King James Version

Joel 2:17

Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

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Hebrew

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בֵּ֤יןbeynbetweenבֵּיןpreposition — “between”H996between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...oramong, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), [phrase] from (the widest), [idiom] in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.הָאוּלָם֙haulamthe porchאוּלָםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the porch”, the ordinary formH197a vestibule (as bound to the building)porch.וְלַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַvelamizbechaand to altarמִזְבֵּחַconjunction, preposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and to altar”, the ordinary formH4196an altaraltar.יִבְכּוּ֙yivkvweepבָּכָהverb, qal, jussive, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “weep”, a wish or indirect commandH1058to weep; generally to bemoan[idiom] at all, bewail, complain, make lamentation, [idiom] more, mourn, [idiom] sore, [idiom] with tears, weep.הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔יםhakohanimthe priestכֹּהֵןdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the priest”, the ordinary formH3548literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer.מְשָׁרְתֵ֖יmeshareteministerשָׁרַתverb, piel, participle, construct — “minister”, a verb used as a describing wordH8334to attend as a menial or worshipper; figuratively, to contribute tominister (unto), (do) serve(-ant, -ice, -itor), wait on.יְהוָ֑הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).וְֽיֹאמְר֞וּveyomrvand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and say”, an unfinished actionH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…ח֧וּסָהchusahpityחוּסverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular, paragogic he — “pity”, a commandH2347properly, to cover, i.e. (figuratively) to compassionatepity, regard, spare.יְהוָ֣הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…עַמֶּ֗ךָamekhapeopleעַםnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “people”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.וְאַלvealand notאַלconjunction, particle, negative — “and not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.תִּתֵּ֨ןtitengiveנָתַןverb, qal, jussive, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “give”, a wish or indirect commandH5414to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] wi…נַחֲלָתְךָ֤nachalatekhaheritageנַחֲלָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “heritage”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5159properly, something inherited, i.e. (abstractly) occupancy, or (concretely) an heirloom; generally an estate, patrimony or portionheritage, to inherit, inheritance, possession. Compare H5158 (נַחַל).לְחֶרְפָּה֙lecherpahto rebukeחֶרְפָּהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “to rebuke”, the ordinary formH2781contumely, disgrace, the pudendarebuke, reproach(-fully), shame.לִמְשָׁלlimshalto ruleמָשַׁלpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to rule”, the to-form of the verbH4910to rule(have, make to have) dominion, governor, [idiom] indeed, reign, (bear, cause to, have) rule(-ing, -r), have power.בָּ֣םbaminבָּ֣םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “in”inגּוֹיִ֔םgoyimGentileגּוֹיnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “Gentile”, the ordinary formH1471a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locustsGentile, heathen, nation, people.לָ֚מָּהlamahto howמָהpreposition, particle, interrogative — “to how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.יֹאמְר֣וּyomrvsayאָמַרverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “say”, an unfinished actionH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…בָֽעַמִּ֔יםvaamimin peopleעַםpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “in people”, the ordinary formH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.אַיֵּ֖הayehwhereאַיֵּהparticle, interrogative — “where”H346where?where.אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽםeloheyhemGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say: 'Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not Thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should make them a byword: wherefore should they say among the peoples: Where is their God?'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?

Young’s Literal Translation

Between the porch and the altar weep let the priests, ministrants of Jehovah, And let them say: 'Have pity, O Jehovah, on Thy people, And give not Thy inheritance to reproach, To the ruling over them of nations, Why do they say among peoples, Where [is] their God?'

World English Bible

Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “Spare your people, Yahweh, and don’t give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Darby Translation

Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare, O Jehovah, thy people, and give not thine inheritance to reproach, that they should be a byword of the nations. Wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?

Douay-Rheims

Between the porch and the altar the priests the Lord’s ministers shall weep, and shall say: Spare, O Lord, spare thy people: and give not thy inheritance to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them. Why should they say among the nations: Where is their God?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Between the porch and the altar let the priests that minister to the Lord weep, and say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them, lest they should say among the heathen, Where is their God?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἀναμέσον τῆς κρηπίδος τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, κλαύσονται οἱ ἱερεῖς οἱ λειτουργοῦντες τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἐροῦσι, φεῖσαι Κύριε, τοῦ λαοῦ σου, καὶ μὴ δῷς τὴν κληρονομίαν σου εἰς ὄνειδος, τοῦ κατάρξαι αὐτῶν ἔθνη, ὅπως μὴ εἴπωσιν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῶν;