Joel 2:20 “The northern army I will drive away from you, banishing it to a barren…”

Joel 2:20

The northern army I will drive away from you, banishing it to a barren and desolate land, its front ranks into the Eastern Sea, and its rear guard into the Western Sea. And its stench will rise; its foul odor will ascend. For He has done great things.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

World English Bible

But I will remove the northern army far away from you, and will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea; and its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things.

American Standard Version

but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things.

Geneva Bible 1599

But I will remooue farre off from you the Northren armie, and I will driue him into a land, barren and desolate with his face toward the East sea, and his end to the vtmost sea, and his stinke shall come vp, and his corruption shall ascend, because he hath exalted himselfe to do this.

Darby Translation

And I will remove far off from you him [that cometh] from the north, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, his face toward the eastern sea, and his rear toward the hinder sea; and his stench shall come up, and his ill odour shall come up, for he hath exalted himself to do great things.

Young's Literal Translation

And the northern I put far off from you, And have driven him unto a land dry and desolate, With his face unto the eastern sea, And his rear unto the western sea, And come up hath his stink, And come up doth his stench, For he hath exerted himself to work.

Bible in Basic English

I will send the one from the north far away from you, driving him into a dry and waste land, with his front to the sea of the east and his back to the sea of the west, and the smell of him will go up, even his evil smell will go up.

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Cross references

“remove”

Exodus 10:19 Joel 2:2–11 Joel 1:4–6

Exodus 10:19 · BSB

And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind that carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained anywhere in Egypt.

Joel 2:2–11 · BSB

a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.

Joel 1:4–6 · BSB

What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.

“the northern”

Jeremiah 1:14

Jeremiah 1:14 · BSB

Then the LORD said to me, “Disaster from the north will be poured out on all who live in the land.

“the east”

Zechariah 14:8 Ezekiel 47:18 Ezekiel 47:7 Ezekiel 47:8

Zechariah 14:8 · BSB

And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike.

Ezekiel 47:18 · BSB

On the east side the border will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Eastern Sea and as far as Tamar. This will be the eastern boundary.

Ezekiel 47:7 · BSB

When I arrived, I saw a great number of trees along both banks of the river.

Ezekiel 47:8 · BSB

And he said to me, “This water flows out to the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah. When it empties into the Dead Sea, the water there becomes fresh.

“utmost”

Deuteronomy 11:24

Deuteronomy 11:24 · BSB

Every place where the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Western Sea.

“his stink”

Ezekiel 39:12–16

Ezekiel 39:12–16 · BSB

For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.

“because”

2 Kings 8:13

2 Kings 8:13 · BSB

“But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael. And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”

Also

Amos 4:10 Isaiah 34:3

Amos 4:10 · BSB

“I sent plagues among you like those of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LOR…

Isaiah 34:3 · BSB

Their slain will be left unburied, and the stench of their corpses will rise; the mountains will flow with their blood.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

19And the LORD answered His people: “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and by them you will be satisfied. I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.

21Do not be afraid, O land; rejoice and be glad, for the LORD has done great things.

Read Joel 2