Joel 1:1-12

Locusts eat all the plants in Israel

1 This is the word of the Lord that came to Joel, son of Pethuel.

2 You older men, hear this! Listen, all people who live in this country.

Nothing like this has happened while you have been alive.

Nothing like this happened while your ancestors were alive.

3 Tell this to your children.

And they must tell it to their children.

And their children must tell it to their own children.

4 The great locusts have eaten what the big group of locusts left.

The young locusts have eaten what the great locusts left.

Other locusts have eaten what the young locusts left.

5 Wake up, you who have drunk too much wine!

Cry, all people who drink wine!

Cry because you will have no new wine.

Someone has taken it away from you.

6 A strong army has marched into my land.

It is powerful, and great in numbers.

It has the teeth of a strong animal.

And the teeth are long and dangerous.

7 It has broken my vines.

It has destroyed my fig trees.

It has eaten the outside of the trees.

It has thrown them away.

It has left their branches white.

8 Cry like a girl that no man ever loved.

She is crying because her promised husband is dead.

9 There will be no more gifts of food or drink.

They will not reach the house of the Lord.

The priests, the servants of the Lord,

are very, very sad.

10 Nobody can use the fields.

They are all dry.

The new wine has all gone.

The oil has all gone.

11 You farmers, you cry.

You who grow vines, cry.

Be sad for the seeds that are food.

Be sad because the fields are dry. And the plants have died.

12 The vine has become dry,

and the fig tree is dead.

The apple trees and other fruit trees,

all the trees have no more fruit.

Men have no more joy.

It has all gone.