9WHO? [IS] WISE AND LET HIM UNDERSTAND THESE [THINGS] DISCERNING? AND LET HIM KNOW THEM FOR [ARE] UPRIGHT [THE] WAYS OF YAHWEH AND RIGHTEOUS [PEOPLE] THEY WALK IN THEM AND TRANSGRESSORS THEY STUMBLE IN THEM 9Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them but the rebellious stumble in them.
1[THE] WORD OF YAHWEH WHICH IT CAME TO JOEL [THE] SON OF PETHUEL The Invasion of Locusts 1This is the word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel:
2HEAR THIS O ELDERS AND GIVE EAR O ALL [THE] INHABITANTS OF THE LAND ¿ HAS IT HAPPENED THIS IN DAYS YOUR AND OR? IN [THE] DAYS OF ANCESTORS YOUR 2Hear this, O elders; and give ear, all who dwell in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your fathers?
3ON IT TO CHILDREN YOUR RECOUNT AND CHILDREN YOUR TO CHILDREN THEIR AND CHILDREN THEIR TO A GENERATION ANOTHER 3Tell it to your children; let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.
4[THE] REMAINDER OF THE LOCUST[S] IT HAS EATEN THE LOCUST[S] AND [THE] REMAINDER OF THE LOCUST[S] IT HAS EATEN THE LOCUST[S] AND [THE] REMAINDER OF THE LOCUST[S] IT HAS EATEN THE LOCUST[S] 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.*NoteCloseThe precise identification of the four kinds of locusts mentioned here is uncertain.
5AWAKE O DRUNKARDS AND WEEP AND WAIL O ALL DRINKERS OF WINE ON SWEET WINE FOR IT HAS BEEN CUT OFF FROM MOUTH YOUR 5Wake up, you drunkards, and weep; wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it has been cut off from your mouth.
6FOR A NATION IT HAS COME UP ON LAND MY MIGHTY AND THERE NOT [IS] NUMBER TEETH ITS [ARE THE] TEETH OF A LION AND [THE] FANGS OF A LIONESS [BELONG] TO IT 6For a nation has invaded My land, powerful and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and its fangs are the fangs of a lioness
7IT HAS MADE VINE[S] MY INTO A WASTE AND FIG TREE[S] MY INTO A STUMP COMPLETELY <STRIP BARE> IT HAS STRIPPED BARE IT AND IT HAS THROWN [IT] AWAY THEY HAVE BECOME WHITE BRANCHES ITS 7It has laid waste My grapevine and splintered My fig tree. It has stripped off the bark and thrown it away; the branches have turned white.
8WAIL LIKE A VIRGIN GIRDED OF SACKCLOTH ON [THE] HUSBAND OF YOUTH<S> HER A Call to Mourning 8Wail like a virgin dressed in sackcloth, grieving for the husband of her youth.
9IT HAS BEEN CUT OFF GRAIN OFFERING AND DRINK OFFERING FROM [THE] HOUSE OF YAHWEH THEY ARE IN MOURNING THE PRIESTS [THE] SERVANTS OF YAHWEH 9Grain and drink offerings have been cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests are in mourning, those who minister before the LORD.
10IT IS DEVASTATED [THE] FIELD[S] IT IS DRIED UP [THE] GROUND FOR IT IS DEVASTATED [THE] GRAIN IT HAS DRIED UP [THE] NEW WINE IT HAS DRIED OUT [THE] FRESH OIL 10The field is ruined; the land mourns. For the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails.
11BE ASHAMED O FARMERS WAIL O VINEDRESSERS ON [THE] WHEAT AND ON [THE] BARLEY FOR IT HAS PERISHED [THE] HARVEST OF [THE] FIELD 11Be dismayed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.
12THE VINE IT HAS DRIED UP AND THE FIG TREE IT HAS DRIED OUT [THE] POMEGRANATE TREE ALSO [THE] PALM TREE AND [THE] APPLE TREE ALL [THE] TREES OF THE FIELD THEY HAVE DRIED UP FOR IT HAS BEEN ASHAMED JOY FROM [THE] CHILDREN OF HUMANKIND 12The grapevine is dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, palm, and apple— all the trees of the orchard— are withered. Surely the joy of mankind has dried up.
13GIRD YOURSELVES AND LAMENT O PRIESTS WAIL O SERVANTS OF [THE] ALTAR COME SPEND [THE] NIGHT IN <THE> SACKCLOTH<S> O SERVANTS OF GOD MY FOR IT HAS BEEN WITHHELD FROM [THE] HOUSE OF GOD YOUR GRAIN OFFERING AND DRINK OFFERING A Call to Repentance (Amos 5:4–15; Zephaniah 2:1–3; Luke 13:1–5) 13Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God, because the grain and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.
14CONSECRATE A FAST CALL AN ASSEMBLY GATHER [THE] ELDERS ALL [THE] INHABITANTS OF THE LAND [THE] HOUSE OF YAHWEH GOD YOUR AND CRY OUT TO YAHWEH 14Consecrate a fast; proclaim a solemn assembly! Gather the elders and all the residents of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.
15ALAS! FOR THE DAY FOR [IS] NEAR [THE] DAY OF YAHWEH AND LIKE DEVASTATION FROM [THE] ALMIGHTY IT WILL COME 15Alas for the day! For the Day of the LORD is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty.*NoteCloseHebrew Shaddai
16¿ NOT BEFORE EYES OUR FOOD HAS IT BEEN CUT OFF FROM [THE] HOUSE OF GOD OUR JOY AND REJOICING 16Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes— joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17THEY HAVE SHRIVELED [THE] SEEDS UNDER SHOVELS THEIR THEY ARE DESOLATE [THE] STOREHOUSES THEY HAVE BEEN TORN DOWN [THE] GRANARIES FOR IT HAS DRIED UP [THE] GRAIN 17The seeds lie shriveled beneath the clods; the storehouses are in ruins; the granaries are broken down, for the grain has withered away.
18HOW! IT HAS GROANED [THE] LIVESTOCK THEY HAVE WANDERED IN CONFUSION [THE] HERDS OF CATTLE FOR NOT PASTURE [BELONGS] TO THEM ALSO [THE] FLOCKS OF <THE> SHEEP THEY HAVE SUFFERED 18How the cattle groan! The herds wander in confusion because they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep are suffering.
19TO YOU O YAHWEH I CALL FOR FIRE IT HAS CONSUMED [THE] PASTURES OF [THE] WILDERNESS AND A FLAME IT HAS SET ABLAZE ALL [THE] TREES OF THE FIELD 19To You, O LORD, I call, for fire has consumed the open pastures and flames have scorched all the trees of the field.
20ALSO [THE] ANIMALS OF [THE] FIELD IT PANTS TO YOU FOR THEY HAVE DRIED UP [THE] CHANNELS OF WATER AND FIRE IT HAS CONSUMED [THE] PASTURES OF THE WILDERNESS 20Even the beasts of the field pant for You, for the streams of water have dried up, and fire has consumed the open pastures.