Lectionary Calendar
Friday, July 11th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Joel 1:14

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Fasting;   Government;   Minister, Christian;   Nation;   Repentance;   Worship;   Scofield Reference Index - Sanctify;   Thompson Chain Reference - Fasting;   Self-Indulgence-Self-Denial;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fasting;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Drought;   Joel;   Sanctify;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Fasting;   Joel;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Call, Calling;   Caterpillar;   Joel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Elder;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Minister Ministry;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Famine;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Fasts;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Elder in the Old Testament;   Joel (2);   Sanctification;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Famine;   Fasting and Fast-Days;   Sacrifice;   Shemini 'Aẓeret;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Announce a sacred fast;proclaim an assembly!Gather the eldersand all the residents of the landat the house of the Lord your God,and cry out to the Lord.
Hebrew Names Version
Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly. Gather the Zakenim, And all the inhabitants of the land, to the house of the LORD, your God, And cry to the LORD.
King James Version
Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord ,
English Standard Version
Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord .
New American Standard Bible
Consecrate a fast, Proclaim a solemn assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land To the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD.
New Century Version
Call for a day when everyone fasts! Tell everyone to stop work! Bring the elders and everyone who lives in the land to the Temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord .
Amplified Bible
Consecrate a fast, Proclaim a solemn assembly, Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land To the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD [in penitent pleadings].
Geneva Bible (1587)
Sanctifie you a fast: call a solemne assemblie: gather the Elders, and all the inhabitants of the land into the House of the Lorde your God, and cry vnto the Lord,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Consecrate a fast, Proclaim a solemn assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land To the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD.
Legacy Standard Bible
Set apart a fast as holy,Call for a solemn assembly;Gather the eldersAnd all the inhabitants of the landTo the house of Yahweh your God,And cry out to Yahweh.
Berean Standard Bible
Consecrate a fast; proclaim a solemn assembly! Gather the elders and all the residents of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.
Contemporary English Version
Tell the leaders and people to come together at the temple. Order them to go without eating and to pray sincerely.
Complete Jewish Bible
Proclaim a holy fast, call for a solemn assembly, gather the leaders and all who live in the land to the house of Adonai your God, and cry out to Adonai ,
Darby Translation
Hallow a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, gather the elders, [and] all the inhabitants of the land to the house of Jehovah your God, and cry unto Jehovah.
Easy-to-Read Version
Tell the people that there will be a special time of fasting. Call them together for a special meeting. Bring the leaders and everyone living in the land together at the Temple of the Lord your God, and pray to the Lord .
George Lamsa Translation
Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry to the LORD your God, and say,
Good News Translation
Give orders for a fast; call an assembly! Gather the leaders and all the people of Judah into the Temple of the Lord your God and cry out to him!
Lexham English Bible
Solemnize a fast! Call an assembly! Gather the elders, all of the inhabitants of the land in the house of Yahweh your God, and cry out to Yahweh.
Literal Translation
Set apart a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the elders, all those living in the land, into the house of Jehovah your God, and cry to Jehovah.
American Standard Version
Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the old men and all the inhabitants of the land unto the house of Jehovah your God, and cry unto Jehovah.
Bible in Basic English
Let a time be fixed for going without food, have a holy meeting, let the old men, even all the people of the land, come together to the house of the Lord your God, crying out to the Lord.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land unto the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD.
King James Version (1611)
Sanctifie yee a fast: call a solemne assembly: gather the Elders, and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry vnto the Lord:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Proclayme a fast, call a congregation, gather the elders together, [with] all the inhabitauntes of the lande vnto the house of the Lorde your God, and crye vnto the Lorde,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Sanctify a fast, proclaim a solemn service, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of your God, and cry earnestly to the Lord,
English Revised Version
Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the old men and all the inhabitants of the land unto the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD.
World English Bible
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Halewe ye fastyng, clepe ye cumpeny, gadere ye togidere elde men, and alle dwelleris of the erthe in to the hous of youre God; and crie ye to the Lord, A!
Update Bible Version
Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the old men [and] all the inhabitants of the land to the house of Yahweh your God, and cry to Yahweh.
Webster's Bible Translation
Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders [and] all the inhabitants of the land [into] the house of the LORD your God, and cry to the LORD,
New English Translation
Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord .
New King James Version
Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD.
New Living Translation
Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Bring the leaders and all the people of the land into the Temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to him there.
New Life Bible
Set apart a time when no food will be eaten. Call together a holy meeting. Gather the leaders and all the people of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
New Revised Standard
Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord .
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Hallow ye a fast, Call a solemn assembly, Gather, O elders, all the inhabitants of the land, unto the house of Yahweh your God, - and make ye outcry unto Yahweh.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Sanctify ye a fast, call an assembly, gather together the ancients, all the inhabitants of the land into the house of your God: and cry ye to the Lord:
Revised Standard Version
Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God; and cry to the LORD.
Young's Literal Translation
Sanctify a fast, proclaim a restraint, Gather the elders -- all the inhabitants of the land, [Into] the house of Jehovah your God,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Proclame a fastynge, call the cogregacion, gather the elders & all the inhabiters of the londe together into the house of the LORDE yor God, & crie vnto the LORDE:

