Joel 2:3

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Before them, fire devours; behind them, flames blaze. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is a desolate wilderness—nothing escapes them.

Additional Resources

Other Translations

  • King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

    A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

  • KJV1611 – Modern English

    A fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns; the land is like the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yes, and nothing shall escape them.

  • King James Version 1611 (Original)

    A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

  • American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

    A fire{H784} devoureth{H398} before{H6440} them; and behind{H310} them a flame{H3852} burneth:{H3857} the land{H776} is as the garden{H1588} of Eden{H5731} before{H6440} them, and behind{H310} them a desolate{H8077} wilderness;{H4057} yea, and none hath escaped{H6413} them.

  • King James Version with Strong's Numbers

    A fire{H784} devoureth{H398}{(H8804)} before{H6440} them; and behind{H310} them a flame{H3852} burneth{H3857}{(H8762)}: the land{H776} is as the garden{H1588} of Eden{H5731} before{H6440} them, and behind{H310} them a desolate{H8077} wilderness{H4057}; yea, and nothing shall escape{H6413} them.

  • Coverdale Bible (1535)

    Before him shal be a consumynge fyre, & behynde him a burnynge flame. The londe shal be as a garden of pleasure before him, but behinde him shal it be a very waist wildernesse, & there is no man, that shal escape him.

  • Geneva Bible (1560)

    A fire deuoureth before him, and behinde him a flame burneth vp: the land is as the garden of Eden before him, & behinde him a desolate wildernesse, so that nothing shal escape him.

  • Bishops' Bible (1568)

    Before him is a deuouryng fire, and behynde him a burnyng flambe: the lande is as a pleasaunt garden before him, and behinde him a waste desert, yea and nothyng shall escape him.

  • Authorized King James Version (1611)

    A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land [is] as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

  • Webster's Bible (1833)

    A fire devours before them, And behind them, a flame burns. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, And behind them, a desolate wilderness. Yes, and no one has escaped them.

  • Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

    Before it consumed hath fire, And after it burn doth a flame, As the garden of Eden `is' the land before it, And after it a wilderness -- a desolation! And also an escape there hath not been to it,

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and none hath escaped them.

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and none hath escaped them.

  • Bible in Basic English (1941)

    Before them fire sends destruction, and after them flame is burning: the land is like the garden of Eden before them, and after them an unpeopled waste; truly, nothing has been kept safe from them.

  • World English Bible (2000)

    A fire devours before them, and behind them, a flame burns. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them, a desolate wilderness. Yes, and no one has escaped them.

  • NET Bible® (New English Translation)

    Like fire they devour everything in their path; a flame blazes behind them. The land looks like the Garden of Eden before them, but behind them there is only a desolate wilderness– for nothing escapes them!

Referenced Verses

  • Isa 51:3 : 3 For the Lord comforts Zion; He comforts all her ruins. He will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.
  • Gen 2:8 : 8 The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He placed the man He had formed.
  • Zech 7:14 : 14 'I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. The land was left so desolate behind them that no one could come or go. This is how they made the pleasant land a wasteland.'
  • Joel 1:19-20 : 19 To you, Lord, I call, for fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and flames have burned all the trees of the field. 20 Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
  • Exod 10:5 : 5 They will cover the surface of the ground so that it cannot be seen, and they will devour what little is left after the hail, including every tree growing in your fields.
  • Exod 10:15 : 15 They covered the face of the whole land, so that it was darkened. They devoured every plant in the land, all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Nothing green remained on a tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.
  • Ps 50:3 : 3 Our God will come and will not be silent; before Him is a consuming fire, and a mighty storm surrounds Him.
  • Ps 105:34-35 : 34 He spoke, and locusts came, young locusts without number. 35 They ate up all the vegetation in their land and consumed the fruit of their ground.
  • Jer 5:17 : 17 They will consume your harvest and your bread, devour your sons and daughters, eat your flocks and herds, and consume your vines and fig trees. With the sword, they will destroy your fortified cities in which you trust.
  • Ezek 31:8-9 : 8 The cedars in God's garden could not rival it; the cypresses could not compare to its branches, and the plane trees were not like its boughs. No tree in the garden of God was equal to it in beauty. 9 I made it beautiful with its many branches, and all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God, envied it.
  • Joel 1:4-7 : 4 What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten; and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten. 5 Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you wine drinkers, because of the fresh wine, for it is cut off from your mouth. 6 For a nation has invaded my land, strong and without number. Its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it has the fangs of a lioness. 7 It has laid waste my vine and ruined my fig tree. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away; their branches are made white.
  • Amos 7:4 : 4 This is what the Lord God showed me: The Lord was calling for judgment by fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the land.
  • Gen 13:10 : 10 Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the entire plain of the Jordan was well watered everywhere—this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Joel 2:4-7
    4 verses
    81%

    4 Their appearance is like that of horses; like warhorses, they run.

    5 With the noise of chariots, they leap over the mountaintops, like the crackling of a blazing fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army arrayed for battle.

    6 Before them, nations writhe in anguish; every face turns pale.

    7 They charge like mighty warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. Each marches in formation without veering off course.

  • Joel 2:2
    80%

    2 It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. Like the dawn spreading over the mountains, a great and mighty army comes, unlike any seen before, and none will be seen again for generations to follow.

  • Ps 97:3
    77%

    3 Fire goes before Him and burns up His adversaries all around.

  • Isa 9:18
    76%

    18 By the wrath of the LORD Almighty, the land is scorched, and the people are like fuel for the fire; no one spares his brother.

  • Ps 83:14
    75%

    14 My God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind.

  • Joel 2:10
    75%

    10 Before them, the earth quakes, the heavens tremble. The sun and moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their brightness.

