The Invasion of Locusts 1 ULT The word of Yahweh that was to Joel, the son of Pethuel. BSB BSB: This is the word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel:
2 ULT Hear this, you elders, and listen, all of the dwellers of the land! Has this been in your days or in the days of your fathers? BSB BSB: Hear this, O elders; and give ear, all who dwell in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your fathers?
3 ULT Recount about it to your sons, and your sons to their sons, and their sons to the generation after. BSB BSB: Tell it to your children; let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.
4 ULT The residue of the cutting locust, the swarming locust has eaten, and the residue of the swarming locust, the hopping locust has eaten, and the residue of the hopping locust, the destroying locust has eaten. BSB BSB: What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.
5 ULT Wake up, drunkards, and weep! And wail, all of the drinkers of wine, upon the sweet wine, for it has been cut off from your mouth. BSB BSB: Wake up, you drunkards, and weep; wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it has been cut off from your mouth.
6 ULT For a nation has come up against my land, strong and without number. Its teeth{ are} the teeth of a lion, and the fangs of a lioness{ are} to it. BSB BSB: For a nation has invaded My land, powerful and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and its fangs are the fangs of a lioness.
7 ULT It has made my vine into a waste and my fig tree into splinters. Stripping, it has stripped it and thrown{ it} away; its branches have become white. BSB BSB: It has laid waste My grapevine and splintered My fig tree. It has stripped off the bark and thrown it away; the branches have turned white.
A Call to Mourning 8 ULT Mourn like a virgin dressed in sackcloth for the husband of her youth. BSB BSB: Wail like a virgin dressed in sackcloth, grieving for the husband of her youth.
9 ULT The grain offering and the drink offering have been cut off from the house of Yahweh. The priests mourn, the servants of Yahweh. BSB BSB: Grain and drink offerings have been cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests are in mourning, those who minister before the LORD.
10 ULT The field has been destroyed; the ground mourns, for the grain has been destroyed; the new wine dries up, the oil is made weak. BSB BSB: The field is ruined; the land mourns. For the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails.
11 ULT Feel shame, farmers; wail, vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley, for the harvest of the field has perished. BSB BSB: Be dismayed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.
12 ULT The vine has dried up and the fig tree has been made weak. The pomegranate tree, also the palm tree and the apple tree, all of the trees of the field have dried up. So joy has dried up from the sons of man. BSB BSB: The grapevine is dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, palm, and apple—all the trees of the orchard—are withered. Surely the joy of mankind has dried up.
A Call to Repentance (Amos 5:4–15; Zephaniah 2:1–3; Luke 13:1–5)
13 ULT Dress and lament, you priests! Wail, you servants of the altar. Come, lodge in sackcloth, servants of my God, for the grain offering and the drink offering have been withheld from the house of your God. BSB BSB: Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God, because the grain and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.
14 ULT Consecrate a fast, call an assembly. Gather the elders{ and} all of the dwellers of the land{ to} the house of Yahweh your God, and cry out to Yahweh. BSB BSB: Consecrate a fast; proclaim a solemn assembly! Gather the elders and all the residents of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.
15 ULT Alas for the day! For the day of Yahweh{ is} near, and as destruction from Shaddai it will come. BSB BSB: Alas for the day! For the Day of the LORD is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
16 ULT Has not food been cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? BSB BSB: Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes—joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17 ULT The seeds shrivel under their clods. The storehouses are desolate, the granaries have been broken down, for the grain has dried up. BSB BSB: The seeds lie shriveled beneath the clods; the storehouses are in ruins; the granaries are broken down, for the grain has withered away.
18 ULT How the beast groans! The herds of cattle are perplexed, for no pasture{ is} to them. Also the flocks of sheep are punished. BSB BSB: How the cattle groan! The herds wander in confusion because they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep are suffering.
19 ULT To you, Yahweh, I cry, for fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame has burned all of the trees of the field. BSB BSB: To You, O LORD, I call, for fire has consumed the open pastures and flames have scorched all the trees of the field.
20 ULT Even the beasts of the field pant for you, for the streams of water have dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness. BSB BSB: Even the beasts of the field pant for You, for the streams of water have dried up, and fire has consumed the open pastures.