Joel 1:2

¹ This is the word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel:

Hear this, O elders; and give ear, all who dwell in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your fathers?

³ Tell it to your children; let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.

⁴ 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.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Hear this, O elders; and give ear, all who dwell in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your fathers?
KJV: Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?
WEB: Hear this, you elders, and listen, all you inhabitants of the land! Has this ever happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers?
ASV: Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or in the days of your fathers?
DARBY: Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?
BLB: Hear this, O elders, and give ear, all dwellers of the land. Has this come to be in your⁺ days, or even in the days of your⁺ fathers?

ÅB: Hør dette, dere gamle! Gi akt, alle som bor i landet! Er slikt skjedd i deres dager eller i deres fedres dager?
OTB: Hør dette, dere eldste,
og lytt, alle som bor i landet.
Har noe slikt hendt i deres dager
eller i deres forfedres dager?
B1930: Hør dette, I gamle! Gi akt, alle som bor i landet! Er sådant skjedd i eders dager eller i eders fedres dager?

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Joel 2:2
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.
Read in context
Hosea 5:1
“Hear this, O priests! Take heed, O house of Israel! Give ear, O royal house! For this judgment is against you because you have been a snare at Mizpah, a net spread out on Tabor.
Read in context
Jeremiah 30:7
How awful that day will be! None will be like it! It is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved out of it.
Read in context
Job 8:8
Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers.
Read in context
Micah 3:1
Then I said: “Hear now, O leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice?
Read in context
Joel 1:14
Consecrate a fast; proclaim a solemn assembly! Gather the elders and all the residents of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.
Read in context
Daniel 12:1
“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.
Read in context
Micah 1:2
Hear, O peoples, all of you; listen, O earth, and everyone in it! May the Lord GOD bear witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple.
Read in context