Joel 1:8–13

Lament like a virgin wearing sackcloth

for the bridegroom of her youth.

The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off

from the house of the Lord.

The priests mourn,

the ministers of the Lord.

The fields are destroyed,

the ground mourns,

because the grain is destroyed,

the wine dries up,

the oil languishes.

Be ashamed, O tillers of the soil;

wail, O vinedressers,

for the wheat and the barley,

because the harvest of the field has perished.

The vine dries up;

the fig tree languishes.

Pomegranate, palm, and apple,

all the trees of the field are dried up,

and gladness dries up

from the children of man.

Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests;

wail, O ministers of the altar.

Go in, pass the night in sackcloth,

O ministers of my God!

Because grain offering and drink offering

are withheld from the house of your God.

Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth

grieving for the betrothed of her youth.

Grain offerings and drink offerings

are cut off from the house of the Lord.

The priests are in mourning,

those who minister before the Lord.

The fields are ruined,

the ground is dried up;

the grain is destroyed,

the new wine is dried up,

the olive oil fails.

Despair, you farmers,

wail, you vine growers;

grieve for the wheat and the barley,

because the harvest of the field is destroyed.

The vine is dried up

and the fig tree is withered;

the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree—

all the trees of the field—are dried up.

Surely the people’s joy

is withered away.

Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn;

wail, you who minister before the altar.

Come, spend the night in sackcloth,

you who minister before my God;

for the grain offerings and drink offerings

are withheld from the house of your God.

Grieve like a young woman dressed in sackcloth,

mourning for the husband of her youth.

Grain and drink offerings have been cut off

from the house of the Lord;

the priests, who are ministers of the Lord, mourn.

The fields are destroyed;

the land grieves;

indeed, the grain is destroyed;

the new wine is dried up;

and the fresh oil fails.

Be ashamed, you farmers,

wail, you vinedressers,

over the wheat and the barley,

because the harvest of the field has perished.

The grapevine is dried up,

and the fig tree is withered;

the pomegranate, the date palm, and the apple—

all the trees of the orchard—have withered.

Indeed, human joy has dried up.

Dress in sackcloth and lament, you priests;

wail, you ministers of the altar.

Come and spend the night in sackcloth,

you ministers of my God,

because grain and drink offerings

are withheld from the house of your God.

Weep like a bride dressed in black,

mourning the death of her husband.

For there is no grain or wine

to offer at the Temple of the Lord.

So the priests are in mourning.

The ministers of the Lord are weeping.

The fields are ruined,

the land is stripped bare.

The grain is destroyed,

the grapes have shriveled,

and the olive oil is gone.

Despair, all you farmers!

Wail, all you vine growers!

Weep, because the wheat and barley—

all the crops of the field—are ruined.

The grapevines have dried up,

and the fig trees have withered.

The pomegranate trees, palm trees, and apple trees—

all the fruit trees—have dried up.

And the people’s joy has dried up with them.

Dress yourselves in burlap and weep, you priests!

Wail, you who serve before the altar!

Come, spend the night in burlap,

you ministers of my God.

For there is no grain or wine

to offer at the Temple of your God.

Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the Lord;

The priests, the Lord’s ministers, mourn.

The field is wasted, the land mourneth;

For the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.

Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers,

For the wheat and for the barley;

Because the harvest of the field is perished.

The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth;

The pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree,

Even all the trees of the field, are withered:

Because joy is withered away from the sons of men.

Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests:

Howl, ye ministers of the altar:

Come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God:

For the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.