Joel 2:16

¹⁴ Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him— grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.

¹⁵ Blow the ram’s horn in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a sacred assembly.

Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.

¹⁷ Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

¹⁸ Then the LORD became jealous for His land, and He spared His people.

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: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.
KJV: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
WEB: Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who nurse from breasts. Let the bridegroom go out of his room, and the bride out of her chamber.
ASV: gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
DARBY: gather the people, hallow the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride from her closet.
BLB: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the infants and those suckling the breasts; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her chamber.

ÅB: Samle folket, tillys en hellig sammenkomst, kall de gamle sammen, samle de små barn, endog dem som dier morsbryst! La brudgommen gå ut av sitt rom og bruden av sitt kammer!
OTB: Samle folket,
hellige menigheten;
samle de eldste,
samle barna og de som ammer ved brystet.
La brudgommen forlate sitt rom
og bruden sitt kammer.
B1930: Samle folket, tillys en hellig sammenkomst, kall de gamle sammen, samle de små barn, endog dem som dier morsbryst! La brudgommen gå ut av sitt rum og bruden av sitt kammer!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

2 Chronicles 20:13
Meanwhile all the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, were standing before the LORD.
Read in context
2 Chronicles 29:5
“Listen to me, O Levites,” he said. “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 7:5
Do not deprive each other, except by mutual consent and for a time, so you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again, so that Satan will not tempt you through your lack of self-control.
Read in context
1 Samuel 16:5
“In peace,” he replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
Read in context
Exodus 19:22
Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.”
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
Exodus 19:10
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes
Read in context
Zechariah 12:11–14
On that day the wailing in Jerusalem will be as great as the wailing of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
Read in context