< Joel 3 >
1 “Yes, in those days and at that time, when I restore Judah and Jerusalem from captivity,
For behold, in those days and at that time, When I shall bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,
2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My people, My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations as they divided up My land.
I will assemble all the nations, And will bring them down it to the valley of Jehoshaphat, And there will I contend with them for my people and inheritance, Israel; Because they scattered them among the nations, And divided my land among themselves.
3 They cast lots for My people; they bartered a boy for a prostitute and sold a girl for wine to drink.
Yea, they cast lots for my people, And gave a boy for a harlot, And sold a damsel for wine to drink.
4 Now what do you have against Me, O Tyre, Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you rendering against Me a recompense? If you retaliate against Me, I will swiftly and speedily return your recompense upon your heads.
What have ye to do with me, O Tyre and Sidon, And all the borders of Philistia? Will ye retaliate on me? Or will ye do anything against me? Swiftly and speedily will I bring back your doings upon your own head.
5 For you took My silver and gold and carried off My finest treasures to your temples.
Ye have taken my silver and my gold, And have carried into your palaces my precious, goodly things;
6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, to send them far from their homeland.
The sons also of Judah, and the sons of Jerusalem, Ye have sold to the Grecians, That ye might remove them far from their border.
7 Behold, I will rouse them from the places to which you sold them; I will return your recompense upon your heads.
Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, And I will return your injury upon your own head;
8 I will sell your sons and daughters into the hands of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans—to a distant nation.” Indeed, the LORD has spoken.
I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, And they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation afar off; For Jehovah hath spoken it.
9 Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the men of war advance and attack!
Proclaim ye this among the nations: “Prepare war! Stir up the mighty ones! Let all the warriors draw near; let them come up!”
10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, ‘I am strong!’
Beat your ploughshares into swords, And your pruning-hooks into spears; Let the weak say, I am strong!
11 Come quickly, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves. Bring down Your mighty ones, O LORD.
Assemble yourselves and come, all ye nations round about; Gather yourselves together! Thither, O Jehovah, bring down thy mighty ones!
12 Let the nations be roused and advance to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the nations on every side.
Let the nations rise and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat! For there will I sit to judge all the nations around.
13 Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because their wickedness is great.
Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; Come and tread, for the wine-press is full; The vats overflow; For their wickedness is great!
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the Day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
The multitudes, the multitudes in the valley of judgment! For the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of judgment.
15 The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine.
The sun and the moon are darkened, And the stars withdraw their shining.
16 The LORD will roar from Zion and raise His voice from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
Jehovah also will roar from Zion, And utter his voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and the earth shall shake. But Jehovah will be a refuge to his people! A strong-hold to the sons of Israel.
17 Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, My holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy, never again to be overrun by foreigners.
Then shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God, Dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain; And Jerusalem shall be holy; Strangers shall pass through her no more.
18 And in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the streams of Judah will run with water, and a spring will flow from the house of the LORD to water the Valley of Acacias.
In that day shall the mountains drop down new wine, And the hills shall flow with milk. And all the streams of Judah shall flow with water. A fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, That shall water the valley of Shittim.
19 Egypt will become desolate, and Edom a desert wasteland, because of the violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood.
Egypt shall be a waste, And Edom a desolate wilderness, For their violence against the sons of Judah; For they shed innocent blood in their land.
20 But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
But Judah shall be inhabited for ever, And Jerusalem from generation to generation.
21 For I will avenge their blood, which I have not yet avenged.”
And I will avenge their blood, which I have not avenged, And Jehovah will dwell upon Zion.