Contextual Overview

15What a day! Doomsday! God 's Judgment Day has come. The Strong God has arrived. This is serious business! Food is just a memory at our tables, as are joy and singing from God's Sanctuary. The seeds in the field are dead, barns deserted, Grain silos abandoned. Who needs them? The crops have failed! The farm animals groan—oh, how they groan! The cattle mill around. There's nothing for them to eat. Not even the sheep find anything. 19 God ! I pray, I cry out to you! The fields are burning up, The country is a dust bowl, forest and prairie fires rage unchecked. Wild animals, dying of thirst, look to you for a drink. Springs and streams are dried up. The whole country is burning up.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Sanctify: Joel 2:15, Joel 2:16, 2 Chronicles 20:3, 2 Chronicles 20:4

solemn assembly: or, day of restraint, Leviticus 23:36, Nehemiah 8:18

the elders: Deuteronomy 29:10, Deuteronomy 29:11, 2 Chronicles 20:13, Nehemiah 9:2, Nehemiah 9:3

cry: Jonah 3:8

Reciprocal: Leviticus 23:2 - proclaim Numbers 10:2 - the calling Deuteronomy 16:8 - solemn assembly Judges 20:18 - house of Judges 20:26 - wept 2 Samuel 12:22 - I fasted 2 Kings 10:20 - Proclaim 2 Chronicles 7:9 - solemn assembly Ezra 8:21 - I proclaimed Nehemiah 9:1 - children Esther 4:16 - fast Isaiah 1:13 - the new Amos 5:16 - Wailing Jonah 3:5 - and proclaimed Zephaniah 2:1 - gather together Malachi 1:9 - beseech

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.
Genesis 1:3
God spoke: "Light!" And light appeared. God saw that light was good and separated light from dark. God named the light Day, he named the dark Night. It was evening, it was morning— Day One.
Genesis 1:6
God spoke: "Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!" God made sky. He separated the water under sky from the water above sky. And there it was: he named sky the Heavens; It was evening, it was morning— Day Two.
Genesis 1:9
God spoke: "Separate! Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place; Land, appear!" And there it was. God named the land Earth. He named the pooled water Ocean. God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:14
God spoke: "Lights! Come out! Shine in Heaven's sky! Separate Day from Night. Mark seasons and days and years, Lights in Heaven's sky to give light to Earth." And there it was.
Genesis 1:16
God made two big lights, the larger to take charge of Day, The smaller to be in charge of Night; and he made the stars. God placed them in the heavenly sky to light up Earth And oversee Day and Night, to separate light and dark. God saw that it was good. It was evening, it was morning— Day Four.
Genesis 1:20
God spoke: "Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life! Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!" God created the huge whales, all the swarm of life in the waters, And every kind and species of flying birds. God saw that it was good. God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean! Birds, reproduce on Earth!" It was evening, it was morning— Day Five.
Genesis 1:26
God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth." God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."
Genesis 1:31
God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good! It was evening, it was morning— Day Six.
Genesis 8:22
For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, day and night will never stop."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Sanctify yea a fast,.... This is spoken to the priests, whose business it was to appoint a fast, as the Targum renders it; or to set apart a time for such religious service, as the word signifies; and to keep it holy themselves, and see that it was so kept by others: Kimchi interprets it, prepare the people for a fast; give them notice of it, that they may be prepared for it:

call a solemn assembly; of all the people of the land later mentioned: or, "proclaim a restraint" w; a time of ceasing, as a fast day should be from all servile work, that attendance may be given to the duties of it, prayer and humiliation:

gather the elders: meaning not those in age, but in office:

[and] all the inhabitants of the land; not the magistrates only, though first and principally, as examples, who had been deeply concerned in guilt; but the common people also, even all of them:

