Joel 3
1 At that time when this happens, when I bring back the exiles to Judah and Jerusalem,
For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
2 I will gather together all the nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat and I will judge them there over my people Israel, my inheritance, whom they have scattered among the nations, and have divided up my land.
I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
3 They cast lots for my people; they traded boys in payment for prostitutes and girls to buy wine to drink.
And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.
4 Also, what have you got to do with me, Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you trying to get back at me? If you are trying to pay me back, I will quickly pay you back what you deserve for what you've done.
Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompence me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;
5 You stole my silver and my gold and my best treasures, and you put them in your temples.
Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:
6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks so they could be sent far away from their land.
The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.
7 But watch out! I will get them moving from the places you sold them to, and bring them back, and I will pay you back what you deserve for what you've done.
Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:
8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a distant nation. I the Lord have spoken.
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 people far off: for YHWH hath spoken it.
9 Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Call up the mighty warriors! Let all the soldiers get ready and advance!
Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
10 Hammer your plough blades and turn them into swords. Turn your pruning hooks into spears. Even the weak should say ‘I am a strong fighter!’
Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
11 Hurry up and come, all nations from everywhere, and gather there. Bring down your warriors, Lord!
Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O YHWH.
12 Let the nations get ready, let them come to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there I will sit in judgment on all the nations.
Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
13 Start swinging the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come and tread the grapes for the winepress is full and the vats are overflowing because their wickedness has become so great.
Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
14 Huge mobs are in the valley of the Lord's verdict. For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of his verdict.
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of YHWH is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and moon will become dark, and the stars will stop shining.
The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
16 The Lord will roar from Zion, shouting in a loud voice from Jerusalem, shaking the heavens and the earth. But the Lord will shelter his people, protecting the people of Israel.
YHWH also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but YHWH will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
17 Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy mountain, and Jerusalem will be a holy place forever, and no foreigners will ever march through her again.
So shall ye know that I am YHWH your Elohim dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.
18 At that time new wine will pour down the mountains, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the riverbeds of Judah will run with water. A spring will flow out of the Temple and will water the valley of Shittim.
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 rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of YHWH, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
19 But Egypt will become desolate, and Edom a desert wasteland, because of the violence they did against Judah, for in their land they shed innocent blood.
Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
20 Judah will be lived in forever, and Jerusalem for all generations.
But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
21 Will I pardon and leave unpunished the shedding of innocent blood? The Lord lives in Zion!”
For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for YHWH dwelleth in Zion.
