Locusts, Signs, and Betrayal's Shadow

1. Yahweh’s word that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel. 2. Hear this, you elders, And listen, all you inhabitants of the land. Has this ever happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers? 3. Tell your children about it, and have your children tell their children, and their children, another generation. 4. What the swarming locust has left, the great locust has eaten. What the great locust has left, the grasshopper has eaten. What the grasshopper has left, the caterpillar has eaten. 5. Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. 6. For a nation has come up on my land, strong, and without number. His teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he has the fangs of a lioness. 7. He has laid my vine waste, and stripped my fig tree. He has stripped its bark, and thrown it away. Its branches are made white. 8. Mourn like a virgin dressed in sackcloth for the husband of her youth! 9. The meal offering and the drink offering are cut off from Yahweh’s house. The priests, Yahweh’s ministers, mourn. 10. The field is laid waste. The land mourns, for the grain is destroyed, The new wine has dried up, and the oil languishes. 11. Be confounded, you farmers! Wail, you vineyard keepers; for the wheat and for the barley; for the harvest of the field has perished. 12. The vine has dried up, and the fig tree withered; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all of the trees of the field are withered; for joy has withered away from the sons of men. 13. Put on sackcloth and mourn, you priests! Wail, you ministers of the altar. Come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God, for the meal offering and the drink offering are withheld from your God’s house. 14. Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders, and all the inhabitants of the land, to the house of Yahweh, your God, and cry to Yahweh. 15. Alas for the day! For the day of Yahweh is at hand, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty. 16. Isn’t the food cut off before our eyes; joy and gladness from the house of our God? 17. The seeds rot under their clods. The granaries are laid desolate. The barns are broken down, for the grain has withered. 18. How the animals groan! The herds of livestock are perplexed, because they have no pasture. Yes, the flocks of sheep are made desolate. 19. Yahweh, I cry to you, For the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame has burned all the trees of the field. 20. Yes, the animals of the field pant to you, for the water brooks have dried up, And the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness. 1. Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of Yahweh comes, for it is close at hand: 2. A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn spreading on the mountains, a great and strong people; there has never been the like, neither will there be any more after them, even to the years of many generations. 3. A fire devours before them, and behind them, a flame burns. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them, a desolate wilderness. Yes, and no one has escaped them. 4. Their appearance is as the appearance of horses, and as horsemen, so do they run. 5. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. 6. At their presence the peoples are in anguish. All faces have grown pale. 7. They run like mighty men. They climb the wall like warriors. They each march in his line, and they don’t swerve off course. 8. Neither does one jostle another; they march everyone in his path, and they burst through the defenses, and don’t break ranks. 9. They rush on the city. They run on the wall. They climb up into the houses. They enter in at the windows like thieves. 10. The earth quakes before them. The heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. 11. Yahweh thunders his voice before his army; for his forces are very great; for he is strong who obeys his command; for the day of Yahweh is great and very awesome, and who can endure it? 12. “Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.” 13. Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity. 14. Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to Yahweh, your God. 15. Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly. 16. Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who nurse from breasts. Let the bridegroom go out of his room, and the bride out of her room. 17. Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “Spare your people, Yahweh, and don’t give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” 18. Then Yahweh was jealous for his land, And had pity on his people. 19. Yahweh answered his people, “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. 20. But I will remove the northern army far away from you, and will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea; and its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things. 21. Land, don’t be afraid. Be glad and rejoice, for Yahweh has done great things. 22. Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness spring up, for the tree bears its fruit. The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. 23. “Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in Yahweh, your God; for he gives you the former rain in just measure, and he causes the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain, as before. 24. The threshing floors will be full of wheat, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. 25. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar, my great army, which I sent among you. 26. You will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, and will praise the name of Yahweh, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people will never again be disappointed. 27. You will know that I am among Israel, and that I am Yahweh, your God, and there is no one else; and my people will never again be disappointed. 28. “It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions. 29. And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days, I will pour out my Spirit. 30. I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, fire, and pillars of smoke. 31. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes. 32. It will happen that whoever will call on Yahweh’s name shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as Yahweh has said, and among the remnant, those whom Yahweh calls. 1. “For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2. I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will execute judgment on them there for my people, and for my heritage, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations. They have divided my land, 3. and have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink. 4. “Yes, and what are you to me, Tyre, and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Will you repay me? And if you repay me, I will swiftly and speedily return your repayment on your own head. 5. Because you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my finest treasures into your temples, 6. and have sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to the sons of the Greeks, that you may remove them far from their border. 