For (A)land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.

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Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.

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12 (A)Sow for yourselves righteousness;
    reap steadfast love;
    (B)break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord,
    that he may come and (C)rain righteousness upon you.

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12 Sow(A) righteousness(B) for yourselves,
    reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;(C)
    for it is time to seek(D) the Lord,
until he comes
    and showers his righteousness(E) on you.

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(A)For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
    and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
    and my blessing on your descendants.

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For I will pour water(A) on the thirsty land,
    and streams on the dry ground;(B)
I will pour out my Spirit(C) on your offspring,
    and my blessing(D) on your descendants.(E)

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21 “Fear not, O land;
    be glad and rejoice,
    for (A)the Lord has done great things!
22 Fear not, (B)you beasts of the field,
    for (C)the pastures of the wilderness are green;
(D)the tree bears its fruit;
    the fig tree and (E)vine give their full yield.

23 (F)“Be glad, O children of Zion,
    and (G)rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given (H)the early rain for your vindication;
    he has poured down for you abundant rain,
    (I)the early and (J)the latter rain, as before.

24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
    the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will restore[a] to you the years
    that (K)the swarming locust has eaten,
(L)the hopper, (M)the destroyer, and (N)the cutter,
    (O)my great army, which I sent among you.

26 (P)“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 (Q)shall never again be put to shame.

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:25 Or pay back

21     Do not be afraid,(A) land of Judah;
    be glad and rejoice.(B)
Surely the Lord has done great things!(C)
22     Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
    for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.(D)
The trees are bearing their fruit;
    the fig tree(E) and the vine(F) yield their riches.(G)
23 Be glad, people of Zion,
    rejoice(H) in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
    because he is faithful.(I)
He sends you abundant showers,(J)
    both autumn(K) and spring rains,(L) as before.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
    the vats will overflow(M) with new wine(N) and oil.

25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts(O) have eaten(P)
    the great locust and the young locust,
    the other locusts and the locust swarm[a]
my great army(Q) that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,(R)
    and you will praise(S) the name of the Lord your God,
    who has worked wonders(T) for you;
never again will my people be shamed.(U)

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:25 The precise meaning of the four Hebrew words used here for locusts is uncertain.

10 (A)“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    (B)giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but (C)it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

12 (D)“For you shall go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
(E)the mountains and the hills before you
    shall break forth into singing,
    and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 (F)Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
    instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
    an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

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10 As the rain(A) and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,(B)
    so that it yields seed(C) for the sower and bread for the eater,(D)
11 so is my word(E) that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,(F)
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose(G) for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy(H)
    and be led forth in peace;(I)
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song(J) before you,
and all the trees(K) of the field
    will clap their hands.(L)
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers(M) the myrtle(N) will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,(O)
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”

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He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

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Those who go out weeping,(A)
    carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
    carrying sheaves with them.

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You visit the earth and (A)water it;[a]
    you greatly enrich it;
(B)the river of God is full of water;
    (C)you provide their grain,
    for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
    settling its ridges,
softening it with (D)showers,
    and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
    your wagon tracks (E)overflow with abundance.
12 (F)The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
    the hills (G)gird themselves with joy,
13 (H)the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
    the valleys deck themselves with grain,
    they (I)shout and sing together for joy.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 65:9 Or and make it overflow

You care for the land and water it;(A)
    you enrich it abundantly.(B)
The streams of God are filled with water
    to provide the people with grain,(C)
    for so you have ordained it.[a]
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
    you soften it with showers(D) and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,(E)
    and your carts overflow with abundance.(F)
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;(G)
    the hills are clothed with gladness.(H)
13 The meadows are covered with flocks(I)
    and the valleys are mantled with grain;(J)
    they shout for joy and sing.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 65:9 Or for that is how you prepare the land

Patience in Suffering

Be patient, therefore, brothers,[a] until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives (A)the early and the late rains.

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Footnotes

  1. James 5:7 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 9, 10, 12, 19

Patience in Suffering

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.(A) See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting(B) for the autumn and spring rains.(C)

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26 And I will make them and the places all around my hill (A)a blessing, and (B)I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be (C)showers of blessing.

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26 I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing.[a](A) I will send down showers in season;(B) there will be showers of blessing.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 34:26 Or I will cause them and the places surrounding my hill to be named in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or I will cause them and the places surrounding my hill to be seen as blessed

11 they (A)give drink to every beast of the field;
    the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
    they sing among the branches.
13 (B)From your lofty abode you (C)water the mountains;
    the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

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11 They give water(A) to all the beasts of the field;
    the wild donkeys(B) quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky(C) nest by the waters;
    they sing among the branches.(D)
13 He waters the mountains(E) from his upper chambers;(F)
    the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.(G)

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He will receive (A)blessing from the Lord
    and (B)righteousness from (C)the God of his salvation.

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They will receive blessing(A) from the Lord
    and vindication(B) from God their Savior.

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21 I will (A)command my blessing on you in the sixth year, so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years.

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21 I will send you such a blessing(A) in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years.(B)

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10 (A)Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby (B)put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open (C)the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

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10 Bring the whole tithe(A) into the storehouse,(B) that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates(C) of heaven and pour out(D) so much blessing(E) that there will not be room enough to store it.(F)

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