From the Greek Septuagint text as used
by First Century Christians.
A late 7th Century BCE prophecy
concerning the destruction and restoration of Jerusalem,
parts of which were
quoted by Peter when explaining how some of these words were fulfilled on
Pentecost of 33 CE.
Chapter 1
1 These are words of Jehovah that came to JoEl the son of BathuEl.
2 ‘Listen to
these things, O you elders…
Give ear, all you who live in the land!
Have you seen such things in your [lives]?
Were they seen in the days of your fathers?
3 ‘Describe
these things to your children
And to all the generations that follow!
4 For, caterpillars ate all
that there was,
And locusts devoured what they didn’t eat;
Then, grasshoppers ate what remained from the locusts,
And what the grasshoppers didn’t consume
Was thereafter destroyed by the blight.
5 ‘Now,
sober up and start crying,
All you that are drunk from your wine;
For, joy and gladness are gone from your mouths,
6 Since a powerful and populous
nation
Has now arrived in your land.
‘They have teeth that are as those of lions
And molars like those of young bears.
7 They’ve appointed your
grapevines to extinction
And condemned your fig-trees to splinters.
They are searching for you and cutting you down,
So now, all of your branches are white.
8 ‘Therefore,
wail like woman wearing sackcloth
[That mourns] for the man of her virgin years.
9 For the drink offerings and
other sacrifices
Have been removed from [His Temple].
Yes mourn, O you Priests that serve at the Altar,
10 For all of the fields now
lie bare!
‘And mourn, O land, for the grain is now gone,
Also, the wine has all dried,
And the oil is in short supply,
11 Because the farmers have
withered away.
‘Therefore, wail for all that you own,
Since the wheat and barley are gone from the fields!
12 ‘The
grapes [have shriveled and] dried;
Very few fig-trees remain;
The pomegranates, palms, and the melons,
And all the trees in the plains are now dry…
Yes, all that brings joy to sons of men
Has been taken away!
13 ‘So
Priests; tie your [hands] and beat on your chests…
Yes wail, you who serve at the Altar!
Go to bed wearing sackcloth,
You who are serving before Me,
Since there’s nothing left to be sacrificed,
And nothing to bring as drink offerings
To the House of Jehovah!
14 ‘Then call
for a period of fasting…
Proclaim a solemn assembly!
Gather the elders and all of the people
To the House of Jehovah your God,
Where all must fervently call to the Lord!
15 ‘Woe,
woe, woe for this time;
For the Day of the Lord has arrived
And misery upon misery has reached you.
16 Before your eyes, all the
food was destroyed,
With the rest that brings joy to your people.
17 ‘In the
stables, the cows are now restless,
Since all that they treasure is gone.
The wine vats have all been cut down,
And all of your grain is now parched…
18 So you’re left with nothing
at all.
‘The herds of oxen are bawling
Because they don’t have any pasture,
And your flocks of sheep have all been destroyed.
19 So, you should call out to
Jehovah,
For your beautiful fields have been burned,
And the flames have consumed all your trees.
20 ‘Now,
even the beasts in the plains
Have all started looking to Me,
Because their springs have gone dry,
And the desert’s beauty has vanished.
Chapter 2
1 ‘So, sound
the trumpets in Zion,
And on the Holy Mountain, you must proclaim
That all should bow to their faces,
For the Day of the Lord
is at hand (it is near)!
2 ‘It’s a
day that’s gloomy and dark…
It’s a day that’s cloudy with fog.
And as dawn peaks over the mountains,
[You can see] a vast, mighty people.
‘Through the ages, such a thing
hasn’t happened,
And through coming years, it won’t happen again…
From one generation to another.
3 ‘A
consuming fire is raging before you
And all that’s behind you is burning.
A paradise of delights lies before you,
But all that’s behind is extinction and desert
From which no man can escape.
4 ‘The sight
of them is like horses…
Like cavalry in hot pursuit.
5 Theirs is the sound of
chariot wheels
Leaping across tops of mountains…
Like the sounds of flames burning stubble
And of a vast mighty hoard of warriors.
