eng_aiv Amundson Interpretive Version Joel Joel Joel Joel Joel id=eng_aiv name=Amundson Interpretive Version (AIV) status=draft spec=USFM-USX 3.1.1 export=2026-11-02 char:add=translator-addition-italic char:wj=words-of-Jesus-as-received-unmapped note:f=footnotes para:r=parallel-passage-references para:d=psalm-superscriptions The Invasion of Locusts The word of YHWH that came to Joel son of Pethuel: Hear this, O elders, and give ear, all dwellers of the land. Has this come to be in your⁺ days, or even in the days of your⁺ fathers? Give account of it to your⁺ sons, and your⁺ sons to their sons, and their sons to the generation after. The remainder of the devouring locust the swarming locust has eaten; and the remainder of the swarming locust the young locust has eaten; and the remainder of the young locust the destroying locust has eaten.1.4 The precise identification of the four kinds of locusts mentioned here is uncertain. Wake up, O drunkards, and weep; wail, all drinkers of wine, over the new wine, for it has been cut off from your⁺ mouth! For a nation has come up against My land, strong and without number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and the fangs of a fierce lion are unto him. He has set My vine to waste, and My fig tree to splinter; he has thoroughly stripped off the bark and thrown it away, its branches have become white. A Call to Mourning Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth over the husband of her youth. The grain offering and the drink offering have been cut off from the house of YHWH; the priests mourn— those ministering to YHWH. The field is ruined, the land mourns; for the grain is ruined, the new wine is dried up, the oil languishes. Be ashamed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and over the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. The vine has withered and the fig tree has languished; the pomegranate, also the palm tree and the apple tree— all the trees of the field—have dried up. For the joy of the sons of man has withered away. A Call to Repentance (Amos 5:4–15; Zephaniah 2:1–3; Luke 13:1–5) Gird yourselves and lament, O priests; wail, you ministering before the altar. Come, lodge in sackcloth, you ministering before my God, for it is withheld from the house of your⁺ God— the grain offering and the drink offering. Consecrate a fast, call a solemn assembly! Gather the elders and all those dwelling in the land to the house of YHWH your⁺ God, and cry out to YHWH. Alas, for the day! For the day of YHWH is near, and as destruction from Shaddai,1.15 Shaddai means the Almighty it shall come. Has not before our eyes the food been cut off— from the house of our God joy and rejoicing? The seed shrivels under their clods; the storehouses are desolate; the granaries are torn down, for the grain has withered. How the cattle groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed, because there is no pasture unto them; even the flocks of the sheep suffer punishment. To You, O YHWH, I call out, for fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and a flame has burned all the trees of the field. Even the beasts of the field pant for You, for the channels of water have dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness. The Army of Locusts (Amos 7:1–9) Blow the shofar in Zion, and give a shout on the mountain of My holiness! Let all those dwelling in the land tremble, for the day of YHWH is coming; indeed, it is near— a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, like dawn spreading over the mountains, a people great and strong, the like has not been from of old, and after them will not be again, even to years of generation and generation. Before its face a fire devours, and behind them burns a flame; like the garden of Eden is the land before its face, and behind it a wilderness of desolation— and surely nothing shall escape from them. Like the appearance of horses is its appearance, and like steeds2.4 Or like charioteers or like cavalry so they run. As with the sound of chariots over the tops of mountains, they leap; like the sound of a flaming fire devouring the stubble, like a strong people arrayed for battle. Before its face the peoples writhe; all faces gather paleness. Like mighty men they run, like men of war they climb the wall, and a man in his ways marches, and they do not swerve from their paths. A man and his brother do not jostle, each man marches in his path; between the weapon they lunge; they are not cut down. Into the city they rush, on the wall they run; into the houses they come up, and at the windows they come in like a thief. Before their faces quakes the earth; the heavens quake; the sun and moon grow dark, and the stars withdraw their brightness. And YHWH gives forth His voice before the face of His army, for exceedingly large is His camp, for strong is the One doing His word, for great is the day of YHWH and very fearsome— and who can endure it? Return with All Your Heart “Even now,” a declaration of YHWH, “May you turn to Me with all your⁺ heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.” And rend your⁺ heart and not your⁺ garments. May you return to YHWH your⁺ God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and great in loving devotion, and relenting from harm. 2.13 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion; the range of meaning includes love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and mercy, as well as loyalty to a covenant. Who knows if He will turn and relent, and will leave behind Him a blessing— a grain offering and a drink offering for YHWH your⁺ God? Blow the shofar in Zion. Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the infants and those suckling the breasts; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her chamber. Between the porch and the altar, let the priests weep, those ministering to YHWH, and let them say, “Have pity, O YHWH, on Your people, and do not give Your heritage to reproach for the ruling over them by the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” Restoration Promised And YHWH will be jealous for His land, and He will have pity on His people. And YHWH will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I am sending to you⁺ the grain and the new wine and the oil, and you⁺ will be satisfied with them, and I will give you⁺ no longer to reproach among the nations. And the northern I will put far away from you⁺, and I will drive him away into a land of dryness and desolation, with his face toward the Eastern Sea,2.20 That is, the Dead Sea and his back toward the western sea;2.20 That is, the Mediterranean Sea, also called the Great Sea and his stench will come up, and his smell will rise up, for He has been great in doing. You should not fear, O land; be glad and rejoice, for YHWH has been great in doing. You⁺ shall not be afraid, O beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness have sprouted, for the tree has borne its fruit, the fig tree and the vine give forth their strength.2.22 Or their best And you sons of Zion, rejoice and be glad in YHWH your⁺ God, for He gives to you⁺ the early rain for vindication, and He brings down for you⁺ the rain— the early rain and the latter rain as at first. Will be full and the threshing floors of wheat, and the wine vats will overflow with new wine and oil. And I will restore to you⁺ the years that he has eaten— the swarming locust, the young locust, and the destroying locust, and the devouring locust2.25 The precise identification of the four kinds of insects mentioned here is uncertain.— My great army that I have sent among you⁺. You⁺ will have eat your⁺ fill and be satisfied, and you⁺ will praise the name of YHWH your⁺ God, who has worked over you⁺ to do wonders, and My people will not be put to shame forever. And you⁺ will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am YHWH your⁺ God, and there is no other; and My people will not be put to shame forever. I Will Pour Out My Spirit (Acts 2:14–36) And it will come to pass after this, 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. And even on the menservants and on the maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days. And I will give wonders in the heavens and on the earth— blood and fire and columns2.30 LXX clouds or billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and awesome2.31 Or dreadful; LXX glorious day of YHWH. And it will come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of YHWH will be saved. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be escape—according to that which YHWH has said— and among those remaining whom YHWH is calling. 2.32 Cited in Acts 2:17–21 and Romans 10:13 Yahweh Judges the Nations “ For behold, in those days and at that time, when I turn back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,3.1 Or when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem I will gather all the nations, and I will bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat,3.2 Jehoshaphat means YHWH judges; also in verse 12. and I will enter into judgment with them there over My people and My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations— and they have divided up My land. And for My people they have cast lots, and they have given a boy for a prostitute, and a girl they have sold for wine, that they may drink. And indeed, what are you⁺ to Me, O Tyre, and Sidon, and all the coasts of Philistia? A recompense are you⁺ rendering against Me, or are you⁺ retaliating against Me? Swiftly and speedily I will return your⁺ recompense upon your⁺ head, because you⁺ took My silver and My gold, and My precious treasures you⁺ have brought in into your⁺ temples!3.5 Or palaces And the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem you⁺ sold to the sons of Javan,3.6 That is, Greece that you might remove them far from their borders. Behold, I am rousing them from the place where there you⁺ have sold them, and I will return your⁺ recompense upon your⁺ head! And I will sell your⁺ sons and your⁺ daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off!” Indeed, YHWH has spoken. Call this out among the nations: “Consecrate for war; Rouse the mighty ones; let draw near; let them come up— all the men of war! Beat your⁺ plowshares into swords, and your⁺ pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ Hurry and come in, all nations from around, and gather together there. Bring down, O YHWH, Your mighty ones. May they be roused and come up— the nations to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. For there I will sit to judge all the nations from around. Send forth the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down, for the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow, for great is their wickedness! 3.13 LXX the harvest has come; see also Mark 4:29. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. For the day of YHWH is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will withdraw their brightness. And YHWH will roar from Zion, and from Jerusalem He will give forth His voice, and the heavens and the earth will quake, and YHWH will be a refuge for His people and a stronghold for the sons of Israel. Blessings for God’s People And you⁺ will know that I am YHWH your⁺ God, the One dwelling on Zion, the mountain of My holiness; and Jerusalem will be holy, and strangers will not pass through her anymore. And it will come to pass in that day that the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; and all the channels of Judah will flow with water, and a fountain will come forth from the house of YHWH and will water the Valley of Shittim.3.18 Or the Valley of the Acacias Egypt will be as a desolation and Edom will be as a wilderness of desolation, because of violence to the sons of Judah; for in their land they have poured out innocent blood. And Judah will abide forever, and Jerusalem for generation and generation. And I will clear their bloodguilt that I have not cleared.3.21 Or And I will pardon their bloodguilt, which I have not yet pardoned. And YHWH is dwelling in Zion!