Joel 3

1 For, behold, in those days and at that time, when I shall have turned the captivity of Juda and Jerusalem,

For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I will cause to return the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 I will also gather all the Gentiles, and bring them down to the valley of Josaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and my heritage Israel, who have been dispersed amongst the Gentiles; and [these Gentiles] have divided my land,

Then will I assemble all the nations, and I will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will hold judgment with them there because of my people and my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and for my land [which] they have divided out.

3 and cast lots over my people, and have given [their] boys to harlots, and sold [their] girls for wine, and have drunk.

And for my people did they cast lots; and gave a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, and drank it.

4 And what have you to do with me, O Tyre, and Sidon, and all Galilee of the Gentiles? do you render me a recompense? or do you bear malice against me? quickly and speedily will I return your recompense on your own heads:

And also ye, what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all ye districts of Philistia? is this the recompense which ye repay me? or do ye only commence to render me evil?— swiftly and speedily will I bring back your recompense upon your own head;

5 because you have taken my silver and my gold, and you have brought my choice ornaments into your temples;

Because my silver and my gold have ye taken, and the handsomest of my precious things have ye carried into your temples;

6 and you have sold the children of Juda and the children of Jerusalem to the children of the Greeks, that you might expel them from their coasts.

And the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the sons of the Jevanim, in order to remove them far from their borders.

7 Therefore, behold, I [will] raise them up out of the place whither you have sold them, and I will return your recompense on your own heads.

Behold, I will awaken them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and I will bring back your recompense upon your own head;

8 And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the children of Juda, and they shall sell them into captivity to a far distant nation: for the Lord has spoken [it].

And I will deliver your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far off; for the Lord hath spoken it.

9 Proclaim these things amongst the Gentiles; declare war, arouse the warriors, draw near and go up, all you men of war.

Proclaim ye this among the nations, Prepare war, wake up the mighty men; let them draw near; let them come up—all the men of war.

10 Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your sickles into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

Beat your plough-shares into swords, and your pruning-knives into spears: let the weak say, I am a hero.

11 Gather yourselves together, and go in, all you nations round about, and gather yourselves there; let the timid become a warrior.

Assemble hastily together, and come, all ye nations from every side, and gather yourselves together: there doth the Lord strike down thy mighty ones.

12 Let them be aroused, let all the nations go up to the valley of Josaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the Gentiles round about.

Let the nations awake, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations from every side.

13 Bring forth the sickles, for the vintage is come: go in, tread [the grapes], for the press is full: cause the vats to overflow; for their wickedness is multiplied.

Put forth the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread down [the grapes]; for the press is full; the vats overflow; for great is their wickedness.

14 Noises have resounded in the valley of judgement: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of judgement.

Multitudes, multitudes are in the valley of decision; for near is the day of the Lord in the valley of decision.

15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their light.

Sun and moon are obscured, and stars withdraw their brightness.

16 And the Lord shall cry out of Sion, and shall utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heaven and the earth shall be shaken, but the Lord shall spare his people, and shall strengthen the children of Israel.

And the Lord will cry aloud out of Zion, and from Jerusalem will he send forth his voice; and the heavens and the earth shall quake; but the Lord will be a refuge for his people, and a stronghold for the children of Israel.

17 And you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwell in Sion my holy mountain: and Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall not pass through her anymore.

So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling on Zion, my holy mount: and Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall not pass through her any more.

18 And it shall come to pass in that day [that] the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the fountains of Juda shall flow with water, and a fountain shall go forth of the house of the Lord, and water the valley of flags.

And it came to pass on that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweet new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the ravines of Judah shall flow with water; and a spring shall come forth out of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Idumea shall be a desolate plain, because of the wrongs of the children of Juda, because they have shed righteous blood in their land.

Egypt shall become a desolate land, and Edom shall become a desolate wilderness; because of the violence against the children of Judah, in whose land they have shed innocent blood.

20 But Judea shall be inhabited for ever, and Jerusalem to all generations.

But Judah shall be inhabited for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

21 And I will make inquisition for their blood, and will by no means leave it unavenged: and the Lord shall dwell in Sion.

And I will avenge their blood that I have not yet avenged; for the Lord dwelleth in Zion.