6 ‘Before
them, the people will all be destroyed
And their faces will be like burnt pots.
7 For as soldiers, they will
attack you;
And as men of war, they’ll then scale your walls.
‘Each of their men will go their own ways,
And they’ll not be turned from their paths…
8 But, none will stray far from
their brothers.
‘They will arrive here with shields,
And by their arrows, the people will fall…
For no way will they tire [of killing].
9 ‘They will
thereafter capture the city,
And along its walls, they will run.
Then, into your homes, they’ll descend
And climb through your windows like thieves.
10 ‘Before
their faces, there’ll be just confusion,
And even the skies will be shaken.
Then the sun and the moon will grow dark,
And the brightness of the stars will decrease.
11 ‘Before
his armies, the Lord will call out;
For he’s leading a great mighty hoard.
His power will be seen in the things that he does,
For great is the Day of the Lord,
Since none can stand and oppose him.
12 ‘Now run,’
says Jehovah your God!
‘Flee to Me whole-heartedly…
Come fasting, weeping, and beating your chests!’
13 So, tear
at your hearts, not your clothes,
And turn to Jehovah your God!
For, He shows mercy and pity…
He’s gentle and He is forgiving,
[So He’ll overlook] the bad things you’ve done.
14 Who knows
if He’ll stop and consider,
Then change His plans and bless you instead.
So, bring sacrifices and drink offerings
To Jehovah your God!
15 ‘Now, blow
the trumpets in Zion…
Proclaim a [day] of holy fasts…
A day of sacred service must be declared!
16 ‘Yes,
gather all of the people
And proclaim a holy assembly!
Choose your elders, then gather your young…
Even those that are nursing at breasts!
Call the grooms from their bedrooms
And the brides from their wedding chambers!’
17 ‘Now,
Priests, you should all start to weep…
Yes, you that serve before God
At the base of the Altar.
Then pray, Spare Your people, O Lord!
Don’t hand them over for scorning
And to be ruled by the gentiles!
Then the nations will never have reason to ask,
What has become of your God?’
18 O
Jehovah; show zeal for Your land,
And please show mercy to Your people!
19 O
Jehovah; reply to Your people and say:
‘{Look!} I’ll send enough grain that you will be full,
Along with much wine and olive oil…
And you’ll be scorned by the nations no more!
20 ‘Then I’ll
drive away those that have come from the north
And push them into a waterless land…
I’ll remove their faces to the farthest of seas,
And their rears to the opposite end,
Where they [will lie] rotting and groaning,
And where nothing that they’ve done can be seen.’
21 So, be
courageous O land…
Yes, you should rejoice and be glad,
For Jehovah will be moved to take action!
22 Also take
courage, you cattle;
For, pastures will burst from the desert
And all the trees will bear fruit…
The fig-trees and grapevines will then yield their strength!
23 And be
glad, O children of Zion…
Find joy in Jehovah your God.
For to the righteousness, He will send food,
And He’ll bring the rains (both the early and late)
Just like He has done in the past.
24 Then your threshing-floors will
be covered with grain,
As your vats of wine and oil overflow.
25 He will
repay you for all of those years
When your things were devoured by blight…
By grasshoppers, caterpillars, and locusts,
And by the great army that He sent against you.
26 Then you
will all eat and be filled,
And you’ll praise the Name of your God…
The One that sent you great wonders.
And thereafter, His people won’t meet with disgrace
Throughout the ages that follow.
27 ‘O
IsraEl;
At that time, you’ll come here and know
That I am here in your midst…
Yes Me, Jehovah your God!
For there are no Gods other than Me,
And I’ll not leave My people disgraced through the age!
28
‘Then, in the last days, I will pour out My Breath,
And your sons and daughters will all prophesy,
Your aged men will dream dreams,
And young men in your midst will see visions.
29 ‘In those
days, I will pour out My Breath
Upon My male and female attendants.
30 Miracles, I’ll bring to the
skies,
And fire, smoke and blood to the land.
