Dead Sea, and those at the rear into the Mediterranean. The stench of their rotting bodies will rise over the land.' Surely the Lord has done great things!
21Don’t be afraid, O land. Be glad now and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things.
22Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field, for the wilderness pastures will soon be green. The trees will again be filled with fruit; fig trees and grapevines will be loaded down once more.
23Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring.
24The threshing floors will again be piled high with grain, and the presses will overflow with new wine and olive oil.
25The Lord says, 'I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you.
26Once again you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the Lord your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced.
27Then you will know that I am among my people Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. Never again will my people be disgraced.
28 'Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.
29In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants — men and women alike.
30And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth — blood and fire and columns of smoke.
31The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the Lord arrives.
32But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as the Lord has said. These will be among the survivors whom the Lord has called.
English Standard Version
2 Hear this, you elders; give ear, all inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers?
3 Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation.
4What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten.
5Awake, you drunkards, and weep, and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it is cut off from your mouth.
6For a nation has come up against my land, powerful and beyond number; its teeth are lions ' teeth, and it has the fangs of a lioness.
7It has laid waste my vine and splintered my fig tree; it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down; their branches are made white.
8Lament like a virgin wearing sackcloth for the bridegroom of her youth.
9 The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off from the house of the Lord. The priests mourn, the ministers of the Lord.
10The fields are destroyed, the ground mourns, because the grain is destroyed, the wine dries up, the oil languishes.
11 Be ashamed, O tillers of the soil; wail, O vinedressers, for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.
12The vine dries up; the fig tree languishes. Pomegranate, palm, and apple, all the trees of the field are dried up, and gladness dries up from the children of man.
13 Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God.
14 Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
15Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.
16Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17 The seed shrivels under the clods; the storehouses are desolate; the granaries are torn down because the grain has dried up.
18How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed because there is no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep suffer.
19To you, O Lord, I call. For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and flame has burned all the trees of the field.
20Even the beasts of the field pant for you because the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
Chapter 2
1 Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near, 2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations. 3 Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses they run. 5 As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle. 6Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale. 7Like warriors they charge; like soldiers they scale the wall. They march each on his way; they do not swerve from their paths. 8They do not jostle one another; each marches in his path; they burst through the weapons and are not halted. 9 They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls, they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief. 10 The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. 11 The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it? 12"Yet even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. 14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; 16gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. 17 Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, "Spare your people, O Lord, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’" 18 Then the Lord became jealous for his land and had pity on his people. 19The Lord answered and said to his people, "Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. 20"I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his vanguard into the eastern sea, and his rear guard into the western sea; the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things. 21"Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things! 22Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield. 23 "Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. 24"The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. 25I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. 26 "You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. 27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame. 28 "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. 30"And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.New International Version
2Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors?
3Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.
4What the locust 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 other locusts have eaten.
5Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips.
6A nation has invaded my land, a mighty army without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness.
7It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white.
8Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth grieving for the betrothed of her youth.
9Grain offerings and drink offerings are cut off from the house of the Lord. The priests are in mourning, those who minister before the Lord.
10The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the olive oil fails.
11Despair, you farmers, wail, you vine growers; grieve for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field is destroyed.
12The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree— all the trees of the field—are dried up. Surely the people’s joy is withered away.
13Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.
15Alas for that day! For the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.
16Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes— joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17The seeds are shriveled beneath the clods. The storehouses are in ruins, the granaries have been broken down, for the grain has dried up.
18How the cattle moan! The herds mill about because they have no pasture; even the flocks of sheep are suffering.
19To you, Lord, I call, for fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness and flames have burned up all the trees of the field.
20Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness.
2a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come.
3Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste— nothing escapes them.
4They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry.
5With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
6At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale.
7They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course.
8They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks.
9They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows.
10Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.
11The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?
12"Even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."
13Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
14Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.
15Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.
16Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
17Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, "Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ "
18Then the Lord was jealous for his land and took pity on his people.
20"I will drive the northern horde 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 will go up; its smell will rise." Surely he has done great things!
21Do not be afraid, land of Judah; be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things!
22Do not be afraid, you wild animals, for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.
23Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.
24The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
25"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm — my great army that I sent among you.
26You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.
27Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.
28"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
32And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.
New King James Version
2Hear this, you elders, And give ear, all you inhabitants of the land! Has anything like this happened in your days, Or even in the days of your fathers?
3 Tell your children about it, Let your children tell their children, And their children another generation.
4 What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.
5Awake, you drunkards, and weep; And wail, all you drinkers of wine, Because of the new wine, For it has been cut off from your mouth.
6For a nation has come up against My land, Strong, and without number; His teeth are the teeth of a lion, And he has the fangs of a fierce lion.
7He has laid waste My vine, And ruined My fig tree; He has stripped it bare and thrown it away; Its branches are made white.
8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth For the husband of her youth.
9 The grain offering and the drink offering Have been cut off from the house of the Lord; The priests mourn, who minister to the Lord.
10The field is wasted, The land mourns; For the grain is ruined, The new wine is dried up, The oil fails.
11 Be ashamed, you farmers, Wail, you vinedressers, For the wheat and the barley; Because the harvest of the field has perished.
12 The vine has dried up, And the fig tree has withered; The pomegranate tree, The palm tree also, And the apple tree— All the trees of the field are withered; Surely joy has withered away from the sons of men.
13 Gird yourselves and lament, you priests; Wail, you who minister before the altar; Come, lie all night in sackcloth, You who minister to my God; For the grain offering and the drink offering Are withheld from the house of your God.
14 Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the Lord your God, And cry out to the Lord.
15 Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand; It shall come as destruction from the Almighty.
16Is not the food cut off before our eyes, Joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17The seed shrivels under the clods, Storehouses are in shambles; Barns are broken down, For the grain has withered.
18How the animals groan! The herds of cattle are restless, Because they have no pasture; Even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment.
19O Lord, to You I cry out; For fire has devoured the open pastures, And a flame has burned all the trees of the field.
20The beasts of the field also cry out to You, For the water brooks are dried up, And fire has devoured the open pastures.
