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23 O children of Zion, be glad,
    and rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given the early rain[a] for your vindication;
    he has poured down for you abundant rain,
    the early and the later rain, as before.(A)
24 The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
    the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25 I will repay you for the years
    that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
    my great army that I sent against you.(B)

26 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 shall never again be put to shame.(C)
27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel
    and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.(D)

God’s Spirit Poured Out

28 [b]Then afterward
    I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
    your old men shall dream dreams,
    and your young men shall see visions.(E)
29 Even on the male and female slaves,
    in those days I will pour out my spirit.(F)

30 I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.(G) 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.(H) 32 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved, for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.(I)

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Footnotes

  1. 2.23 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 2.28 3.1 in Heb

23 Be glad, people of Zion,
    rejoice(A) in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
    because he is faithful.(B)
He sends you abundant showers,(C)
    both autumn(D) and spring rains,(E) as before.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
    the vats will overflow(F) with new wine(G) and oil.

25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts(H) have eaten(I)
    the great locust and the young locust,
    the other locusts and the locust swarm[a]
my great army(J) that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,(K)
    and you will praise(L) the name of the Lord your God,
    who has worked wonders(M) for you;
never again will my people be shamed.(N)
27 Then you will know(O) that I am in Israel,
    that I am the Lord(P) your God,
    and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.(Q)

The Day of the Lord

28 “And afterward,
    I will pour out my Spirit(R) on all people.(S)
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,(T)
    your old men will dream dreams,(U)
    your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants,(V) both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days.(W)
30 I will show wonders in the heavens(X)
    and on the earth,(Y)
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness(Z)
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.(AA)
32 And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord(AB) will be saved;(AC)
for on Mount Zion(AD) and in Jerusalem
    there will be deliverance,(AE)
    as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors(AF)
    whom the Lord calls.[b](AG)

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:25 The precise meaning of the four Hebrew words used here for locusts is uncertain.
  2. Joel 2:32 In Hebrew texts 2:28-32 is numbered 3:1-5.

Psalm 65

Thanksgiving for Earth’s Bounty

To the leader. A Psalm of David. A Song.

Praise is due to you,
    O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed,(A)
    O you who answer prayer!
To you all flesh shall come.(B)
When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
    you forgive our transgressions.(C)
Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
    to live in your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
    your holy temple.(D)

By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
    O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
    and of the farthest seas.(E)
By your[a] strength you established the mountains;
    you are girded with might.(F)
You silence the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    the tumult of the peoples.(G)
Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.

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

Footnotes

  1. 65.6 Gk Jerome: Heb his

Psalm 65[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.

Praise awaits[b] you, our God, in Zion;(A)
    to you our vows will be fulfilled.(B)
You who answer prayer,
    to you all people will come.(C)
When we were overwhelmed by sins,(D)
    you forgave[c] our transgressions.(E)
Blessed are those you choose(F)
    and bring near(G) to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,(H)
    of your holy temple.

You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,(I)
    God our Savior,(J)
the hope of all the ends of the earth(K)
    and of the farthest seas,(L)
who formed the mountains(M) by your power,
    having armed yourself with strength,(N)
who stilled the roaring of the seas,(O)
    the roaring of their waves,
    and the turmoil of the nations.(P)
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
    where morning dawns, where evening fades,
    you call forth songs of joy.(Q)

You care for the land and water it;(R)
    you enrich it abundantly.(S)
The streams of God are filled with water
    to provide the people with grain,(T)
    for so you have ordained it.[d]
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
    you soften it with showers(U) and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,(V)
    and your carts overflow with abundance.(W)
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;(X)
    the hills are clothed with gladness.(Y)
13 The meadows are covered with flocks(Z)
    and the valleys are mantled with grain;(AA)
    they shout for joy and sing.(AB)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 65:1 In Hebrew texts 65:1-13 is numbered 65:2-14.
  2. Psalm 65:1 Or befits; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  3. Psalm 65:3 Or made atonement for
  4. Psalm 65:9 Or for that is how you prepare the land

As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come.(A) I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.(B) From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.(C)

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For I am already being poured out like a drink offering,(A) and the time for my departure is near.(B) I have fought the good fight,(C) I have finished the race,(D) I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me(E) the crown of righteousness,(F) which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day(G)—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.(H)

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16 At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.(A) 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.(B)

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16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.(A) 17 But the Lord stood at my side(B) and gave me strength,(C) so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.(D) And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.(E) 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack(F) and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.(G) To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.(H)

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The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’(A) 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’(B) 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other, for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”(C)

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The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

To some who were confident of their own righteousness(A) and looked down on everyone else,(B) Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray,(C) one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself(D) and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast(E) twice a week and give a tenth(F) of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast(G) and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’(H)

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”(I)

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