Joel 2:12–27

GOD’S CALL FOR REPENTANCE

¹²Even now—

this is the Lord’s declaration—

turn to me with all your heart,^ac

with fasting, weeping, and mourning.^ad

¹³Tear your hearts,^ae

not just your clothes,^af

and return to the Lord your God.

For he is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger, abounding in faithful love,

and he relents from sending disaster.^ag

¹⁴Who knows? He may turn and relent^ah

and leave a blessing behind him,^ai

so you can offer a grain offering and a drink offering

to the Lord your God.^aj

¹⁵Blow the trumpet in Zion!^ak

Announce a sacred fast;^al

proclaim a solemn assembly.

¹⁶Gather the people;

sanctify the congregation;^am

assemble the aged;^Aan

gather the infants,

even babies nursing at the breast.

Let the groom leave his bedroom,^ao

and the bride her honeymoon chamber.

¹⁷Let the priests,^ap the Lord’s ministers,

weep between the portico and the altar.^aq

Let them say,

“Have pity on your people, Lord,^ar

and do not make your inheritance a disgrace,^a

an object of scorn among the nations.

Why should it be said among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?’ ”^b

GOD’S RESPONSE TO HIS PEOPLE

¹⁸Then the Lord became jealous for his land^c and spared his people.^{d 19}The Lord answered his people:

Look, I am about to send you

grain, new wine, and fresh oil.^e

You will be satiated with them,

and I will no longer make you

a disgrace among the nations.^f

²⁰I will drive the northerner far from you^g

and banish him to a dry and desolate land,

his front ranks into the Dead Sea,^h

and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea.ⁱ

His stench will rise;

yes, his rotten smell will rise,^j

for he has done astonishing things.

²¹Don’t be afraid, land;^k

rejoice and be glad,

for the Lord has done astonishing things.^l

²²Don’t be afraid, wild animals,

for the wilderness pastures have turned green,^m

the trees bear their fruit,

and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.

²³Children of Zion,ⁿ rejoice and be glad

in the Lord your God,^o

because he gives you the autumn rain^A,

for your vindication.^Bp

He sends showers for you,

both autumn and spring rain^q as before.

²⁴The threshing floors will be full of grain,^r

and the vats will overflow

with new wine and fresh oil.

²⁵I will repay you for the years

that the swarming locust ate,^s

the young locust, the destroying locust,

and the devouring locust—

my great army that I sent against you.

²⁶You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied.^t

You will praise the name of the Lord your God,^u

who has dealt wondrously with you.^v

My people will never again be put to shame.^w

²⁷You will know that I am present in Israel^x

and that I am the Lord your God,

and there is no other.^y

My people will never again be put to shame.^z