CHAPTER1
1ThewordoftheLORDthatcametoJoelthesonof Pethuel.
2Hearthis,yeoldmen,andgiveear,allyeinhabitantsof theland.Haththisbeeninyourdays,oreveninthedaysof yourfathers?
3Tellyeyourchildrenofit,andletyourchildrentelltheir children,andtheirchildrenanothergeneration.
4Thatwhichthepalmerwormhathlefthaththelocust eaten;andthatwhichthelocusthathlefthaththe cankerwormeaten;andthatwhichthecankerwormhath lefthaththecaterpillereaten
5Awake,yedrunkards,andweep;andhowl,allye drinkersofwine,becauseofthenewwine;foritiscutoff fromyourmouth
6Foranationiscomeupuponmyland,strong,and withoutnumber,whoseteetharetheteethofalion,andhe haththecheekteethofagreatlion
7Hehathlaidmyvinewaste,andbarkedmyfigtree:he hathmadeitcleanbare,andcastitaway;thebranches thereofaremadewhite
8Lamentlikeavirgingirdedwithsackclothforthe husbandofheryouth.
9Themeatofferingandthedrinkofferingiscutofffrom thehouseoftheLORD;thepriests,theLORD'Sministers, mourn.
10Thefieldiswasted,thelandmourneth;forthecornis wasted:thenewwineisdriedup,theoillanguisheth 11Beyeashamed,Oyehusbandmen;howl,Oye vinedressers,forthewheatandforthebarley;becausethe harvestofthefieldisperished.
12Thevineisdriedup,andthefigtreelanguisheth;the pomegranatetree,thepalmtreealso,andtheappletree, evenallthetreesofthefield,arewithered:becausejoyis witheredawayfromthesonsofmen.
13Girdyourselves,andlament,yepriests:howl,ye ministersofthealtar:come,lieallnightinsackcloth,ye ministersofmyGod:forthemeatofferingandthedrink offeringiswithholdenfromthehouseofyourGod 14Sanctifyyeafast,callasolemnassembly,gatherthe eldersandalltheinhabitantsofthelandintothehouseof theLORDyourGod,andcryuntotheLORD, 15Alasfortheday!forthedayoftheLORDisathand, andasadestructionfromtheAlmightyshallitcome 16Isnotthemeatcutoffbeforeoureyes,yea,joyand gladnessfromthehouseofourGod?
17Theseedisrottenundertheirclods,thegarnersarelaid desolate,thebarnsarebrokendown;forthecornis withered.
18Howdothebeastsgroan!theherdsofcattleare perplexed,becausetheyhavenopasture;yea,theflocksof sheeparemadedesolate.
19OLORD,totheewillIcry:forthefirehathdevoured thepasturesofthewilderness,andtheflamehathburned allthetreesofthefield.
20Thebeastsofthefieldcryalsountothee:fortherivers ofwatersaredriedup,andthefirehathdevouredthe pasturesofthewilderness.
CHAPTER2
1BlowyethetrumpetinZion,andsoundanalarminmy holymountain:letalltheinhabitantsofthelandtremble: forthedayoftheLORDcometh,foritisnighathand; 2Adayofdarknessandofgloominess,adayofcloudsand ofthickdarkness,asthemorningspreaduponthe mountains:agreatpeopleandastrong;therehathnotbeen everthelike,neithershallbeanymoreafterit,eventothe yearsofmanygenerations
3Afiredevourethbeforethem;andbehindthemaflame burneth:thelandisasthegardenofEdenbeforethem,and behindthemadesolatewilderness;yea,andnothingshall escapethem
4Theappearanceofthemisastheappearanceofhorses; andashorsemen,soshalltheyrun
5Likethenoiseofchariotsonthetopsofmountainsshall theyleap,likethenoiseofaflameoffirethatdevoureth thestubble,asastrongpeoplesetinbattlearray
6Beforetheirfacethepeopleshallbemuchpained:all facesshallgatherblackness.
7Theyshallrunlikemightymen;theyshallclimbthewall likemenofwar;andtheyshallmarcheveryoneonhis ways,andtheyshallnotbreaktheirranks:
8Neithershallonethrustanother;theyshallwalkevery oneinhispath:andwhentheyfalluponthesword,they shallnotbewounded.
9Theyshallruntoandfrointhecity;theyshallrunupon thewall,theyshallclimbupuponthehouses;theyshall enterinatthewindowslikeathief
10Theearthshallquakebeforethem;theheavensshall tremble:thesunandthemoonshallbedark,andthestars shallwithdrawtheirshining:
11AndtheLORDshallutterhisvoicebeforehisarmy:for hiscampisverygreat:forheisstrongthatexecutethhis word:forthedayoftheLORDisgreatandveryterrible; andwhocanabideit?
12Thereforealsonow,saiththeLORD,turnyeeventome withallyourheart,andwithfasting,andwithweeping,and withmourning:
13Andrendyourheart,andnotyourgarments,andturn untotheLORDyourGod:forheisgraciousandmerciful, slowtoanger,andofgreatkindness,andrepentethhimof theevil.
14Whoknowethifhewillreturnandrepent,andleavea blessingbehindhim;evenameatofferingandadrink offeringuntotheLORDyourGod?
15BlowthetrumpetinZion,sanctifyafast,callasolemn assembly:
16Gatherthepeople,sanctifythecongregation,assemble theelders,gatherthechildren,andthosethatsuckthe breasts:letthebridegroomgoforthofhischamber,andthe brideoutofhercloset.
17Letthepriests,theministersoftheLORD,weep betweentheporchandthealtar,andletthemsay,Sparethy people,OLORD,andgivenotthineheritagetoreproach, thattheheathenshouldruleoverthem:whereforeshould theysayamongthepeople,WhereistheirGod?
