THE PROPHET
JOEL
יוֹאֵל
⇐
HOSEA | JOEL | AMOS | OBADIAH | JONAH | MICAH | NAHUM | HABAKKUK | ZEPHANIAH | HAGGAI | ZECHARIAH | MALACHI
[...]
Translation in progress.
The word of Yahweh that came to Joel son of Pethuel.
Hear this, you elders!
Listen, all you who live in the land!
Has anything like this ever happened in your days,
or even in the days of your ancestors?
Tell your children about it,
and may your children tell their children about it,
and their children to the next generation.
[...]
Translation in progress.
The word of Yahweh came to Jonah, son of Amittai, saying:
─ Get up, go to Nineveh, the great city, and cry out against it, for their wickedness has come to My attention.
Jonah did get up, but to flee to Tarshish away from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of Yahweh.
But Yahweh hurled a great wind on the sea. There was such a great storm on the sea that the ship was about to be broken up. So the sailors were afraid and each one started crying out to his god. Then they hurled the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load.
Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship and had lain down and was sound asleep.
So the captain approached Jonah and said:
─ What 's this? Sleeping? Get up, call on your gods. Maybe your god will consider us and we won’t be exterminated.
Then the sailors said to one another:
─ Come on! Let’s cast lots! Then we’ll know who’s to blame for this calamity that’s happening to us.
[...]
Translation in progress.
The burden against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
A jealous and avenging God - Yahweh avenges!
He is a master of fury -
Yahweh, who takes vengeance on His adversaries
and reserves wrath for His enemies.
Yahweh is slow to anger and great in power,
but will not leave the guilty unpunished.
Blizzard storm and whirlwind are Yahweh’s path
and the clouds are the dust of His feet.
God rebukes the sea so that it becomes dry,
and dries all the rivers.
Bashan and Carmel wither,
and the flower of Lebanon weakens.
Huge mountains quake before Him,
and the hills melt.
Vis-à-vis God, the earth is laid waste,
the world and all who live in it.
No one can stand before His indignation!
No one can endure His burning anger!
His fury is poured out like fire.
Rocks are shattered in His presence.
The Lord Yahweh is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble,
and He knows those who trust in Him.
But He will bring complete annihilation to its place
with an overwhelming deluge
and darkness will pursue His enemies.
Why do you conspire against Yahweh?
He will bring complete annihilation of it.
Affliction will not rise up a second time.
For while they’re like tangled thorns
and like drunken drunkards,
they shall be devoured like fully dried stubble.
From you comes forth one who plots against Yahweh,
a worthless evil counselor.
Thus says Yahweh:
“Though they are safe, and likewise many,
yet in this manner they will be cut off,
and when He passes through.
And though I have afflicted you,
I will not afflict you no more.
For now I will break off his yoke from you,
and your bonds burst apart.”
Yahweh has given a command concerning you:
“Your name will not last for any longer.
I will cut off carved image and molded image
out of the house of your gods.
I will dig your grave, for you are trifling.”
Look, on the mountains
the feet of him who brings good tidings,
who proclaims peace!
Judah, keep your festivals; fulfill your vows.
For never ever again will the wicked one pass through you.
He will be utterly cut off.
The scatterer has come up before you!
Guard the fort! Keep watch over the road!
Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power with muchness!
For Yahweh will restore the excellence of Jacob
like the excellence of Israel,
even though the emptiers have emptied them out,
and their vine branches, ruined.
The shields of his mighty men are dyed red,
valiant men in scarlet -
the chariots come with flaming torches
in the day of his preparation,
and the spears are brandished.
In the streets the chariots rage,
they jostle one another in the broad [roads],
they seem like torches,
they run like lightning.
He remembers his nobles -
they stumble in their walk -
they make haste to her walls,
and the defense is prepared.
Woe to the city built on innocent blood!
People clap at your downfall, for who hasn’t felt your perpetual cruelty?
[...]
Translation in progress.
The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
How long, O Yahweh, must I cry out for help and You won’t hear?
How long will I even cry to You, “Violence!” and You won’t save?
Why do You show me iniquity and make me see trouble?
Devastation and violence are right in front of me.
There is strife. Heated conflict is constant.
That’s why the law is ineffective and justice never goes forward,
because wicked people surrounds the righteous,
and perverse judgment goes on.
Look at the nations and watch, and be utterly astounded!
Because a deed is going to be done in y’all’s days
which y’all will not believe when you hear it.
For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans,
that bitter and brazen nation,
marching through the earth’s open space
to seize territories that are not theirs.
They are dreadful! They impose fear on others!
Their sense of right and dignity come from themselves.
Their horses are swifter than leopards
[...]
Translation in progress.
This is the word of Yahweh that came to Zephaniah, who was son of Cushi, grandson of Gedaliah, great-grandson of Amariah and great-great-grandson of King Hezekiah, in the days of King Josiah, son of Amom, who reigned in Judah.
I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth
─ says Yahweh ─
I will sweep away mankind, animals,
the birds of the heavens,
the fish of the sea
and the idols that ruin their wicked worshippers.
I will eliminate mankind from the face of the earth
─ says Yahweh ─
I will punish Judah
and all who live in Jerusalem.
I will cut off from this place
every trace of Baal,
the names of the idolatrous priests
along with the temple priests,
those who bow down to the host of heaven on the roofs,
those who bow down and swear oaths by Yahweh
but who also swear by their “king”,
and those who turn their back from following Yahweh
and completely ignore Him.
Silence in the presence of the Lord Yahweh!
For the Day of Yahweh is near!
Indeed, Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice
and He has invited His guests.