7. Behold, I will stir them up out of the place where you have sold them, and will return your repayment on your own head; 8. and I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the children of Judah, and they will sell them to the men of Sheba, to a faraway nation, for Yahweh has spoken it.” 9. Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Stir up the mighty men. Let all the warriors draw near. Let them come up. 10. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ 11. Hurry and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves together.” Cause your mighty ones to come down there, Yahweh. 12. “Let the nations arouse themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the surrounding nations. 13. Put in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.” 14. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Yahweh is near, in the valley of decision. 15. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. 16. Yahweh will roar from Zion, and thunder from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth will shake; but Yahweh will be a refuge to his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel. 17. “So you will know that I am Yahweh, your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain. Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no strangers will pass through her any more. 18. It will happen in that day, that the mountains will drop down sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, all the brooks of Judah will flow with waters, and a fountain will flow out from Yahweh’s house, and will water the valley of Shittim. 19. Egypt will be a desolation, and Edom will be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. 20. But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. 21. I will cleanse their blood, that I have not cleansed: for Yahweh dwells in Zion.”

1. As he went out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, see what kind of stones and what kind of buildings!” 2. Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone on another, which will not be thrown down.” 3. As he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4. “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are all about to be fulfilled?” 5. Jesus, answering, began to tell them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. 6. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and will lead many astray. 7. “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be troubled. For those must happen, but the end is not yet. 8. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines and troubles. These things are the beginning of birth pains. 9. But watch yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will stand before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them. 10. The Good News must first be preached to all the nations. 11. When they lead you away and deliver you up, don’t be anxious beforehand, or premeditate what you will say, but say whatever will be given you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12. “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. 13. You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end, the same will be saved. 14. But when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, 15. and let him who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of his house. 16. Let him who is in the field not return back to take his cloak. 17. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babies in those days! 18. Pray that your flight won’t be in the winter. 19. For in those days there will be oppression, such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be. 20. Unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the chosen ones, whom he picked out, he shortened the days. 21. Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ don’t believe it. 22. For there will arise false christs and false prophets, and will show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. 23. But you watch. “Behold, I have told you all things beforehand. 24. But in those days, after that oppression, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, 25. the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27. Then he will send out his angels, and will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky. 28. “Now from the fig tree, learn this parable. When the branch has now become tender, and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near; 29. even so you also, when you see these things coming to pass, know that it is near, at the doors. 30. Most certainly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things happen. 31. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 32. But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33. Watch, keep alert, and pray; for you don’t know when the time is. 34. “It is like a man, traveling to another country, having left his house, and given authority to his servants, and to each one his work, and also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch. 35. Watch therefore, for you don’t know when the lord of the house is coming, whether at evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning; 36. lest coming suddenly he might find you sleeping. 37. What I tell you, I tell all: Watch.” 1. It was now two days before the feast of the Passover and the unleavened bread, and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might seize him by deception, and kill him. 2. For they said, “Not during the feast, because there might be a riot among the people.” 3. While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard—very costly. She broke the jar, and poured it over his head. 4. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, saying, “Why has this ointment been wasted? 5. For this might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor.” They grumbled against her. 6. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for me. 7. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to, you can do them good; but you will not always have me. 8. She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for the burying. 9. Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News may be preached throughout the whole world, that which this woman has done will also be spoken of for a memorial of her.” 10. Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests, that he might deliver him to them. 11. They, when they heard it, were glad, and promised to give him money. He sought how he might conveniently deliver him. 12. On the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare that you may eat the Passover?” 13. He sent two of his disciples, and said to them, “Go into the city, and there you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him, 14. and wherever he enters in, tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 15. He will himself show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Get ready for us there.” 16. His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found things as he had said to them, and they prepared the Passover. 17. When it was evening he came with the twelve. 