--- title: "Book of Joel: Summary & All 3 Chapters · Bless" url: https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/ description: "The Book of Joel, a book of prophetic oracles in 3 chapters. Bp. Challoner’s summary of 1 of its 3 chapters, and the full text free." --- Old Testament # The Book of Joel The Book of Joel is the thirty-fourth of the 46 books of the Old Testament: 3 chapters and 73 verses. [Start reading: Joel 1](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/1/) [1](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/1/) [2](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/2/) [3](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/3/) ## About Joel About Joel · Prophetic oracles Joel took a devastating locust plague and read it as a rehearsal of the day of the Lord, calling Judah to fasting and a rending of hearts rather than garments. Nothing is known of the prophet beyond his name, and his date is debated. He wrote to turn disaster into repentance and repentance into hope, ending with the promise that God would pour out his Spirit on all flesh — the text Peter stood up to quote when that promise arrived at Pentecost. *Joel in Bless* | | | |---|---| | Testament | Old Testament — book 34 of 46, 34 of 73 in the Bible | | Canon | Protocanonical (in every Christian canon) | | Chapters | 3 | | Verses | 73, as Bless numbers them | | Latin | Clementine Vulgate, every chapter | | Bp. Challoner | Summaries of 1 of 3 chapters · 6 notes | | Catechism | 4 paragraphs cite it | Chapter by chapter ## All 3 chapters, *in brief.* Bishop Richard Challoner’s summary of each chapter, from his revision of the Douay-Rheims (1749–52). Open a chapter for the full text. 1. ### [Joel 1](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/1/) 20 verses The prophet describes the judgments that shall fall upon the people, and invites them to fasting and prayer. 2. ### [Joel 2](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/2/) 32 verses No summary from Challoner. 3. ### [Joel 3](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/3/) 21 verses No summary from Challoner. Bp. Richard Challoner · chapter summaries In the comments ## What the saints *said.* 1 quotation from 1 saint linked to passages of Joel in Bless. Each names the work it comes from. [St. Peter Chrysologus](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-peter-chrysologus/) · on [Joel 2:12](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/2/#v12) On this theme > Let us use fasting to make up for what we have lost by despising others. Let us offer our souls in sacrifice by means of fasting. Sermon 43, c. 440 Coming up ## Read at *Mass.* From October 29, 2026 to October 28, 2027, Joel is read at the principal Mass on 6 days in the US calendar. The next 8 readings: | Date | Celebration | Reading | Citation | |---|---|---|---| | [Wed, Feb 10, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/02/10/) | Ash Wednesday | First Reading | [Joel 2:12-18](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/2/) | | [Wed, Feb 17, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/02/17/) | Wednesday of the First Week in Lent | Verse before the Gospel | [Joel 2:12-13](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/2/) | | [Tue, Mar 2, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/03/02/) | Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent | Verse before the Gospel | [Joel 2:12-13](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/2/) | | [Thu, Mar 4, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/03/04/) | Thursday of the Third Week of Lent | Verse before the Gospel | [Joel 2:12-13](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/2/) | | [Fri, Oct 8, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/10/08/) computed | Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time | First Reading | [Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/1/) | | [Sat, Oct 9, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/10/09/) computed | Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time | First Reading | [Joel 4:12-21](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/3/) | | [Wed, Mar 1, 2028](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2028/03/01/) computed | Ash Wednesday | First Reading | [Joel 2:12-18](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/2/) | | [Wed, Mar 8, 2028](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2028/03/08/) computed | Wednesday of the First Week of Lent | Verse before the Gospel | [Joel 2:12-13](https://blessbible.app/bible/joel/2/) | Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish. [Previous book The Book of Hosea](https://blessbible.app/bible/hosea/) [Next book The Book of Amos](https://blessbible.app/bible/amos/)