On the day of Yahweh’s sacrifice
I will punish upon the princes and the king’s sons
and all who are dressed in foreign clothes.
On that day
I will punish those who, like the Philistines, skip over the threshold,
those who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.
On that day
─ says Yahweh ─
an outcry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wailing from the Second Quarter,
and a loud crash from the hills.
Lament, y’all who live in Maktesh,
for all the merchants will be undone.
All who handle money will be destroyed.
At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
and punish the men who are settled in complacency
and who say, “Yahweh won’t do good or evil.”
Therefore their possessions will become plunder.
Their houses will become a waste.
They will build houses but won’t live in them.
They will plant vineyards but won’t drink their wine.
The great day of Yahweh is near!
It’s near and it hurries to come!
Listen! The day of Yahweh!
In it the warrior will cry out bitterly.
That day will be a day of wrath,
a day of trouble and distress,
a day of devastation and desolation,
a day of darkness and gloominess,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
a day of trumpet and war-cry
against the fortified cities and high towers.
I will bring distress upon men
and they will walk like blind men
because they have sinned against Yahweh.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their flesh, like dung.
Their silver and gold
will not be able to save them
on the day of the wrath of Yahweh,
but all the land will be devoured by His fiery jealousy,
for indeed Yahweh will be quick in completely destroying
all who live in the land.
Gather yourselves together,
yes, gather yourselves together,
you undesirable nation,
gather before the decree is issued
or the day passes like chaff,
before Yahweh’s burning anger comes upon you,
before the day of Yahweh’s anger comes upon you.
Seek Yahweh, all you humble of the earth
who have carried out His justice,
seek righteousness, seek humility.
Perhaps y’all will be spared
on the day of Yahweh’s anger.
For Gaza will be abandoned,
Ashkelon will be desolate,
they will drive out Ashdod at noon,
and Ekron will be uprooted.
Woe to those who live in the seacoast,
the nation of the Cretan Philistines!
The word of Yahweh is against you,
Canaan, land of the Philistines.
I will destroy you,
so there will be no one living in you.
The seacoast will turn into pastures,
with wells for shepherds
and sheepfolds for sheep.
The coast will belong to the remnant of Judah’s royal family.
There they will feed their flocks.
At evening, they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon,
for Yahweh their God will intervene for them
and bring back their captives.
I have heard the taunts of Moab
and the insults of the Ammonites
who have taunted My people
and boldly threatened their territory.
Therefore I surely swear by my life,
says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel,
that Moab will become like Sodom,
and the Ammonites will become like Gomorrah,
dominated by nettles, saltpits
and eternal desolation.
The survivors of My people will plunder it,
the remnant of My people will possess it.
This they will pay for their pride,
because they taunted and threatened the nation of Yahweh of hosts.
Yahweh will be terrifying to them,
for He will starve all the gods of the land.
And all the coastlands of the nations
will worship Yahweh,
each one from his place.
And y’all Ethiopians, y’all too will be slain by My sword!
Yahweh will punish the north,
destroy Assyria
and make Nineveh a desolate ruin,
as dry as a desert.
Herds will lie in the midst of Nineveh,
every animal of a nation.
Both the pelican and the hedgehog
will lodge on the capitals of her pillars.
Their calls will sound from the windows,
but desolation will be at the threshold,
because He will empty the cedar-work.
Is this happy-go-lucky city
that lives securely
and says in her heart,
“There’s only me and no one else!”?
What a desolation she has become,
a resting place for wild animals!
Everyone who passes by her
hisses and waves their hands.
Woe to the oppressive city,
rebellious and polluted!
She does not listen to anyone,
nor received correction,
nor trusted in Yahweh
nor drawn near to her God.
Her princes in her midst are lions roaring,
her judges are evening wolves
that don’t leave a bone till morning.
Her prophets are reckless, treacherous people.
Her priests have polluted the sanctuary
and violated God’s instruction.
Yahweh is in the midst of the city and He is righteous.
He will do no injustice.
Every morning He brings His justice to light.
He never fails,
but the unjust knows no shame.
I have cut off nations,
their fortresses are devastated.
I have made their streets desolate,
with no one passing through.
Their cities are destroyed.
There’s definitely no one living there.
I said: Certainly you will fear Me
and accept correction,
so that her dwelling may not be cut off,
based on everything I assigned to her,
but they rose early to corrupt all they did.
So wait for Me ─ says Yahweh ─
until the day I rise up for plunder,
because I’m determined to gather the nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out My indignation on them,
all My burning anger.
For all the land will be devoured
by the fire of My jealousy.
For I will then restore
a pure speech to the peoples
that every one of them may call
on the name of Yahweh
to serve Him together in unison.
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
My worshippers,
My dear dispersed ones,
will bring Me offerings
[...]
Translation in progress.
In November of the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo:
─ Yahweh has been extremely angry with your ancestors. Therefore tell them, “This is what Yahweh of Heavenly Armies says, ‘Return to me,’ declares Yahweh of Heavenly Armies, ‘and I’ll return to you,’ says Yahweh of the Heavenly Armies. Don’t be like your ancestors. Because when the former prophets preached to them: “This is what Yahweh of the Heavenly Armies says, ‘Turn now from your evil lifestyles and your evil actions,’ they didn’t obey or pay attention to me. Your ancestors, where are they? And your prophets, do you live forever? Yet My words and My statutes which I commanded My servants the prophets definitely caught up to your ancestors, didn’t they?
So they repented and said:
─ Yahweh of Heavenly Armies dealt with us according to our lifestyles and actions, just like he had determined to do to us.
Three months later, on February 15, in the second year of Darius,