Joel 1

The prophet Joel warns of an unprecedented judgment coming upon Judah, symbolized by a devastating locust plague that consumes every green thing. The plague is so severe that it is described as an invading army. Joel calls upon the old men, the priests, and all the inhabitants to lament, weep, and cry out to the Lord. The prophet warns the priests to mourn because the grain offering and the drink offering have been cut off from the Temple due to the famine.