Daily Meditation
23 Be glad then, ye
children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former
rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former
rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
Today’s Reading
Joel
Chapter 2
The Lord Will Answer
1 Blow ye the
trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the
inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh
at hand; 2 a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick
darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a
strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even
to the years of many generations. 3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind
them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind
them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 4 The
appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall
they run. 5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they
leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong
people set in battle array. 6 Before their face the people shall be much
pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 7 They shall run like mighty men; they
shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways,
and they shall not break their ranks: 8 neither shall one thrust another; they
shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall
not be wounded. 9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon
the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the
windows like a thief. 10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall
tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their
shining: 11 and the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is
very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord
is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
12 Therefore also
now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and
with weeping, and with mourning: 13 and rend your heart, and not your garments,
and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to
anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if
he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat
offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?
15 Blow the trumpet
in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16 gather the people, sanctify
the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck
the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of
her closet. 17 Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the
porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not
thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore
should they say among the people, Where is their God?
18 Then will the
Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people. 19 Yea, the Lord will answer
and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and
ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among
the heathen: 20 but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will
drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and
his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill
savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.
21 Fear not, O land;
be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. 22 Be not afraid, ye
beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree
beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. 23 Be
glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath
given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you
the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. 24 And the
floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 And I will restore
to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the
caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. 26 And
ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your
God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord
your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
28 And it shall come
to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons
and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young
men shall see visions: 29 and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in
those days will I pour out my spirit. 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens
and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
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