Joel 1:19

1:19 To you, O Lord, I call out for help,

for fire has burned up the grassy pastures,

flames have razed all the trees in the fields.

Joel 3:9

Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat

3:9 Proclaim this among the nations:

“Prepare for a holy war!

Call out the warriors!

Let all these fighting men approach and attack!


tn The phrase “for help” does not appear in the Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

sn Fire here and in v. 20 is probably not to be understood in a literal sense. The locust plague, accompanied by conditions of extreme drought, has left the countryside looking as though everything has been burned up (so also in Joel 2:3).

tn Heb “consumed.” This entire line is restated at the end of v. 20.

tn Heb “the pastures of the wilderness.”

tn Heb “a flame has set ablaze.” This fire was one of the effects of the drought.

tn Heb “draw near and go up.”