Joel 2:11-20

English Standard Version

¹¹^(A)The Lord utters his voice
    before ^(B)his army,
for his camp is exceedingly great;
    ^(C)he who executes his word is powerful.
^(D)For the day of the Lord is ^(E)great and very awesome;
    ^(F)who can endure it?

Return to the Lord

¹²“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
    ^(G)“return to me with all your heart,
^(H)with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
¹³    and ^(I)rend your hearts and not ^(J)your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
    ^(K)for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
    ^(L)and he relents over disaster.
¹⁴^(M)Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
    and ^(N)leave a blessing behind him,
^(O)a grain offering and a drink offering
    for the Lord your God?

¹⁵^(P)Blow the trumpet in Zion;
    ^(Q)consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
¹⁶    gather the people.
^(R)Consecrate the congregation;
    assemble the elders;
^(S)gather the children,
    even nursing infants.
^(T)Let the bridegroom leave his room,
    and the bride her chamber.

¹⁷^(U)Between the ^(V)vestibule and the ^(W)altar
    ^(X)let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep
and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
    and make not your heritage a reproach,
    a byword among the nations.^[a]
^(Y)Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?’”

The Lord Had Pity

¹⁸^(Z)Then the Lord became jealous for his land
    ^(AA)and had pity on his people.
¹⁹The Lord answered and said to his people,
“Behold, ^(AB)I am sending to you
    grain, wine, and oil,
    ^(AC)and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
    a reproach among the nations.

²⁰“I will remove the northerner far from you,
    and drive him into a parched and desolate land,
his vanguard^[b] into ^(AD)the eastern sea,
    and his rear guard^[c] into ^(AE)the western sea;
^(AF)the stench and foul smell of him will rise,
    for he has done great things.