Joel 2:20 nasb — "But I will remove the northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, And its vangua…

NASB

""But I will remove the northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, And its vanguard into the eastern sea, And its rear guard into the western sea. And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, For it has done great things.""

— Joel 2:20, NASB

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Joel 2:20 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “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.”

  • ASV

    “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. ”

  • WEB

    “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.”

  • NET

    “I will remove the one from the north far from you. I will drive him out to a dry and desolate place. Those in front will be driven eastward into the Dead Sea, and those in back westward into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise up as a foul smell.” Indeed, the LORD has accomplished great things.”

  • DRB

    “And I will remove far off from you the northern enemy: and I will drive him into a land unpassable, and desert, with his face towards the east sea, and his hinder part towards the utmost sea: and his stench shall ascend, and his rottenness shall go up, because he hath done proudly.”

  • BBE

    “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.”

  • KJVA

    “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.”

Joel 2 — Context

17

Let the priests, the LORD'S ministers, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not make Your inheritance a reproach, A byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, 'Where is their God?'"

18

Then the LORD will be zealous for His land And will have pity on His people.

19

The LORD will answer and say to His people, "Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied in full with them; And I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.

20

"But I will remove the northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, And its vanguard into the eastern sea, And its rear guard into the western sea. And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, For it has done great things."

21

Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, For the LORD has done great things.

22

Do not fear, beasts of the field, For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green, For the tree has borne its fruit, The fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.

23

So rejoice, O sons of Zion, And be glad in the LORD your God; For He has given you the early rain for your vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, The early and latter rain as before.

Joel 2:20 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Joel 2:20 say?
Joel 2:20 in the NASB reads: “"But I will remove the northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, And its vanguard into the eastern sea, And its rear guard into the western sea. And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, For it has done great things."”
Where is Joel 2:20 in the Bible?
Joel 2:20 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Joel, chapter 2, verse 20.
Who wrote Joel?
Joel is traditionally attributed to Joel son of Pethuel. It was written c. 835–796 BC (date uncertain).
What is the book of Joel about?
Joel uses a present catastrophe — a locust plague — to point to a greater "day of the LORD" still to come, both terrible and hopeful. The book promises that God will pour out his Spirit on all flesh, a prophecy Peter quotes at Pentecost.
What are the major themes of Joel?
Joel explores themes including Day of the LORD, Repentance, Outpouring of the Spirit, Restoration. These themes shape the meaning and context of Joel 2:20.
What translation should I read Joel 2:20 in?
Joel 2:20 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Joel 2:20?
Joel 2:20 reads (NASB): “"But I will remove the northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, And its vanguard into the eastern sea, And its rear guard into the western sea. And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, For it has done great things."” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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