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 restore the fortunes 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,

I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will execute judgement on them there for my people, and for my heritage, Israel, whom they have scattered amongst the nations. They have divided my land,

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

and have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.

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:

“Yes, and what are you to me, Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Will you repay me? And if you repay me, I will swiftly and speedily return your repayment on your own head.

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

Because you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my finest treasures 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 have sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to the sons of the Greeks, that you may remove them far from their border.

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 stir them up out of the place where you have sold them, and will return your repayment on 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 sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the children of Judah, and they will sell them to the men of Sheba, to a faraway nation, for the LORD has 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 this amongst the nations: “Prepare for war! Stir up the mighty men. Let all the warriors draw near. Let them come up.

10 Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your sickles 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 Gather yourselves together, and go in, all you nations round about, and gather yourselves there; let the timid become a warrior.

Hurry and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves together.” Cause your mighty ones to come down there, LORD.

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 arouse themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.

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 in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.”

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

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

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

The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

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.

The LORD will roar from Zion, and thunder from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth will shake; but the LORD will be a refuge to his people, and a stronghold to 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 you will know that I am the LORD, your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain. Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no strangers will 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.

It will happen in that day, that the mountains will drop down sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, all the brooks of Judah will flow with waters; and a fountain will flow out from the LORD’s house, and will 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 will be a desolation and Edom will be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

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

But Judah will be inhabited forever, 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.

I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed, for the LORD dwells in Zion.”