The Lord’s Answer

18 Then the Lord was jealous(A) for his land
    and took pity(B) on his people.

19 The Lord replied[a] to them:

“I am sending you grain, new wine(C) and olive oil,(D)
    enough to satisfy you fully;(E)
never again will I make you
    an object of scorn(F) to the nations.

20 “I will drive the northern horde(G) far from you,
    pushing it into a parched and barren land;
its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea
    and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.
And its stench(H) will go up;
    its smell will rise.”

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

25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts(W) have eaten(X)
    the great locust and the young locust,
    the other locusts and the locust swarm[b]
my great army(Y) that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,(Z)
    and you will praise(AA) the name of the Lord your God,
    who has worked wonders(AB) for you;
never again will my people be shamed.(AC)
27 Then you will know(AD) that I am in Israel,
    that I am the Lord(AE) your God,
    and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.(AF)

The Day of the Lord

28 “And afterward,
    I will pour out my Spirit(AG) on all people.(AH)
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,(AI)
    your old men will dream dreams,(AJ)
    your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants,(AK) both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days.(AL)
30 I will show wonders in the heavens(AM)
    and on the earth,(AN)
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness(AO)
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.(AP)
32 And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord(AQ) will be saved;(AR)
for on Mount Zion(AS) and in Jerusalem
    there will be deliverance,(AT)
    as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors(AU)
    whom the Lord calls.[c](AV)

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:19 Or Lord will be jealous … / and take pity … / 19 The Lord will reply
  2. Joel 2:25 The precise meaning of the four Hebrew words used here for locusts is uncertain.
  3. Joel 2:32 In Hebrew texts 2:28-32 is numbered 3:1-5.

God Restores Fertility to the Land

18 Then the Lord showed concern for his land;
    he had mercy on his people.
19 He answered them:
    “Now I am going to give you
    grain and wine and olive oil,
    and you will be satisfied.
    Other nations will no longer despise you.
20 I will remove the locust army that came from the north
    and will drive some of them into the desert.
Their front ranks will be driven into the Dead Sea,
    their rear ranks into the Mediterranean.
    Their dead bodies will stink.
I will destroy them because of all they have done to you.

21 “Fields, don't be afraid,
    but be joyful and glad
    because of all the Lord has done for you.
22 Animals, don't be afraid.
    The pastures are green;
    the trees bear their fruit,
    and there are plenty of figs and grapes.

23 “Be glad, people of Zion,
    rejoice at what the Lord your God has done for you.
    He has given you the right amount of autumn rain;[a]
    he has poured down the winter rain for you
    and the spring rain as before.
24 The threshing places will be full of grain;
    the pits beside the presses will overflow with wine and olive oil.
25 I will give you back what you lost
    in the years when swarms of locusts ate your crops.
    It was I who sent this army against you.
26 Now you will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied.
    You will praise the Lord your God,
    who has done wonderful things for you.
    My people will never be despised again.
27 Then, Israel, you will know that I am among you
    and that I, the Lord, am your God
    and there is no other.
    My people will never be despised again.

The Day of the Lord

28 “Afterward I will pour out my Spirit on everyone:
    your sons and daughters will proclaim my message;
    your old people will have dreams,
    and your young people will see visions.
29 At that time I will pour out my Spirit
    even on servants, both men and women.

30 “I will give warnings of that day
    in the sky and on the earth;
    there will be bloodshed, fire, and clouds of smoke.
31 (A)The sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will turn red as blood
    before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
32 (B)But all who ask the Lord for help will be saved.
As the Lord has said,
    ‘Some in Jerusalem will escape;
    those whom I choose will survive.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:23 right amount of autumn rain; or autumn rain because he is just.

Words of compassion and promise

18 Then the Lord became passionate about this land,[a] and had pity on his people.

19 The Lord responded to the people:
See, I am sending you
    the corn, new wine, and fresh oil,
        and you will be fully satisfied by it;
    and I will no longer make you
        a disgrace among the nations.
20 I will remove the northern army far from you
    and drive it into a dried-up and desolate land,
        its front into the eastern sea,
        and its rear into the western sea.
    Its stench will rise up;
        its stink will come to the surface.
The Lord is about to do great things!
21 Don’t fear, fertile land;
    rejoice and be glad,
    for the Lord is about to do great things!
22 Don’t be afraid, animals of the field,
        for the meadows of the wilderness will turn green;
    the tree will bear its fruit;
        the fig tree and grapevine will give their full yield.
23 Children of Zion,
        rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God,
    because he will give you the early rain as a sign of righteousness;
        he will pour down abundant rain for you,
            the early and the late rain, as before.[b]
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain;
        the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil.
25 I will repay you for the years
        that the cutting locust,
    the swarming locust, the hopping locust, and the devouring locust have eaten—
        my great army, which I sent against you.
26 You will eat abundantly and be satisfied,
        and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
    who has done wonders for you;
        and my people will never again be put to shame.
27 You will know that I am in the midst of Israel,
        and that I am the Lord your God—no other exists;
        never again will my people be put to shame.
28 After that I will pour out my spirit upon everyone;
        your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
        your old men will dream dreams,
        and your young men will see visions.
29 In those days, I will also pour out my
    spirit on the male and female slaves.

30 I will give signs in the heavens and on the earth—blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood before the great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 32 But everyone who calls on the Lord’s name will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be security, as the Lord has promised; and in Jerusalem, the Lord will summon those who survive.

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:18 Or then the Lord became jealous for his land
  2. Joel 2:23 Or at the first