How the cattle groan! The herds wander in confusion because they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep are suffering.
Parallel translations
- WEB How the animals groan! The herds of livestock are perplexed, because they have no pasture. Yes, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.
- KJV How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.
- NKJV How the animals groan! The herds of cattle are restless, Because they have no pasture; Even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment.
- NASB How the animals have groaned! The herds of cattle have wandered aimlessly Because there is no pasture for them; Even the flocks of sheep have suffered.
- NLT How the animals moan with hunger! The herds of cattle wander about confused, because they have no pasture. The flocks of sheep and goats bleat in misery.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The livestock groan and wander in confusion because there is no pasture for them. Even the animals suffer under the devastation of the land.
Overview
Joel describes herds and flocks bewildered and made desolate by the lack of grazing. The suffering of the animals widens the scope of the judgment, showing how human sin brings consequences upon the whole created order (Romans 8:20-22). Their groaning becomes a wordless cry that, like all creation, longs for the restoration God will bring.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Jer 12:4How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field be withered? Because of the evil of its residents, the animals and birds have been swept away, for the people have said, “He cannot see what our end will be.”
- Hos 4:3Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea disappear.
- Jer 14:5–6Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass.
- 1 Kgs 18:5Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock.”
- Joel 1:20Even the beasts of the field pant for You, for the streams of water have dried up, and fire has consumed the open pastures.
- Rom 8:22We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The promised outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh and the call to 'everyone who calls on the name of the LORD' are fulfilled at Pentecost in the name of Jesus.
How Joel 1:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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