Joel 2:13 So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.

◄ Joel 2:13 ►

New International Version
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

New Living Translation
Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.

English Standard Version
and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

Berean Standard Bible
So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.

King James Bible
And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

New King James Version
So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.

New American Standard Bible
And tear your heart and not merely your garments.” Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in mercy And relenting of catastrophe.

NASB 1995
And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil.

NASB 1977
And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, And relenting of evil.

Legacy Standard Bible
And tear your heart and not your garments.” Now return to Yahweh your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, And relenting concerning evil.

Amplified Bible
Rip your heart to pieces [in sorrow and contrition] and not your garments.” Now return [in repentance] to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness [faithful to His covenant with His people]; And He relents [His sentence of] evil [when His people genuinely repent].

Christian Standard Bible
Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the LORD your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in faithful love, and He relents from sending disaster.

American Standard Version
and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Contemporary English Version
Don't rip your clothes to show your sorrow. Instead, turn back to me with broken hearts. I am merciful, kind, and caring. I don't easily lose my temper, and I don't like to punish.

English Revised Version
and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God, for he is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy, and repenteth him of the evil.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Tear your hearts, not your clothes. Return to the LORD your God. He is merciful and compassionate, patient, and always ready to forgive and to change his plans about disaster.

Good News Translation
Let your broken heart show your sorrow; tearing your clothes is not enough." Come back to the LORD your God. He is kind and full of mercy; he is patient and keeps his promise; he is always ready to forgive and not punish.

International Standard Version
Tear your hearts, not your garments; and turn back to the LORD your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to become angry, overflowing in gracious love, and grieves about this evil.

Majority Standard Bible
So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.

NET Bible
Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and boundless in loyal love--often relenting from calamitous punishment.

New Heart English Bible
Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to the LORD, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.

Webster's Bible Translation
And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn to the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth of the evil.

World English Bible
Tear your heart and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And tear your heart, and not your garments, "" And turn back to your God YHWH, "" For He [is] gracious and merciful, "" Slow to anger, and abundant in kindness, "" And relenting from evil.

Young's Literal Translation
And rend your heart, and not your garments, And turn back unto Jehovah your God, For gracious and merciful is He, Slow to anger, and abundant in kindness, And He hath repented concerning the evil.

Smith's Literal Translation
And rend your heart and not your garments, and turn back to Jehovah your God: for he is merciful and compassionate, slow of anger and of much kindness, and lamenting on account of the evil.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to repent of the evil.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And rend your hearts, and not your garments, and convert to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and merciful, patient and full of compassion, and steadfast despite ill will.

New American Bible
Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God, For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting in punishment.

New Revised Standard Version
rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And rend your hearts and not your garments, and turn to the LORD your God; for he is gracious and merciful, patient and of great kindness, and he averts disaster.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And rip your hearts, and not your robes, and be turned to LORD JEHOVAH your God because he is merciful and he is cherishing, and his Spirit is patient and his grace abundant, and he changes evil

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And rend your heart, and not your garments, And turn unto the LORD your God; For He is gracious and compassionate, long-suffering, and abundant in mercy, And repenteth Him of the evil.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God: for he is merciful and compassionate, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy, and repents of evils.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Return with All Your Heart
12“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” 13So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster. 14Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him—grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 34:6-7
Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, / maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

Psalm 103:8-14
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. / He will not always accuse us, nor harbor His anger forever. / He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities. ...

Jonah 4:2
So he prayed to the LORD, saying, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I was so quick to flee toward Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion—One who relents from sending disaster.

Nehemiah 9:17
They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.

Numbers 14:18
‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’

Psalm 86:15
But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.

Psalm 145:8
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.

Lamentations 3:22-23
Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. / They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!

Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

Hosea 6:1
Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us to pieces, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bind up our wounds.

2 Chronicles 30:9
For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful; He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

Jeremiah 3:12
Go, proclaim this message toward the north: ‘Return, O faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will no longer look on you with anger, for I am merciful,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will not be angry forever.

Micah 7:18-19
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion? / He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,

Romans 2:4
Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?

Treasury of Scripture

And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn to the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repents him of the evil.

rend.

2 Kings 22:19
Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.

Psalm 34:18
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psalm 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

your garments.

Genesis 37:29,34
And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes…

2 Samuel 1:11
Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:

1 Kings 21:27
And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

for.

Exodus 34:6,7
And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, …

Numbers 14:18
The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

Psalm 86:5,15
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee…

slow.

Nehemiah 9:17
And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

Psalm 103:8
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

Nahum 1:3
The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

and repenteth.

Psalm 106:45
And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

Jeremiah 18:7,8
At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; …

Amos 7:2-6
And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small…

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Abounding Abundant Anger Calamity Clothing Compassionate Evil Full Garments Grace Gracious Great Heart Kindness Loving Merciful Mercy Pity Punishment Purpose Ready Relenting Rend Repenteth Sending Slow Steadfast Tear Turn Turned

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Joel 2

1. He shows unto Zion the terribleness of God's judgment.
12. He exhorts to repentance;
15. prescribes a fast;
18. promises a blessing thereon.
21. He comforts Zion with present,
28. and future blessings.