18ThenwilltheLORDbejealousforhisland,andpityhis people
19Yea,theLORDwillanswerandsayuntohispeople, Behold,Iwillsendyoucorn,andwine,andoil,andye
shallbesatisfiedtherewith:andIwillnomoremakeyoua reproachamongtheheathen:
20ButIwillremovefarofffromyouthenorthernarmy, andwilldrivehimintoalandbarrenanddesolate,withhis facetowardtheeastsea,andhishinderparttowardthe utmostsea,andhisstinkshallcomeup,andhisillsavour shallcomeup,becausehehathdonegreatthings
21Fearnot,Oland;begladandrejoice:fortheLORDwill dogreatthings
22Benotafraid,yebeastsofthefield:forthepasturesof thewildernessdospring,forthetreebearethherfruit,the figtreeandthevinedoyieldtheirstrength
23Begladthen,yechildrenofZion,andrejoiceinthe LORDyourGod:forhehathgivenyoutheformerrain moderately,andhewillcausetocomedownforyouthe rain,theformerrain,andthelatterraininthefirstmonth.
24Andthefloorsshallbefullofwheat,andthefatsshall overflowwithwineandoil
25AndIwillrestoretoyoutheyearsthatthelocusthath eaten,thecankerworm,andthecaterpiller,andthe palmerworm,mygreatarmywhichIsentamongyou
26Andyeshalleatinplenty,andbesatisfied,andpraise thenameoftheLORDyourGod,thathathdealt wondrouslywithyou:andmypeopleshallneverbe ashamed.
27AndyeshallknowthatIaminthemidstofIsrael,and thatIamtheLORDyourGod,andnoneelse:andmy peopleshallneverbeashamed.
28Anditshallcometopassafterward,thatIwillpourout myspirituponallflesh;andyoursonsandyourdaughters shallprophesy,youroldmenshalldreamdreams,your youngmenshallseevisions:
29Andalsoupontheservantsanduponthehandmaidsin thosedayswillIpouroutmyspirit.
30AndIwillshewwondersintheheavensandintheearth, blood,andfire,andpillarsofsmoke
31Thesunshallbeturnedintodarkness,andthemooninto blood,beforethegreatandtheterribledayoftheLORD come
32Anditshallcometopass,thatwhosoevershallcallon thenameoftheLORDshallbedelivered:forinmount ZionandinJerusalemshallbedeliverance,astheLORD hathsaid,andintheremnantwhomtheLORDshallcall.
CHAPTER3
1For,behold,inthosedays,andinthattime,whenIshall bringagainthecaptivityofJudahandJerusalem, 2Iwillalsogatherallnations,andwillbringthemdown intothevalleyofJehoshaphat,andwillpleadwiththem thereformypeopleandformyheritageIsrael,whomthey havescatteredamongthenations,andpartedmyland.
3Andtheyhavecastlotsformypeople;andhavegivena boyforanharlot,andsoldagirlforwine,thattheymight drink
4Yea,andwhathaveyetodowithme,OTyre,andZidon, andallthecoastsofPalestine?willyerendermea recompence?andifyerecompenseme,swiftlyand speedilywillIreturnyourrecompenceuponyourown head;
5Becauseyehavetakenmysilverandmygold,andhave carriedintoyourtemplesmygoodlypleasantthings:
6ThechildrenalsoofJudahandthechildrenofJerusalem haveyesolduntotheGrecians,thatyemightremovethem farfromtheirborder
7Behold,Iwillraisethemoutoftheplacewhitheryehave soldthem,andwillreturnyourrecompenceuponyourown head:
8AndIwillsellyoursonsandyourdaughtersintothe handofthechildrenofJudah,andtheyshallsellthemto theSabeans,toapeoplefaroff:fortheLORDhathspoken it
9ProclaimyethisamongtheGentiles;Preparewar,wake upthemightymen,letallthemenofwardrawnear;let themcomeup:
10Beatyourplowsharesintoswords,andyour pruninghooksintospears:lettheweaksay,Iamstrong
11Assembleyourselves,andcome,allyeheathen,and gatheryourselvestogetherroundabout:thithercausethy mightyonestocomedown,OLORD
12Lettheheathenbewakened,andcomeuptothevalley ofJehoshaphat:fortherewillIsittojudgealltheheathen roundabout
13Putyeinthesickle,fortheharvestisripe:come,get youdown;forthepressisfull,thefatsoverflow;fortheir wickednessisgreat
14Multitudes,multitudesinthevalleyofdecision:forthe dayoftheLORDisnearinthevalleyofdecision
15Thesunandthemoonshallbedarkened,andthestars shallwithdrawtheirshining.
16TheLORDalsoshallroaroutofZion,andutterhis voicefromJerusalem;andtheheavensandtheearthshall shake:buttheLORDwillbethehopeofhispeople,and thestrengthofthechildrenofIsrael
17SoshallyeknowthatIamtheLORDyourGod dwellinginZion,myholymountain:thenshallJerusalem beholy,andthereshallnostrangerspassthroughherany more
18Anditshallcometopassinthatday,thatthemountains shalldropdownnewwine,andthehillsshallflowwith milk,andalltheriversofJudahshallflowwithwaters,and afountainshallcomeforthofthehouseoftheLORD,and shallwaterthevalleyofShittim
19Egyptshallbeadesolation,andEdomshallbea desolatewilderness,fortheviolenceagainstthechildrenof Judah,becausetheyhaveshedinnocentbloodintheirland 20ButJudahshalldwellforever,andJerusalemfrom generationtogeneration.
21ForIwillcleansetheirbloodthatIhavenotcleansed: fortheLORDdwellethinZion.