31
‘For the sun will then become dark
And the moon [will be changed] into blood
Before the great and apparent
Arrival of the Day of the Lord.
32 ‘Then,
all who call on the name of the Lord
Will be the ones that are saved,’ said Jehovah.
‘For, to Mount Zion and JeruSalem
Will come a person that saves
Announcing good news to all those
Who have been called by the Lord.
Chapter 3
1 ‘For,
{Look!} in those days and at that time,
I’ll return all those that were taken away
From Judah and JeruSalem.
2 ‘Then I’ll
gather all of those nations
To the Valley of JehoShaphat;
And on behalf of My people, I’ll judge them…
On behalf IsraEl (My inheritance)…
Those whom I’d scattered among all the nations…
Those among whom I’ve divided My land…
My people, over whom I’ve cast lots…
3 Those who once gave their
boys to the whores
And sold their young women for wine (which they drank).
4 ‘What are
you to Me, O Sidon and Tyre,
Or Galilee of the Philistines?
Shouldn’t I repay you for the things that you’ve done…
What reasons did I give you to hate Me?
‘So I’ll swiftly bring what’s due on your heads;
5 For you’ve taken My silver
and gold,
As well as the things that I’ve chosen,
Then carried it back to your temples!
6 And the sons of Judah and
JeruSalem,
You’ve given to the sons of the Greeks…
You pushed them away from your borders.
7 ‘But Look!
In every place where you’ve sent them,
I will make them stand once again
And I’ll lay the payment for them on your heads.
8 ‘Then,
after that, I will give
Your sons and daughters to the sons of the Jews.
And many will be taken as captives
To nations that live far away;
For, I Jehovah, have spoken.
9 ‘So,
proclaim these things to the nations!
Declare a holy war against them…
Yes, awaken the soldiers and shout:
[Attack and conquer], O men of war!
10 Cut your plows into
broadswords
And beat your scythes into spears!
Let the weak among you say they are strong
11 And attack the
nations that live roundabout!
Come and assemble [your armies],
And let your meek become warriors!
12 ‘Yes,
awaken the gentiles and send them
To the Valley of JehoShaphat;
For there, I will separate nations
(Those that live round-about you),
13 And then, I will send for the
scythes…
For the crops are now ready for harvest!
Climb in and tread, for the wine vat is full…
The vats overflow with their badness!
14 ‘Then throughout
the valley, [you will hear] the cries
Of those that are about to be punished;
For the Day of the Lord is at hand!
15 ‘Then the sun and the moon will grow dark,
And the stars will start to grow dim.
16 And from Zion, the Lord will
then shout…
From JeruSalem, his voice will be heard.
‘At that time, the lands and skies will
be shaken…
But the Lord will spare all his people.
For I’ll make the sons of IsraEl strong,
17 And you’ll know that I am
Jehovah your God!
‘On Zion, My Holy Mountain, I’ll camp,
And JeruSalem will be holy once more…
The nations will not overrun her again.
18 ‘And in
that day;
The mountains will trickle down sweetness,
Milk will flow from the hills,
And from the springs of Judah, water will flow.
‘Then a spring will flow from My
[Temple],
And its waters will become a great river!
19 ‘Egypt
will no longer be,
And Edom’s land in the plains will be gone;
For to the sons of Judah, they were unfair,
And in their lands, they shed righteous blood.
20 ‘Through
the ages, they’ll be living in Judah again…
Through generations of generations in JeruSalem.
21 Then I’ll avenge all the
blood that I’ve not avenged,
And the Lord will be tenting on Zion.’
The Ancient Scriptures of Israel
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Numbers
- Deuteronomy
- Joshua
- Judges
- Ruth
- 1 Samuel
- 2 Samuel
- 1 Kings
- 2 Kings
- 1 Chronicles
- 2 Chronicles
- Ezra
- Nehemiah
- Esther
- Job
- Psalms
- Proverbs
- Ecclesiastes
- Song of Solomon
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations
- Ezekiel
- Daniel
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
The Christian Era Scriptures
Note that this is the legacy version of the translation last updated in December 2020. You can also see the latest version.