[into] the house of the Lord your God; the temple, the court of the Israelites, where they were to go and supplicate the Lord, when such a calamity as this of locusts and caterpillars were upon them; and where they might hope the Lord would hear them, and remove his judgments from them, 1 Kings 8:37;

and cry unto the Lord; in prayer, with vehemence and earnestness of soul.

w קראו עצרה "vocate retentionem", Montanus; "proclamate diem interdicti", Junius Tremellius, Heb. "interdictum", Piscator "edicite coetum cum cessatione", Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Sanctify ye a fast - He does not say only, “proclaim,” or “appoint a fast,” but “sanctify it.” Hallow the act of abstinence, seasoning it with devotion and with acts meet for repentance. For fasting is not accepted by God, unless done in charity and obedience to His commands. : “Sanctify” it, i. e., make it an offering to God, and as it were a sacrifice, a holy and blameless fast.” : “To sanctify a fast is to exhibit abstinence of the flesh, meet toward God, with other good. Let anger cease, strife be lulled. For in vain is the flesh worn, if the mind is not held in from evil passions, inasmuch as the Lord saith by the prophet, “Lo! in the day of your fast you find your pleasures” Isaiah 58:3. The fast which the Lord approveth, is that which lifteth up to Him hands full of almsdeeds, which is passed with brotherly love, which is seasoned by piety. What thou substractest from thyself, bestow on another, that thy needy neighbor’s flesh may be recruited by means of that which thou deniest to thine own.”

Call a solemn assembly - Fasting without devotion is an image of famine. At other times “the solemn assembly” was for festival-joy. Such was the last day of the feast of the Passover Deuteronomy 16:8 and of tabernacles Leviticus 23:36; Num 29:35; 2 Chronicles 7:9; Nehemiah 8:18. No servile work was to be done thereon. It was then to be consecrated to thanksgving, but now to sorrow and supplication. : “The prophet commands that all should be called and gathered into the Temple, that so the prayer might be the rather heard, the more they were who offered it. Wherefore the Apostle besought his disciples to pray for him, that so what was asked might be obtained the more readily through the intercession of many.”

Gather the elders - Age was, by God’s appointment Leviticus 19:32, held in great reverence among the Hebrews. When first God sent Moses and Aaron to His people in Egypt, He bade them collect the elders of the people (Exodus 3:16; Exodus 4:29, compare Deuteronomy 31:28) to declare to them their own mission from God; through them He conveyed the ordinance of the Passover to the whole congregation Exodus 12:3, Exodus 12:21; in their presence was the first miracle of bringing water from the rock performed (Exodus 17:5, add Exodus 18:12); then He commanded Moses to choose seventy of them, to appear before Him before He gave the law Exodus 24:1, Exodus 24:9; then to bear Moses’ own burden in hearing the causes of the people, bestowing His spirit upon them (Numbers 11:16 ff). The elders of each city were clothed with judicial authority Deuteronomy 19:12; Deuteronomy 22:15; Deuteronomy 25:7. In the expiation of an uncertain murder, the elders of the city represented the whole city Deuteronomy 21:3-6; in the offerings for the congregation, the elders of the congregation represented the whole Leviticus 4:15; Leviticus 9:1.

So then, here also, they are summoned, chief of all, that “the authority and example of their grey hairs might move the young to repentance.” : “Their age, near to death and ripened in grace, makes them more apt for the fear and worship of God.” All however, “priests, elders,” and the “inhabitants,” or “people of the land” Jeremiah 1:18, were to form one band, and were, with one heart and voice, to cry unto God; and that “in the house of God.” For so Solomon had prayed, that God would “in heaven His dwelling place, hear whatever prayer and supplication” might there be “made by any man or by all His people Israel” 1 Kings 8:39; and God had promised in turn, “I have hallowed this house which thou hast built, to put My name there for ever, and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually” 1 Kings 9:3. God has given to united prayer a power over Himself, and “prayer overcometh God” . The prophet calls God “your” God, showing how ready He was to hear; but he adds, “cry unto the Lord;” for it is not a listless prayer, but a loud earnest cry, which reacheth to the throne of God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. Call a solemn assembly — עצרה atsarah signifies a time of restraint, as the margin has it. The clause should be translated-consecrate a fast, proclaim a time of restraint; that is, of total abstinence from food, and from all secular employment. All the elders of the land and the representatives of the people were to be collected at the temple to cry unto the Lord, to confess their sins, and pray for mercy. The temple was not yet destroyed. This prophecy was delivered before the captivity of Judah.


 
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