Yoel 1:18

1:18 Listen to the cattle groan! ¹ 

The herds of livestock wander around in confusion ² 

because they have no pasture.

Even the flocks of sheep are suffering.

Yoel 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! ³ 

Yoel 3:11-12

3:11 Lend your aid ⁴  and come,

all you surrounding nations,

and gather yourselves ⁵  to that place.”

Bring down, O Lord, your warriors! ⁶ 

3:12 Let the nations be roused and let them go up

to the valley of Jehoshaphat,

for there I will sit in judgment on all the surrounding nations.

[1:18]  ¹ tn Heb “how the cattle groan!”

[1:18]  ² tn Heb “the herds of cattle are confused.” The verb בּוּךְ (bukh, “be confused”) sometimes refers to wandering aimlessly in confusion (cf. Exod 14:3).

[3:9]  ³ tn Heb “draw near and go up.”

[3:11]  ⁴ tn This Hebrew verb is found only here in the OT; its meaning is uncertain. Some scholars prefer to read here עוּרוּ (’uru, “arouse”) or חוּשׁוּ (khushu, “hasten”).

[3:11]  ⁵ tc The present translation follows the reading of the imperative הִקָּבְצוּ (hiqqavÿtsu) rather than the perfect with vav (ו) consecutive וְנִקְבָּצוּ (vÿniqbbatsu) of the MT.

[3:11]  ⁶ tc Some commentators prefer to delete the line “Bring down, O Lord, your warriors,” understanding it to be a later addition. But this is unnecessary. Contrary to what some have suggested, a prayer for the Lord’s intervention is not out of place here.