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Joel 1

Joe 1, Jl 1


Joel 1

1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

2 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?

3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.

4 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.

5 Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.

6 For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.

7 He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

9 The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests, the LORD's ministers, mourn.

10 The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.



11 Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.

12 The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.

13 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.

14 Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,

15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

16 Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?

17 The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.

18 How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

19 O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.

20 The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

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Summary and the Meaning of Joel Chapter 1 in the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible

The Book of Joel is one of the twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament of the Bible. The first chapter of the Book of Joel is a vivid description of a devastating locust plague that has swept over the land of Judah, a metaphor for the impending judgment of God upon His people. This chapter is a call to repentance, a plea for the people to turn back to their God.

The Locust Plague: A Vivid Portrayal of Divine Judgment

The chapter begins with the word of the Lord coming to Joel, son of Pethuel. The prophet is instructed to tell the elders and all the inhabitants of the land about an unprecedented disaster that has occurred. A locust plague has destroyed the crops, the vineyards, the fig trees and the pomegranate, palm and apple trees. The devastation is so severe that even the joy of the people has dried up.

The locusts in Joel 1 are described in four different stages of growth: the cutting locust, the swarming locust, the hopping locust, and the destroying locust. This could be interpreted as a single plague that progressively worsens or as four successive plagues. The locusts are a symbol of divine judgment, a consequence of the people's disobedience and sin.

A Call to Lamentation and Mourning

The prophet Joel calls upon the drunkards to wake up and weep, for the new wine has been cut off from their mouths. The vine has dried up and the fig tree withered; the pomegranate, palm, and apple trees are all destroyed. This is not just a physical calamity; it is spiritual. The joy of the people has dried up along with their crops.

The prophet then calls upon the priests, the ministers of the Lord, to put on sackcloth and mourn. The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off from the house of the Lord. The fields are wasted, the land mourns, and the joy of the people has turned into shame. The prophet implores the people to lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

The Day of the Lord: A Foreshadowing of Future Judgment

The locust plague is not just a random event, but a foreshadowing of the Day of the Lord, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. The prophet describes the locusts as a great and strong people, with teeth like a lion's, who have laid waste the vines and ruined the fig trees. This is a warning of what is to come if the people of Judah do not repent and return to God.

The prophet Joel ends the chapter by calling upon the Lord. He asks, "Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?" Then he describes the seed as being under the clods, the storehouses as being laid desolate, the barns as being broken down, for the grain has withered. He asks how the beasts groan and the herds of cattle are perplexed because they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep suffer.

Interpretation and Meaning

The first chapter of Joel is a poignant illustration of the consequences of sin and disobedience. The locust plague serves as a metaphor for divine judgment. It is a wake-up call for the people of Judah to turn back to God, to repent and seek His forgiveness. The devastation caused by the locusts is not just physical, but also spiritual. The joy of the people has dried up along with their crops. This is a powerful reminder that sin leads to spiritual barrenness and desolation.

This chapter also serves as a warning of the impending Day of the Lord, a day of darkness and gloom. The locusts, described as a great and strong people, foreshadow the coming judgment. This underscores the urgency of repentance and the need to return to God.

In the midst of the devastation, the prophet Joel calls upon the Lord, acknowledging that only He can provide relief from the disaster. This is a powerful testament to the prophet's faith and his belief in the mercy and grace of God. Despite the harshness of the judgment, there is still hope in the Lord.

In conclusion, the first chapter of Joel is a profound exploration of the themes of divine judgment, repentance, and hope in God's mercy. It serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of sin, but also of the grace and forgiveness that are available to those who repent and return to God.



This article is informed by the King James Version of the Holy Bible, the authors' personal knowledge, considerations and experience, and additional materials and resources available in internet.

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