1以下是耶和華對毗土珥的兒子約珥所說的話。
嚴重的蝗災
2長老們啊，請聽我說！
地上的所有居民啊，要留心聽！
在你們或你們祖先的時代可曾發生過這樣的事？
3要把這事告訴你們的子子孫孫，
傳到世世代代！
4蝗蟲吃剩的，蝻子來吃；
蝻子吃剩的，蚱蜢來吃；
蚱蜢吃剩的，螞蚱來吃1·4 「蝗蟲、蝻子、蚱蜢和螞蚱」四個詞希伯來語的確切意思很難考證。。
5醉漢啊，醒過來哭泣吧！
貪杯的人啊，哀號吧！
你們再無美酒可飲了。
6有一群兇猛的蝗蟲侵犯我的國土，
牠們不計其數，
有雄獅的獠牙和母獅的利齒。
7牠們毀壞我的葡萄樹和無花果樹，
剝光樹皮，
只留下光禿的樹枝。
8我的子民啊，你們要像死了未婚夫的少女，
穿上喪服痛哭哀號。
9耶和華殿中的素祭1·9 素祭就是獻上五穀、麵粉之類的供物，參見利未記2章。和奠祭1·9 奠祭就是獻上新釀的酒。都停止了，
事奉耶和華的祭司都哀傷。
10田園荒廢，遍地淒涼，
五穀盡毀，
再也沒有新酒和油了。
11農夫啊，你們要憂傷！
照料葡萄園的人啊，
你們要哀號！
因為田間的大麥和小麥全毀了。
12葡萄樹枯死，
無花果樹凋殘，
石榴樹、棕樹、蘋果樹等田野的一切樹木枯乾。
人間的歡樂消逝了。
13祭司啊，穿著喪服痛哭吧；
在祭壇前事奉的人啊，要哀號；
我上帝的僕人啊，要披上麻衣過夜；
因為再無素祭和奠祭獻到你們上帝的殿中了。
14你們要定一個禁食的日子，
舉行莊嚴的聚會，
召集全國的長老和人民，
到你們的上帝耶和華的殿中，
向耶和華呼求。
15太可怕了！耶和華的日子近了，
那是全能者施行毀滅的日子。
16我們的糧食斷絕了，
我們上帝殿中的歡樂消失了。
17種子在土裡腐爛，
五穀乾死，倉庫荒廢，
穀倉被拆毀。
18牲畜哀鳴，
牛群因找不到草場而四處亂竄，
羊群也受苦。
19耶和華啊，我向你呼求，
因為火焰吞滅了曠野的草場，
烈火燒光了田野的樹木。
20田野的走獸向你呼求，
因為溪水已經枯乾，
火也燒盡了曠野的草場。
1A message from the Lord came to Joel, the son of Pethuel. Here is what Joel said.
Locusts Attack the Land
2Elders, listen to me.
Pay attention, all you who live in the land.
Has anything like this ever happened in your whole life?
Did it ever happen to your people
who lived long ago?
3Tell your children about it.
Let them tell their children.
And let their children tell it
to those who live after them.
4The giant locusts have eaten
what the common locusts have left.
The young locusts have eaten
what the giant locusts have left.
And other locusts have eaten
what the young locusts have left.
5Get up and weep, you people who drink too much!
Cry, all you who drink wine!
Cry because the fresh wine
has been taken away from you.
6The locusts are like a mighty army
that has marched into our land.
There are so many of them
they can’t even be counted.
Their teeth are as sharp as a lion’s teeth.
They are like the fangs of a female lion.
7The locusts have completely destroyed our vines.
They have wiped out our fig trees.
They’ve stripped off the bark and thrown it away.
They’ve left the branches bare.
8My people, mourn like a virgin
who is dressed in the clothes of sadness.
She is sad because she has lost
the young man she was going to marry.
9No one brings grain offerings and drink offerings
to the Lord’s house anymore.
So the priests who serve the Lord
are filled with sorrow.
10Our fields are wiped out.
The ground is dried up.
The grain is destroyed.
The fresh wine is gone.
And there isn’t any more olive oil.
11Farmers, be sad.
Cry, you who grow vines.
Mourn because the wheat and barley are gone.
The crops in the fields are destroyed.
12The vines and fig trees are dried up.
The pomegranate, palm and apple trees
don’t have any fruit on them.
In fact, all the trees in the fields are dried up.
And my people’s joy has faded away.
A Call to Mourn
13Priests, put on the clothing of sadness and mourn.
Cry, you who serve at the altar.
Come, you who serve my God in the temple.
Spend the night dressed in the clothes of sadness.
Weep because no one brings grain offerings and drink offerings
to the house of your God anymore.
14Announce a holy fast.
Tell the people not to eat anything.
Gather them together for a special service.
Send for the elders
and all who live in the land.
Have them come to the house of the Lord your God.
And pray to him.
15The day of the Lord is near.
How sad it will be on that day!
The Mighty One is coming to destroy you.
16Our food has been taken away
right in front of our eyes.
There isn’t any joy or gladness
in the house of our God.
17The seeds have dried up in the ground.
The grain is also gone.
The storerooms have been destroyed.
The barns are broken down.
18Listen to the cattle groan!
The herds wander around.
They don’t have any grass to eat.
The flocks of sheep are also suffering.
19Lord, I call out to you.
Fire has burned up the desert grasslands.
Flames have destroyed all the trees in the fields.
20Even the wild animals cry out to you for help.
The streams of water have dried up.
Fire has burned up the desert grasslands.