18. As they sat and were eating, Jesus said, “Most certainly I tell you, one of you will betray me—he who eats with me.” 19. They began to be sorrowful, and to ask him one by one, “Surely not I?” And another said, “Surely not I?” 20. He answered them, “It is one of the twelve, he who dips with me in the dish. 21. For the Son of Man goes, even as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.” 22. As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had blessed, he broke it, and gave to them, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body.” 23. He took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave to them. They all drank of it. 24. He said to them, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many. 25. Most certainly I tell you, I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it anew in God’s Kingdom.” 26. When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27. Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28. However, after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee.” 29. But Peter said to him, “Although all will be offended, yet I will not.” 30. Jesus said to him, “Most certainly I tell you, that you today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31. But he spoke all the more, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” They all said the same thing. 32. They came to a place which was named Gethsemane. He said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I pray.” 33. He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be greatly troubled and distressed. 34. He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch.” 35. He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him. 36. He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Please remove this cup from me. However, not what I desire, but what you desire.” 37. He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you watch one hour? 38. Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39. Again he went away, and prayed, saying the same words. 40. Again he returned, and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they didn’t know what to answer him. 41. He came the third time, and said to them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest. It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42. Arise, let us be going. Behold, he who betrays me is at hand.” 43. Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came—and with him a multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. 44. Now he who betrayed him had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I will kiss, that is he. Seize him, and lead him away safely.” 45. When he had come, immediately he came to him, and said, “Rabbi! Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46. They laid their hands on him, and seized him. 47. But a certain one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 48. Jesus answered them, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to seize me? 49. I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you didn’t arrest me. But this is so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.” 50. They all left him, and fled. 51. A certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth thrown around himself over his naked body. The young men grabbed him, 52. but he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked. 53. They led Jesus away to the high priest. All the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes came together with him. 54. Peter had followed him from a distance, until he came into the court of the high priest. He was sitting with the officers, and warming himself in the light of the fire. 55. Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witnesses against Jesus to put him to death, and found none. 56. For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony didn’t agree with each other. 57. Some stood up, and gave false testimony against him, saying, 58. “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’” 59. Even so, their testimony did not agree. 60. The high priest stood up in the middle, and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it which these testify against you?” 61. But he stayed quiet, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62. Jesus said, “I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky.” 63. The high priest tore his clothes, and said, “What further need have we of witnesses? 64. You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” They all condemned him to be worthy of death. 65. Some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to beat him with fists, and to tell him, “Prophesy!” The officers struck him with the palms of their hands. 66. As Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the maids of the high priest came, 67. and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him, and said, “You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus!” 68. But he denied it, saying, “I neither know, nor understand what you are saying.” He went out on the porch, and the rooster crowed. 69. The maid saw him, and began again to tell those who stood by, “This is one of them.” 70. But he again denied it. After a little while again those who stood by said to Peter, “You truly are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.” 71. But he began to curse, and to swear, “I don’t know this man of whom you speak!” 72. The rooster crowed the second time. Peter remembered the word, how that Jesus said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” When he thought about that, he wept.

1. I will bless Yahweh at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth. 2. My soul shall boast in Yahweh. The humble shall hear of it, and be glad. 3. Oh magnify Yahweh with me. Let us exalt his name together. 4. I sought Yahweh, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5. They looked to him, and were radiant. Their faces shall never be covered with shame. 6. This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 7. Yahweh’s angel encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8. Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. 9. Oh fear Yahweh, you his saints, for there is no lack with those who fear him. 10. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing. 11. Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of Yahweh. 12. Who is someone who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? 13. Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking lies. 14. Depart from evil, and do good. seek peace, and pursue it. 15. Yahweh’s eyes are toward the righteous. His ears listen to their cry. 16. Yahweh’s face is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory from the earth. 17. The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18. Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. 19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all. 20. He protects all of his bones. Not one of them is broken. 21. Evil shall kill the wicked. Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. 22. Yahweh redeems the soul of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him shall be condemned.