New Living Translation

1 The LORD gave this message to Joel son of Pethuel. 2 Hear this, you leaders of the people.<br>Listen, all who live in the land.<br>In all your history,<br>has anything like this happened before?<br> 3 Tell your children about it in the years to come,<br>and let your children tell their children.<br>Pass the story down from generation to generation.<br> 4 After the cutting locusts finished eating the crops,<br>the swarming locusts took what was left!<br>After them came the hopping locusts,<br>and then the stripping locusts, too!<br> 5 Wake up, you drunkards, and weep!<br>Wail, all you wine-drinkers!<br>All the grapes are ruined,<br>and all your sweet wine is gone.<br> 6 A vast army of locusts has invaded my land,<br>a terrible army too numerous to count.<br>Its teeth are like lions’ teeth,<br>its fangs like those of a lioness.<br> 7 It has destroyed my grapevines<br>and ruined my fig trees,<br>stripping their bark and destroying it,<br>leaving the branches white and bare.<br> 8 Weep like a bride dressed in black,<br>mourning the death of her husband.<br> 9 For there is no grain or wine<br>to offer at the Temple of the LORD.<br>So the priests are in mourning.<br>The ministers of the LORD are weeping.<br> 10 The fields are ruined,<br>the land is stripped bare.<br>The grain is destroyed,<br>the grapes have shriveled,<br>and the olive oil is gone.<br> 11 Despair, all you farmers!<br>Wail, all you vine growers!<br>Weep, because the wheat and barley —<br>all the crops of the field — are ruined.<br> 12 The grapevines have dried up,<br>and the fig trees have withered.<br>The pomegranate trees, palm trees, and apple trees —<br>all the fruit trees — have dried up.<br>And the people’s joy has dried up with them.<br> 13 Dress yourselves in burlap and weep, you priests!<br>Wail, you who serve before the altar!<br>Come, spend the night in burlap,<br>you ministers of my God (Elohim).<br>For there is no grain or wine<br>to offer at the Temple of your God (Elohim).<br> 14 Announce a time of fasting;<br>call the people together for a solemn meeting.<br>Bring the leaders<br>and all the people of the land<br>into the Temple of the LORD your God (Elohim),<br>and cry out to him there.<br> 15 The day of the LORD is near,<br>the day when destruction comes from the Almighty.<br>How terrible that day will be!<br> 16 Our food disappears before our very eyes.<br>No joyful celebrations are held in the house of our God (Elohim).<br> 17 The seeds die in the parched ground,<br>and the grain crops fail.<br>The barns stand empty,<br>and granaries are abandoned.<br> 18 How the animals moan with hunger!<br>The herds of cattle wander about confused,<br>because they have no pasture.<br>The flocks of sheep and goats bleat in misery.<br> 19 LORD, help us!<br>The fire has consumed the wilderness pastures,<br>and flames have burned up all the trees.<br> 20 Even the wild animals cry out to you<br>because the streams have dried up,<br>and fire has consumed the wilderness pastures.<br>