Joe 2:12-27 | ESV | STEP | Yet even now , declares the Lord , return to me with all your heart , with fasting , with weeping , and with mourning ;

Joel 2:12-27

Return to the Lord

12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
^a“return to me with all your heart,
^bwith fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 and ^crend your hearts and not ^dyour garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
^efor he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
^fand he relents over disaster.
14 ^gWho knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and ^hleave a blessing behind him,
ⁱa grain offering and a drink offering
for the Lord your God?
15 ^jBlow the trumpet in Zion;
^kconsecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
16 gather the people.
^lConsecrate the congregation;
assemble the elders;
^mgather the children,
even nursing infants.
ⁿLet the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her chamber.
17 ^oBetween the ^pvestibule and the ^qaltar
^rlet the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep
and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
a byword among the nations. ^{▼▼Or reproach, that the nations should rule over them}
^tWhy should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”

The Lord Had Pity

18 ^uThen the Lord became jealous for his land
^vand had pity on his people.
19 The Lord answered and said to his people,
“Behold, ^wI am sending to you
grain, wine, and oil,
^xand you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
a reproach among the nations.
20 “I will remove the northerner far from you,
and drive him into a parched and desolate land,
his vanguard ^{▼▼Hebrew face} into ^zthe eastern sea,
and his rear guard ^{▼▼Hebrew his end} into ^abthe western sea;
^acthe stench and foul smell of him will rise,
for he has done great things.
21 “Fear not, O land;
be glad and rejoice,
for ^adthe Lord has done great things!
22 Fear not, ^aeyou beasts of the field,
for ^afthe pastures of the wilderness are green;
^agthe tree bears its fruit;
the fig tree and ^ahvine give their full yield.
23 ^ai“Be glad, O children of Zion,
and ^ajrejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given ^akthe early rain for your vindication;
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
^althe early and ^amthe latter rain, as before.
24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will restore ^{▼▼Or pay back} to you the years
that ^aothe swarming locust has eaten,
^apthe hopper, ^aqthe destroyer, and ^arthe cutter,
^asmy great army, which I sent among you.
26 ^at“You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people ^aushall never again be put to shame.
27 ^avYou shall know that I am ^awin the midst of Israel,
and that ^axI am the Lord your God ^ayand there is none else.
And my people ^azshall never again be put to shame.