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Joel 1:13-2:14
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Joel 1:13-2:14
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
A Call to Repentance and Prayer
13 Put on sackcloth and lament, you priests;
wail, you ministers of the altar.
Come, pass the night in sackcloth,
you ministers of my God!
Grain offering and drink offering
are withheld from the house of your God.(A)
14 Consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly.
Gather the elders
and all the inhabitants of the land
to the house of the Lord your God,
and cry out to the Lord.(B)
15 Alas for the day!
For the day of the Lord is near,
and as destruction from the Almighty[a] it comes.(C)
16 Is not the food cut off
before our eyes,
joy and gladness
from the house of our God?(D)
17 The seed shrivels under the clods;[b]
the storehouses are desolate;
the granaries are ruined
because the grain has withered.
18 How the animals groan!
The herds of cattle wander about
because there is no pasture for them;
even the flocks of sheep are perishing.(E)
19 To you, O Lord, I cry,
for fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness,
and flames have burned
all the trees of the field.(F)
20 Even the wild animals cry to you
because the watercourses are dried up,
and fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness.(G)
2 Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near—(H)
2 a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness spread upon the mountains,
a great and powerful army comes;
their like has never been from of old,
nor will be again after them
in ages to come.(I)
3 Fire devours in front of them,
and behind them a flame burns.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,
but after them a desolate wilderness,
and nothing escapes them.(J)
4 They have the appearance of horses,
and like war horses they charge.(K)
5 As with the rumbling of chariots,
they leap on the tops of the mountains,
like the crackling of a flame of fire
devouring the stubble,
like a powerful army
drawn up for battle.(L)
6 Before them peoples are in anguish;
all faces grow pale.[c](M)
7 Like warriors they charge;
like soldiers they scale the wall.
Each keeps to its own course;
they do not swerve from their paths.
8 They do not jostle one another;
each keeps to its own track;
they burst through the weapons
and are not halted.
9 They leap upon the city;
they run upon the walls;
they climb up into the houses;
they enter through the windows like a thief.(N)
10 The earth quakes before them;
the heavens tremble.
The sun and the moon are darkened,
and the stars withdraw their shining.(O)
11 The Lord utters his voice
at the head of his army;
how vast is his host!
Numberless are those who obey his command.
Truly the day of the Lord is great,
terrible indeed—who can endure it?(P)
12 Yet even now, says the Lord,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;(Q)
13 rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love,
and relenting from punishment.(R)
14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the Lord your God?(S)
Joel 1:13-2:14
New International Version
Joel 1:13-2:14
New International Version
A Call to Lamentation
13 Put on sackcloth,(A) you priests, and mourn;
wail, you who minister(B) before the altar.
Come, spend the night in sackcloth,
you who minister before my God;
for the grain offerings and drink offerings(C)
are withheld from the house of your God.
14 Declare a holy fast;(D)
call a sacred assembly.
Summon the elders
and all who live in the land(E)
to the house of the Lord your God,
and cry out(F) to the Lord.(G)
15 Alas for that(H) day!
For the day of the Lord(I) is near;
it will come like destruction from the Almighty.[a](J)
16 Has not the food been cut off(K)
before our very eyes—
joy and gladness(L)
from the house of our God?(M)
17 The seeds are shriveled
beneath the clods.[b](N)
The storehouses are in ruins,
the granaries have been broken down,
for the grain has dried up.
18 How the cattle moan!
The herds mill about
because they have no pasture;(O)
even the flocks of sheep are suffering.(P)
19 To you, Lord, I call,(Q)
for fire(R) has devoured the pastures(S) in the wilderness
and flames have burned up all the trees of the field.
20 Even the wild animals pant for you;(T)
the streams of water have dried up(U)
and fire has devoured the pastures(V) in the wilderness.
An Army of Locusts
Let all who live in the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord(Z) is coming.
It is close at hand(AA)—
2 a day of darkness(AB) and gloom,(AC)
a day of clouds(AD) and blackness.(AE)
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
a large and mighty army(AF) comes,
such as never was in ancient times(AG)
nor ever will be in ages to come.
3 Before them fire(AH) devours,
behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,(AI)
behind them, a desert waste(AJ)—
nothing escapes them.
4 They have the appearance of horses;(AK)
they gallop along like cavalry.
5 With a noise like that of chariots(AL)
they leap over the mountaintops,
like a crackling fire(AM) consuming stubble,
like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
6 At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;(AN)
every face turns pale.(AO)
7 They charge like warriors;(AP)
they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line,(AQ)
not swerving(AR) from their course.
8 They do not jostle each other;
each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defenses
without breaking ranks.
9 They rush upon the city;
they run along the wall.
They climb into the houses;(AS)
like thieves they enter through the windows.(AT)
10 Before them the earth shakes,(AU)
the heavens tremble,(AV)
the sun and moon are darkened,(AW)
and the stars no longer shine.(AX)
11 The Lord(AY) thunders(AZ)
at the head of his army;(BA)
his forces are beyond number,
and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
The day of the Lord is great;(BB)
it is dreadful.
Who can endure it?(BC)
Rend Your Heart
12 “Even now,” declares the Lord,
“return(BD) to me with all your heart,(BE)
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
13 Rend your heart(BF)
and not your garments.(BG)
Return(BH) to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,(BI)
slow to anger and abounding in love,(BJ)
and he relents from sending calamity.(BK)
14 Who knows? He may turn(BL) and relent(BM)
and leave behind a blessing(BN)—
grain offerings and drink offerings(BO)
for the Lord your God.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.