1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel:
An Invasion of Locusts
give ear, ball inhabitants of the land!
cHas such a thing happened in your days,
or in the days of your fathers?
3 dTell your children of it,
and let your children tell their children,
and their children to another generation.
4 What ethe cutting locust left,
fthe swarming locust has eaten.
What the swarming locust left,
gthe hopping locust has eaten,
and what the hopping locust left,
hthe destroying locust has eaten.
5 Awake, you drunkards, and weep,
and iwail, all you drinkers of wine,
because of jthe sweet wine,
for it is cut off from your mouth.
6 For ka nation has come up against my land,
kpowerful and beyond number;
lits teeth are lions’ teeth,
and it has the fangs of a lioness.
7 It has laid waste my vine
and splintered my mfig tree;
it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down;
their branches are made white.
8 Lament like a virgin1 nwearing sackcloth
for the bridegroom of her youth.
9 oThe grain offering and the drink offering are cut off
from the house of the Lord.
pThe priests mourn,
pthe ministers of the Lord.
10 The fields are destroyed,
qthe ground mourns,
because rthe grain is destroyed,
rthe wine dries up,
the oil languishes.
11 sBe ashamed,2 O tillers of the soil;
wail, O vinedressers,
for the wheat and the barley,
tbecause the harvest of the field has perished.
12 The vine dries up;
uthe fig tree languishes.
Pomegranate, palm, and apple,
all the trees of the field are dried up,
and vgladness dries up
from the children of man.
A Call to Repentance
13 wPut on sackcloth and lament, pO priests;
xwail, O ministers of the altar.
Go in, wpass the night in sackcloth,
pO ministers of my God!
yBecause grain offering and drink offering
are withheld from the house of your God.
14 zConsecrate a fast;
zcall a solemn assembly.
Gather athe elders
and aall the inhabitants of the land
to the house of the Lord your God,
and cry out to the Lord.
15 Alas for the day!
bFor the day of the Lord is near,
and as destruction from the Almighty3 it comes.
16 Is not the food cut off
before our eyes,
cjoy and gladness
from the house of our God?
17 dThe seed shrivels under the clods;4
the storehouses are desolate;
the granaries are torn down
because ethe grain has dried up.
18 How fthe beasts groan!
The herds of cattle are perplexed
because there is no pasture for them;
even the flocks of sheep suffer.5
19 To you, gO Lord, I call.
hFor fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness,
hand flame has burned
all the trees of the field.
20 Even the beasts of the field ipant for you
because the water brooks are dried up,
hand fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness.
1 Therefore, my brothers,1 whom I love and jlong for, kmy joy and lcrown, mstand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
Exhortation, Encouragement, and Prayer
2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to nagree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion,2 help these women, who have labored3 side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, owhose names are in the book of life.
4 pRejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness4 be known to everyone. qThe Lord is at hand; 6 rdo not be anxious about anything, sbut in everything by prayer and supplication twith thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And uthe peace of God, vwhich surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned5 and wreceived and heard and seen xin me—practice these things, and ythe God of peace will be with you.
God’s Provision
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length zyou have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be acontent. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and bhunger, abundance and cneed. 13 I can do all things dthrough him who strengthens me.
14 Yet it was kind of you eto share6 my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that fin the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, gno church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 hNot that I seek the gift, but I seek ithe fruit that increases to your credit.7 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, jhaving received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, ka fragrant offering, la sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God mwill supply every need of yours naccording to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To oour God and Father be pglory forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. qThe brothers who are with me greet you. 22 rAll the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.
23 sThe grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
