1
The word of Jehovah that was to▵ Joel the son of Pethuel.
2
Hear this, ye elders, and give··ear, all ye who dwell in the land. Has this been in your days, or◦ even in the days of your fathers?
3
Concerning it, recount◦ it to your sons, and your sons to their sons, and their sons to another generation.
4
What··remains··from the palmerworm the locust will eat; and what··remains··from the locust the grub will eat; and what··remains··from the grub the caterpillar will eat.
5
Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, on··account··of the new··wine; for it is cut··off from your mouth.
6
For a nation has come··up on My land, numerous, and without▵ number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he has◦ the molars of an old··lion.
7
He has set My vine for desolation, and My fig··tree for foam; making· it ·bare, he has made· it ·bare, and cast· it ·away; the tendrils of it are made··white.
8
Wail▵ as a virgin girded with sackcloth for▵ the husband of her youth.
9
The gift··offering and the poured··offering is cut··off from the house of Jehovah; the priests, Jehovah’s ministers, mourn.
10
The field is devastated, the ground mourns; for the grain is devastated; the must* is dried··up, the olive··oil languishes.
11
Be shamed, O ye farmers; howl, O ye vinedressers, over the wheat and over the barley; for the harvest of the field has perished.
12
The vine is··dried··up, and the fig languishes; the pomegranate, even the palm··tree, and the apple··tree, all the trees of the field are··dried··up; for joy is··dried··up from the sons of man.
13
Gird yourselves, and wail, ye priests; howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, pass··the··night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God, for the gift··offering and the poured··offering is withheld from the house of your God.
14
Sanctify ye a fast, call a day of restraint*, gather the elders and all those who dwell··in the land into the house of Jehovah your God, and cry to▵ Jehovah,
15
Alas for the day! For the day of Jehovah is near, and as a devastation from Shaddai* shall it come.
16
Is not the food cut··off in··front··of our eyes, gladness and rejoicing from the house of our God?
17
The kernel is spoiled under their clods, the treasures are desolated, the barns are broken··down, for the grain is dried··up.
18
How does the beast sigh! The droves of cattle are perplexed, for there is no pasture for them◦; even the droves of the flock are desolated*.
19
to▵ Thee, O Jehovah, will I call; for the fire has devoured the sheep··folds of the wilderness, and the flame has set··flame··to◦ all the trees of the field.
20
Even the beasts of the field bleat to▵ Thee, for the channels of waters are··dried··up, and the fire has devoured the sheep··folds of the wilderness.
