“Hear this!

O elders!

Give ear!

All inhabitants of the land!

Has such a thing happened

In your days?

Has such a thing happened

In the days

Of your ancestors?

Tell your children of it!

Let your children

Tell their children!

Let their children tell

Another generation!”

Joel began, like many of the other prophets, by asking the people to listen. He wanted the elders and all the people of the land to listen. He was going to talk about a rare event that had happened. He wondered whether it had happened in the days of their ancestors. He wanted them to tell their children about this, so that their children might tell another generations about this great event.