1 The word of our Lord, that was made to Joel the son of Phatuel.
1 The word of the Lord, that came to Joel, the son of Phatuel.
2 Hear this ye ancients, and harken with your ears all ye inhabitants of the land: if this hath been done in your days, or in the days of your fathers?
2 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land: did this ever happen in your days, or in the days of your fathers?
3 Upon this tell you to your children, and your children to their children, and their children to another generation.
3 Tell ye of this to your children, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation.
4 The residue of the eruke hath the locust eaten, and the residue of the locust hath the bruke eaten, and the residue of the bruke hath the blast eaten.
4 That which the palmerworm hath left, the locust hath eaten: and that which the locust hath left, the bruchus hath eaten: and that which the bruchus hath left, the mildew hath destroyed.
5 Awake you that be drunk, and weep and howl all ye, that drink wine in sweetness: because it is perished from your mouth.
5 Awake, ye that are drunk, and weep, and mourn all ye that take delight; in drinking sweet wine: for it is cut off from your mouth.
6 For a nation is ascended upon my land, strong & innumerable: his teeth as the teeth of a lion: & his cheek-teeth as of a lion's whelp.
6 For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number: his teeth are like the teeth of a lion: and his cheek teeth as of a lion’s whelp.
7 He hath laid my vineyard into a desert, and hath pilled off the bark of my fig-tree: stripping he hath spoiled it, and cast it forth: the boughs thereof are made white.
7 He hath laid my vineyard waste, and hath pilled off the bark of my fig tree: he hath stripped it bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.
8 Mourn as a virgin girded with sack-cloth upon the husband of her youth.
8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.
9 Sacrifice and libation is perished out of the house of our Lord: the priests our Lord's ministers mourned.
9 Sacrifice and libation is cut off from the house of the Lord: the priests, the Lord’s ministers, have mourned:
10 The region is destroyed, the ground hath mourned: because the wheat is wasted, the wine is confounded, the oil hath languished.
10 The country is destroyed, the ground hath mourned: for the corn is wasted, the wine is confounded, the oil hath languished.
11 The husbandmen are confounded, the dressers of vines have howled upon the wheat, and the barley, because the harvest of the field is perished.
11 The husbandmen are ashamed, the vinedressers have howled for the wheat, and for the barley, because the harvest of the field is perished.
12 The vineyard is confounded, & the fig-tree hath languished: the pomegranate, & the palm-tree, and the apple-tree, & all the trees of the field are withered: because joy is confounded from the children of men.
12 The vineyard is confounded, and the fig tree hath languished: the pomegranate tree, and the palm tree, and the apple tree, and all the trees of the field are withered: because joy is withdrawn from the children of men.
13 Gird yourselves, & mourn ye priests, howl ye ministers of the altar: go in, lie in sack-cloth ye ministers of my God: because sacrifice and libation is perished out of the house of your God.
13 Gird yourselves, and lament, O ye priests, howl, ye ministers of the altars: go in, lie in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: because sacrifice and libation is cut off from the house of your God.
14 Sacrifice ye a fast, call an assembly, gather together the ancients, all the inhabitants of the land into the house of your God: and cry ye to our Lord:
14 ¹Sanctify ye a fast, call an assembly, gather together the ancients, all the inhabitants of the land into the house of your God: and cry ye to the Lord:
15 Aa a, for the day: because the day of our Lord is at hand, and as destruction from the mighty it shall come.
15 Ah, ah, ah, for the day: because the day of the Lord is at hand, and it shall come like destruction from the mighty.
16 Why, are not the victuals perished before your eyes, joy and exultation out of the house of our God?
16 Is not your food cut off before your eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17 The beasts are rotted in their dung, the barns are destroyed, the store-houses are dissipated: because the wheat is confounded.
17 The beasts have rotted in their dung, the barns are destroyed, the storehouses are broken down: because the corn is confounded.
18 Why groan the beast, why lowed the flocks of the herd? Because there is no pasture for them: yea & the flocks of the cattle are perished.
18 Why did the beasts groan, why did the herds of cattle low? Because there is no pasture for them: yea, and the flocks of sheep are perished.
19 To thee o Lord will I cry: because fire hath eaten the beautiful things of the desert, and the flame hath burnt all the trees of the region.
19 To thee, O Lord, will I cry: because fire hath devoured the beautiful places of the wilderness: and the flame hath burnt all the trees of the country.
20 Yea and the beasts of the field, as a garden bed thirsting for a shower, have looked up to thee, because the fountains of waters are dried up, and fire hath devoured the beautiful things of the desert.
20 Yea, and the beasts of the field have looked up to thee, as a garden bed that thirsteth after rain, for the springs of waters are dried up, and fire hath devoured the beautiful places of the wilderness.