| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1The word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel. | 1This is the word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel: |
| 2Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors? | 2Hear 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? |
| 3Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. | 3Tell it to your children; let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. |
| 4What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten. | 4What 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. |
| 5Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips. | 5Wake 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. |
| 6A nation has invaded my land, a mighty army without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness. | 6For 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. |
| 7It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white. | 7It 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. |
| 8Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth grieving for the betrothed of her youth. | 8Wail like a virgin dressed in sackcloth, grieving for the husband of her youth. |
| 9Grain offerings and drink offerings are cut off from the house of the LORD. The priests are in mourning, those who minister before the LORD. | 9Grain and drink offerings have been cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests are in mourning, those who minister before the LORD. |
| 10The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the olive oil fails. | 10The field is ruined; the land mourns. For the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails. |
| 11Despair, you farmers, wail, you vine growers; grieve for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field is destroyed. | 11Be dismayed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. |
| 12The 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. | 12The 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. |
| 13Put 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. | 13Put 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. |
| 14Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. | 14Consecrate 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. |
| 15Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. | 15Alas for the day! For the Day of the LORD is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty. |
| 16Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes-- joy and gladness from the house of our God? | 16Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes—joy and gladness from the house of our God? |
| 17The seeds are shriveled beneath the clods. The storehouses are in ruins, the granaries have been broken down, for the grain has dried up. | 17The seeds lie shriveled beneath the clods; the storehouses are in ruins; the granaries are broken down, for the grain has withered away. |
| 18How the cattle moan! The herds mill about because they have no pasture; even the flocks of sheep are suffering. | 18How the cattle groan! The herds wander in confusion because they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep are suffering. |
| 19To you, LORD, I call, for fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness and flames have burned up all the trees of the field. | 19To You, O LORD, I call, for fire has consumed the open pastures and flames have scorched all the trees of the field. |
| 20Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness. | 20Even the beasts of the field pant for You, for the streams of water have dried up, and fire has consumed the open pastures. |
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