Joel 2:12–18

Return to Yahweh

¹²“Yet even now,” declares Yahweh,

“^aReturn to Me with all your heart

And with ^bfasting, weeping, and ¹wailing;

¹³And ^atear your heart and not ^byour garments.”

Now return to Yahweh your God,

For He is ^cgracious and compassionate,

Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness,

And ^drelenting concerning evil.

¹⁴Who knows ^awhether He will not turn and relent

And leave a ^bblessing behind Him,

Even ^ca grain offering and a drink offering

For Yahweh your God?

^15aBlow a trumpet in Zion,

^bSet apart a fast as holy, call for a solemn assembly,

¹⁶Gather the people, ^aset apart the congregation as holy,

Assemble the elders,

Gather the infants and the nursing babies.

Let the ^bbridegroom come out of his room

And the bride out of her bridal chamber.

¹⁷Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh,

Weep ^abetween the porch and the altar,

And let them say, “^bPity Your people, O Yahweh,

And do not make Your inheritance a ^creproach,

A byword among the nations.

Why should they among the peoples say,

‘^dWhere is their God?’”

Yahweh Will Spare His People

¹⁸Then Yahweh ¹will be ^azealous for His land

And ²will ^bspare His people.