  • Deut 29:23
    74%

    23 All the nations will ask, 'Why has the LORD done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?'

  • Nah 3:15
    74%

    15 There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down. It will consume you like the young locusts. Multiply yourselves like locusts; increase yourselves like swarming locusts.

  • Hab 1:8
    74%

    8 Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than evening wolves. Their horsemen charge ahead; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle swooping to devour.

  • Isa 10:17-18
    2 verses
    74%

    17 The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; it will burn and devour his thorns and briars in a single day.

    18 The glory of his forest and his fruitful fields will be consumed, both soul and body. It will be as when a sick man wastes away.

  • Nah 2:3-4
    2 verses
    74%

    3 For the LORD has restored the glory of Jacob, as the glory of Israel. Even though plunderers have ravaged them and destroyed their vines.

    4 The shields of his warriors are stained red; his mighty men are dressed in scarlet. The chariots flash with fire as they are made ready, and the spears of cypress are brandished.

  • Isa 47:14
    74%

    14 Behold, they are like stubble; fire consumes them. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coal for warming oneself, nor fire to sit before.

  • Isa 33:12
    74%

    12 The peoples will be burned as if to lime, like cut thorns set ablaze in the fire.

  • Hab 3:5
    74%

    5 Plague went before Him, and pestilence followed His steps.

  • Rev 20:9
    74%

    9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them.

  • Joel 1:19
    74%

    19 To you, Lord, I call, for fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and flames have burned all the trees of the field.

  • Obad 1:18
    74%

    18 The house of Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame; the house of Esau will be stubble. They will set it on fire and consume it. There will be no survivors from the house of Esau, for the LORD has spoken.

  • Deut 32:24
    74%

    24 Wasted by famine, consumed by burning heat and bitter destruction, I will send against them the teeth of wild animals and the venom of creatures that crawl in the dust.

  • Isa 1:7
    74%

    7 Your land is desolate, your cities are burned with fire; in your presence, foreigners devour your fields. It is desolate, as if overthrown by strangers.

  • Exod 10:5
    73%

    5 They will cover the surface of the ground so that it cannot be seen, and they will devour what little is left after the hail, including every tree growing in your fields.

  • Jer 48:45
    73%

    45 In the shadow of Heshbon, the fugitives stand helpless, for a fire has gone out from Heshbon, and a flame from Sihon. It devours the corner of Moab and the crown of the noisy boasters.

  • Isa 34:9-10
    2 verses
    73%

    9 And its streams will be turned to pitch, its soil to sulfur; its land will become burning pitch.

    10 It will not be quenched night or day; its smoke will rise forever. From generation to generation, it will lie desolate; no one will ever pass through it again.

  • Zeph 1:18
    73%

    18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to rescue them on the day of the Lord's wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy, for He will bring a sudden and complete destruction on all the inhabitants of the earth.

  • Ezek 15:7
    73%

    7 I will set my face against them. Though they come out of the fire, the fire will still consume them. Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them.

  • Jer 2:15
    73%

    15 Young lions have roared against him; they have raised their voices. They have turned his land into a desolation; his towns are burned and uninhabited.

  • Job 30:3
    73%

    3 They are gaunt from poverty and hunger; they gnaw the dry ground in desolate wastelands.

  • Josh 8:20
    73%

    20 When the men of Ai looked back, they saw the smoke of the city rising to the sky, and they had no power to flee in any direction. The Israelites who had fled toward the wilderness now turned against their pursuers.

  • Isa 5:28-29
    2 verses
    73%

    28 Their arrows are sharp, and all their bows are drawn. The hooves of their horses are like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind.

    29 Their roar is like that of a lion; they roar like young lions. They growl and seize their prey and carry it off, with no one to rescue it.

  • Jer 9:10
    72%

    10 I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a lair of jackals, and I will make the towns of Judah desolate, without inhabitants.

  • Isa 24:6
    72%

    6 Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants bear the guilt. Therefore, the earth’s inhabitants are burned, and few people are left.

  • Jer 51:32
    72%

    32 The river crossings have been seized, the marshes have been set on fire, and the soldiers are terrified.

  • Ps 21:9
    72%

    9 Your hand will find all Your enemies; Your right hand will discover those who hate You.

  • Ezek 39:10
    72%

    10 They will not gather wood from the fields or cut it from the forests, because they will use the weapons as fuel. They will plunder those who plundered them and loot those who looted them, declares the Lord GOD.

  • Deut 9:3
    72%

    3 But understand today that the LORD your God is the one crossing ahead of you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and subdue them before you, so you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you.

  • Zeph 1:15
    72%

    15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness.

  • Jer 46:22
    72%

    22 Her voice will hiss like a serpent as they advance in force; with axes they come against her, like those who cut down trees.

  • Jer 15:14
    72%

    14 I will make your enemies pass into a land you do not know, for a fire is kindled in My anger, and it will burn against you.

  • Job 22:20
    72%

    20 Surely our enemies are destroyed, and fire has consumed their wealth.

  • Zeph 2:2
    72%

    2 Before the decree takes effect, before the day passes like chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger comes upon you.

  • Mic 1:4
    72%

    4 The mountains will melt beneath Him, and the valleys will split open like wax before the fire, like water cascading down a slope.

  • Lam 2:3
    72%

    3 In his fierce anger, he has cut off every horn of Israel. He has withdrawn his right hand from the presence of the enemy and burned in Jacob like a blazing fire that engulfs everything around it.

  • Jer 50:3
    72%

    3 For a nation has come against her from the north; it will make her land desolate. No one will live there—neither man nor beast—all will flee and be gone.

  • Jer 4:29
    72%

    29 At the sound of the horsemen and archers, every city flees. They go into the thickets and climb among the rocks. The cities are abandoned, and no one lives in them.