Berean Study Bible

So rend your hearts
The phrase "rend your hearts" calls for a deep, internal transformation rather than mere external expressions of repentance. In Hebrew, the word for "rend" is "qara," which means to tear or split. This imagery is powerful, suggesting that true repentance involves a profound, heartfelt change. Historically, tearing one's garments was a sign of mourning or distress, but God desires a more profound, spiritual contrition that affects the heart, the center of one's being.

and not your garments
This phrase emphasizes the insufficiency of outward rituals without genuine inner change. In ancient Israel, tearing one's clothes was a common sign of grief or repentance. However, God, through the prophet Joel, is urging the people to go beyond superficial acts. The Hebrew culture was rich with symbolic acts, but this call is for authenticity in one's relationship with God, highlighting that God values sincerity over ritual.

Return to the LORD your God
The word "return" is from the Hebrew "shuv," which means to turn back or repent. This is a call to repentance and restoration of the covenant relationship with God. The phrase underscores the covenantal faithfulness of God, who is always ready to receive His people back. Historically, Israel often strayed from God, and this call is a reminder of His enduring mercy and the opportunity for renewal.

for He is gracious and compassionate
Here, the attributes of God are highlighted. "Gracious" (Hebrew: "channun") and "compassionate" (Hebrew: "rachum") describe God's character as one who shows favor and mercy. These attributes are foundational to the understanding of God in the Old Testament, reflecting His willingness to forgive and restore. This assurance of God's nature is meant to encourage repentance, knowing that God is not harsh but loving and kind.

slow to anger
The phrase "slow to anger" translates the Hebrew "erek apayim," which literally means "long of nostrils," a metaphor for patience. This characteristic of God is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, emphasizing His patience and forbearance. It reassures the people that God is not quick to punish but gives ample opportunity for repentance.

abounding in loving devotion
"Loving devotion" is from the Hebrew "chesed," a rich term that encompasses love, kindness, and covenantal loyalty. God's "chesed" is a central theme in the Bible, representing His steadfast love and faithfulness to His covenant people. This abundance of loving devotion is a source of hope and encouragement for those who turn back to Him.

He relents from sending disaster
The word "relents" comes from the Hebrew "nacham," which can mean to be sorry, to console oneself, or to change one's mind. This does not imply that God is capricious but rather that He is responsive to human repentance. The historical context of Joel involves impending judgment, but this assurance reveals God's willingness to withhold judgment in response to genuine repentance, highlighting His mercy and desire for restoration rather than destruction.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(13) Repenteth him of the evil--i.e., in the sense that of His own will He would not the death of a sinner. The judgments of God, like His mercies, are conditional. As the "Lord repented (i.e., grieved) that He had made Saul king over Israel," and revoked the appointment, so now He repenteth Him of the evil which will fall on His people if impenitent. If they will repent, it may be He will do it not.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 13. - And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God. Where there is real contrition of spirit because of sin, outward manifestations are both suitable and proper, though not by way of display or for sake of ostentation. But they were reminded, on the other hand, that mere outward manifestations avail nothing unless there also exist the deep inward feelings which are in harmony with and naturally underlie those manifestations. Out of such inward feelings those outward expressions properly originate; hence, after the exhortation to fasting and weeping and mourning, it is added, "Rend your heart, and not your garments." To rend the garments, among the Jews, was a token of great grief, and imported that the individual who did so was overwhelmed with excessive sorrow, or had encountered some terrible calamity. Thus we read of Jacob, on receiving his son Joseph's coat of many colours, rending his clothes, putting sackcloth on his loins, and mourning for his son many days (comp. also 2 Chronicles 34:27). In these instances the sorrow was deep and genuine and bitter. It was possible, however, to exhibit the external signs of grief without any such corresponding inward feeling of sorrow; just as it is still possible for men to draw near to God with their lips while the heart is far from him. To prevent such hypocritical pretence they are commanded to rend their hearts, and not their garments only. There was no impropriety in rending their garments in token of great grief for sin and of great indignation against themselves for their folly, but the command imports that they were not to rest in the outward sign without the reality of the thing signified. For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. To the exhortation he subjoins the encouraging manifestation of the Divine character with which God, ages before, had favoured Moses, substituting for "truth" the trait of character best suited to the present emergency. He is not an absolute God or an inexorable God, but their covenant God and Father who invites them even to himself, against whom they had so heinously sinned and whom they had so grievously offended.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

So rend
וְקִרְע֤וּ (wə·qir·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 7167: To rend

your hearts
לְבַבְכֶם֙ (lə·ḇaḇ·ḵem)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 3824: Inner man, mind, will, heart

and not
וְאַל־ (wə·’al-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

your garments,
בִּגְדֵיכֶ֔ם (biḡ·ḏê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 899: A covering, clothing, treachery, pillage

and return
וְשׁ֖וּבוּ (wə·šū·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the LORD
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God.
אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם (’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

For
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

He
ה֔וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

is gracious
חַנּ֤וּן (ḥan·nūn)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2587: Gracious

and compassionate,
וְרַחוּם֙ (wə·ra·ḥūm)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7349: Compassionate

slow
אֶ֤רֶךְ (’e·reḵ)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 750: Long

to anger,
אַפַּ֙יִם֙ (’ap·pa·yim)
Noun - md
Strong's 639: The nose, nostril, the face, a person, ire

and abounding
וְרַב־ (wə·raḇ-)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great

in loving devotion.
חֶ֔סֶד (ḥe·seḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2617: Kindness, piety, reproof, beauty

And He relents
וְנִחָ֖ם (wə·ni·ḥām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5162: To sigh, breathe strongly, to be sorry, to pity, console, rue, to avenge

from
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

sending disaster.
הָרָעָֽה׃ (hā·rā·‘āh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

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OT Prophets: Joel 2:13 Tear your heart and not your garments (Jl Joe.)