Joel 1:13-20

Joel tells people to be sad about their sins

13 You priests, wear clothes that are not comfortable.

That will show that you are sad.

You cry, you who serve the Lord in his temple.

Come, you who serve in front of my God.

Sleep in the clothes that are not comfortable.

Cry for the gifts of food and drink.

Cry because they do not come to the house of your God any longer.

14 Tell everyone that they must not eat any food.

Tell the people that they must all come to hear the Lord.

Speak to the older leaders,

and all the people who live in this country.

Tell them that they must all come.

They must come to the house of the Lord your God

and they must shout out to the Lord.

15 Be afraid because of that day.

Be afraid because the day of the Lord is near.

It will be as if the great God would destroy everything.

16 No food has come.

We saw this with our own eyes.

The house of our God cannot make us happy.

17 The seeds under the earth are dry.

The places where they were stored have fallen down.

Someone has broken them up

because the seed does not grow.

18 The cows make a sad noise.

They all move about

because they cannot find any grass.

Even groups of sheep are hungry.

19 I speak to you, my Lord.

Fire has destroyed the grass in the wilderness,

and it has burned up all the trees.

20 Even the wild animals are thirsty and they want your help.

The rivers have no water in them.

Fire has destroyed the fields in the wilderness.