Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, “Pity Your people, O Yahweh, And do not make Your inheritance a reproach, A byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’”
Joel 2:15 Blow a trumpet in Zion, Set apart a fast as holy, call for a solemn assembly,
Joel 2:16 Gather the people, set apart the congregation as holy, Assemble the elders, Gather the infants and the nursing babies. Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber.
Joel 2:17 Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, “Pity Your people, O Yahweh, And do not make Your inheritance a reproach, A byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’”
Joel 2:18 Then Yahweh will be zealous for His land And will spare His people.
Joel 2:19 Then Yahweh will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine, and oil, And you will be satisfied in full with them; And I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.
The verse centers on "priests", "ministers", "yahweh", "weep", "between", "porch", "altar", and "pity". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "priests" and "ministers", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 16's "Gather the people set apart the congregation..." into verse 18's "Then Yahweh will be zealous for His...", so "priests" and "ministers" belong inside that flow. In Joel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "priests" and "ministers" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.