1 T he word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. The Land Laid Waste

The word of Jehovah that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

2 H ear 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?

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?

3 T ell your children about it, Let your children tell their children, And their children another generation.

Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.

4 W hat 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.

That which the palmer-worm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the canker-worm eaten; and that which the canker-worm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.

5 A wake, 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.

Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and wail, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.

6 F or 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.

For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the jaw-teeth of a lioness.

7 H e has laid waste My vine, And ruined My fig tree; He has stripped it bare and thrown it away; Its branches are made white.

He 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.

8 L ament like a virgin girded with sackcloth For the husband of her youth.

Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

9 T he grain offering and the drink offering Have been cut off from the house of the Lord; The priests mourn, who minister to the Lord.

The meal-offering and the drink-offering are cut off from the house of Jehovah; the priests, Jehovah's ministers, mourn.

10 T he field is wasted, The land mourns; For the grain is ruined, The new wine is dried up, The oil fails.

The field is laid waste, the land mourneth; for the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.

11 B e ashamed, you farmers, Wail, you vinedressers, For the wheat and the barley; Because the harvest of the field has perished.

Be confounded, O ye husbandmen, wail, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; for the harvest of the field is perished.

12 T he 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. Mourning for the Land

The vine is withered, and the fig-tree languisheth; the pomegranate-tree, the palm-tree also, and the apple-tree, even all the trees of the field are withered: for joy is withered away from the sons of men.

13 G ird 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.

Gird yourselves with sackcloth, and lament, ye priests; wail, ye ministers of the altar; come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meal-offering and the drink-offering are withholden from the house of your God.

14 C onsecrate 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.

Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the old men and all the inhabitants of the land unto the house of Jehovah your God, and cry unto Jehovah.

15 A las for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand; It shall come as destruction from the Almighty.

Alas for the day! for the day of Jehovah is at hand, and as destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

16 I s not the food cut off before our eyes, Joy and gladness from the house of our God?

Is not the food cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?

17 T he seed shrivels under the clods, Storehouses are in shambles; Barns are broken down, For the grain has withered.

The seeds rot under their clods; the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the grain is withered.

18 H ow the animals groan! The herds of cattle are restless, Because they have no pasture; Even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment.

How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

19 O Lord, to You I cry out; For fire has devoured the open pastures, And a flame has burned all the trees of the field.

O Jehovah, to thee do I cry; for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.

20 T he beasts of the field also cry out to You, For the water brooks are dried up, And fire has devoured the open pastures.

Yea, the beasts of the field pant unto thee; for the water brooks are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.