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 will cause to return 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.

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 They cast lots for my people; they traded boys in payment for prostitutes and girls to buy wine to drink.

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 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.

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 You stole my silver and my gold and my best treasures, and you put them in 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 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks so they could be sent far away from their land.

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 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 awaken them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and I will bring back your recompense 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 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 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 nations, Prepare war, wake up the mighty men; let them draw near; let them come up—all the men of war.

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

11 Hurry up and come, all nations from everywhere, and gather there. Bring down your warriors, Lord!

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

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

15 The sun and moon will become dark, and the stars will stop shining.

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

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.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Judah will be lived in forever, and Jerusalem for all generations.

But Judah shall be inhabited 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!”

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