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)
27 Then you will know(V) that I am in Israel,
    that I am the Lord(W) your God,
    and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.(X)

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Footnotes

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

21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.

22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.

23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

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Do Not Worry(A)

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry(B) about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.(C) Are you not much more valuable than they?(D) 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?(E)

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor(F) was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?(G) 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.(H) 33 But seek first his kingdom(I) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 6:27 Or single cubit to your height

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

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