Joel 2:25-26

2:25 I will make up for the years ¹ 

that the ‘arbeh-locust ²  consumed your crops ³  –

the yeleq-locust, the hasil-locust, and the gazam-locust –

my great army ⁴  that I sent against you.

2:26 You will have plenty to eat,

and your hunger will be fully satisfied; ⁵ 

you will praise the name of the Lord your God,

who has acted wondrously in your behalf.

My people will never again be put to shame.

[2:25]  ¹ tn Heb “I will restore to you the years.”

[2:25]  ² sn The same four terms for locust are used here as in 1:4, but in a different order. This fact creates some difficulty for the notion that the four words refer to four distinct stages of locust development.

[2:25]  ³ tn The term “your crops” does not appear in the Hebrew, but has been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.

[2:25]  ⁴ sn Here Joel employs military language to describe the locusts. In the prophet’s thinking this invasion was far from being a freak accident. Rather, the Lord is pictured here as a divine warrior who leads his army into the land as a punishment for past sin and as a means of bringing about spiritual renewal on the part of the people.

[2:26]  ⁵ tn Heb “you will surely eat and be satisfied.”