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The Response and Promise of Yahweh

18 Then Yahweh became jealous for his land
    and took pity on his people.
19 And Yahweh answered and said to his people,
    “Look at me, I am sending to you
grain, new wine, and olive oil,
    and you will be satisfied by it.
I will not give you over any more
    as a disgrace among the nations.
20 The northerners[a]
    I will remove from you;
I will drive them to a desert
    and desolate land,
its[b] front to the eastern sea,
    and its rear into the western sea;
its stench and odor will rise up
    because he[c] has done great things.
21 Do not fear, O land,
    rejoice and be glad,
        because Yahweh has done great things.
22 Do not fear, wild animals of the field,
    because the pastures of the desert have put forth new green shoots,
because the tree has produced its fruit,
    the fig tree and the vine
        have yielded their produce.
23 Be glad, O children of Zion,
    be glad and rejoice in Yahweh your God,
because he has given for you
    the autumn rains for your righteousness,[d]
        and he has poured down[e] for you rainwater,
the autumn and spring rains, as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full with grain,
    and the vats will overflow
        with new wine and olive oil.
25 I will repay you the years
    that the locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
    my mighty troops that I sent against you.
26 And you will eat abundantly and be satisfied,
    and praise the name of Yahweh your God,
    who has dealt with you wondrously.[f]
My people will never be ashamed.[g]
27 And you will know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and I am Yahweh,
    your God, and there is no other.
My people will never be ashamed again.[h]

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:20 Or “The northern army”
  2. Joel 2:20 That is, the northern army
  3. Joel 2:20 That is, Yahweh (see v. 21)
  4. Joel 2:23 Or “vindication”
  5. Joel 2:23 Literally “brought down”
  6. Joel 2:26 Literally “to do a wonder”
  7. Joel 2:26 Literally “will forever not be ashamed”
  8. Joel 2:27 Literally “will forever no longer be ashamed”

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.

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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