Joel 3

1 For behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall turn again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

“Yes, in those days and at that time, when I restore Judah and Jerusalem from captivity,

2 I will also gather all the nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of my people and mine inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations: and they have parted my land;

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.

3 and they have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, and have drunk [it].

They cast lots for My people; they bartered a boy for a prostitute and sold a girl for wine to drink.

4 Yea also, what have ye to do with me, O Tyre and Zidon, and all the districts of Philistia? Will ye render me a recompence? But if ye recompense me, swiftly [and] speedily will I bring your recompence upon your own head;

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.

5 because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my beautiful pleasant things,

For you took My silver and gold and carried off My finest treasures to your temples.

6 and the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the children of the Greeks, that ye might remove them far from their border.

You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, to send them far from their homeland.

7 Behold, I will raise them up out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will bring your recompence upon your own head.

Behold, I will rouse them from the places to which you sold them; I will return your recompense upon your heads.

8 And I will sell 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 Jehovah hath spoken.

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.

9 Proclaim this among the nations: prepare war, arouse the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.

Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the men of war advance and attack!

10 Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-knives into spears; let the weak say, I am strong.

Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, ‘I am strong!’

11 Haste ye and come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together. Thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Jehovah.

Come quickly, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves. Bring down Your mighty ones, O LORD.

12 Let the nations rouse themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about.

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.

13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down, for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

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.

14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Jehovah is at hand in the valley of decision.

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 shining.

The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine.

16 And Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: and Jehovah will be a shelter for his people, and the refuge of the children of Israel.

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.

17 And ye shall know that I, Jehovah, [am] your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain; and Jerusalem shall be holy, and no strangers shall pass through her any more.

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.

18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the water-courses of Judah shall flow with waters; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

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.

19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, in that they have shed innocent blood in their land.

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.

20 But Judah shall abide for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

21 And I will purge them from the blood from which I had not purged them: for Jehovah dwelleth in Zion.

For I will avenge their blood, which I have not yet avenged.”