Joel 2:12-17
New King James Version
A Call to Repentance
12 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord,
(A)“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 So (B)rend your heart, and not (C)your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is (D)gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
14 (E)Who knows if He will turn and relent,
And leave (F)a blessing behind Him—
(G)A grain offering and a drink offering
For the Lord your God?
15 (H)Blow the [a]trumpet in Zion,
(I)Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
16 Gather the people,
(J)Sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and nursing babes;
(K)Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,
And the bride from her dressing room.
17 Let the priests, who minister to the Lord,
Weep (L)between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, (M)“Spare Your people, O Lord,
And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should [b]rule over them.
(N)Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’ ”
Joel 2:12-17
Authorized (King James) Version
12 Therefore also now, saith the Lord,
turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting,
and with weeping, and with mourning:
13 and rend your heart, and not your garments,
and turn unto the Lord your God:
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and of great kindness,
and repenteth him of the evil.
14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent,
and leave a blessing behind him;
even a meat offering and a drink offering
unto the Lord your God?
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
16 gather the people,
sanctify the congregation,
assemble the elders,
gather the children,
and those that suck the breasts:
let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber,
and the bride out of her closet.
17 Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord,
weep between the porch and the altar,
and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord,
and give not thine heritage to reproach,
that the heathen should rule over them:
wherefore should they say among the people,
Where is their God?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.