God’s Response to His People

18 Then the Lord became jealous for his land(A) and spared his people.(B) 19 The Lord answered his people:

Look, I am about to send you
grain, new wine, and fresh oil.(C)
You will be satiated with them,
and I will no longer make you
a disgrace among the nations.(D)

20 I will drive the northerner far from you(E)
and banish him to a dry and desolate land,
his front ranks into the Dead Sea,(F)
and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea.(G)
His stench will rise;
yes, his rotten smell will rise,(H)
for he has done astonishing things.

21 Don’t be afraid, land;(I)
rejoice and be glad,
for the Lord has done astonishing things.(J)
22 Don’t be afraid, wild animals,
for the wilderness pastures have turned green,(K)
the trees bear their fruit,
and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
23 Children of Zion,(L) rejoice and be glad
in the Lord your God,(M)
because he gives you the autumn rain[a]
for your vindication.[b](N)
He sends showers for you,
both autumn and spring rain(O) as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain,(P)
and the vats will overflow
with new wine and fresh oil.

25 I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust ate,(Q)
the young locust, the destroying locust,
and the devouring locust—
my great army that I sent against you.
26 You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied.(R)
You will praise the name of the Lord your God,(S)
who has dealt wondrously with you.(T)
My people will never again be put to shame.(U)
27 You will know that I am present in Israel(V)
and that I am the Lord your God,
and there is no other.(W)
My people will never again be put to shame.(X)

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Footnotes

  1. 2:23 Or the teacher of righteousness
  2. 2:23 Or righteousness

Deliverance Promised

18 Then the Lord [a]will be (A)zealous for His land,
And [b]will have (B)compassion for His people.
19 The Lord [c]will answer and say to His people,
“Behold, I am going to (C)send you grain, new wine, and oil,
And you will be satisfied in full with [d]them;
And I will (D)never again make you a disgrace among the nations.
20 But I will remove the (E)northern army far from you,
And I will drive it into a dry and desolate land,
Its advance guard into the (F)eastern sea,
And its rear guard into the (G)western sea.
And its (H)stench will ascend and its odor of decay will come up,
Because it has done great things.”

21 (I)Do not fear, land; shout for joy and rejoice,
For the Lord has done (J)great things.
22 Do not fear, animals of the field,
For the (K)pastures of the wilderness have turned green,
For the tree has produced its fruit,
The fig tree and the vine have yielded [e]in full.
23 So shout for joy, you (L)sons of Zion,
And (M)rejoice in the Lord your God;
For He has (N)given you [f]the early rain for your vindication.
And He has brought down for you the rain,
The [g]early and [h](O)latter rain [i]as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain,
And the vats will (P)overflow with the new wine and oil.
25 “Then I will compensate you for the years
That the [j]swarming (Q)locust has eaten,
The creeping locust, the stripping locust, and the gnawing locust—
My great army which I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to (R)eat and be satisfied,
And you will (S)praise the name of the Lord your God,
Who has (T)dealt wondrously with you;
Then My people will (U)never be put to shame.
27 So you will (V)know that I am in the midst of Israel,
And that I am the Lord your God
And there is (W)no other;
And My people will never be (X)put to shame.

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:18 Or was zealous
  2. Joel 2:18 Or had compassion
  3. Joel 2:19 Or answered and said
  4. Joel 2:19 Lit it
  5. Joel 2:22 Lit their wealth
  6. Joel 2:23 I.e., autumn; or possibly the teacher for righteousness
  7. Joel 2:23 I.e., autumn
  8. Joel 2:23 I.e., spring
  9. Joel 2:23 As in ancient versions; MT in the first
  10. Joel 2:25 Or migratory