Joel 2:12-17

Expanded Bible

¹³ ·Tearing your clothes is not enough to show you are sad;
    let your heart be broken [^LTear/Rend your hearts and not your garments; ^Ctrue repentance, not just a show of grief].
Come back to the Lord your God,
    because he is ·kind [gracious; merciful] and ·shows mercy [compassionate].
·He doesn’t become angry quickly […slow to anger],
    and he has great ·love [loyalty; mercy; lovingkindness].
    He ·can change his mind about [relents from] doing harm.
¹⁴ Who knows? Maybe he will ·turn back to you [grant a reprieve; ^Lturn and relent]
    and leave behind a blessing for you.
·Grain [^LGift; Tribute; Lev. 2:1] and drink offerings ·belong to [or for] the Lord your God.

¹⁵ Blow the trumpet in ·Jerusalem [^LZion; 2:1];
    ·call for [declare; appoint; consecrate] a ·day when everyone fasts [fast; 1:14].
    ·Tell everyone to stop work [^LCall a sacred assembly]!
¹⁶ ·Bring the people together [Assemble/Gather the people]
    and ·make the meeting holy for the Lord [consecrate/sanctify the congregation/assembly].
Bring together the elders,
    as well as the children,
    and even babies that still feed at their mothers’ breasts.
·The bridegroom should [^LLet the bridegroom] come from his room [^Cindicating urgency; newly married men were exempt from military service; Deut. 20:7; 24:5],
    the bride from her ·bedroom [chamber].
¹⁷ ·The [^LLet the] priests, ·the Lord’s servants [who minister before the Lord], should ·cry [weep]
    between the altar and the ·entrance to the Temple [portico; vestibule].
·They should [^LLet them] say, “Lord, ·have mercy on [spare] your people.
    Don’t let ·them [^Lyour inheritance/possession] be ·put to shame [mocked; a reproach];
    don’t let other nations make ·fun of them [them a byword].
·Don’t let [^LWhy should the] people in other nations ask,
    ‘Where is their God?’”