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 at that time, When I shall bring back the captives 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 assemble all the nations, And will bring them down it to the valley of Jehoshaphat, And there will I contend with them for my people and inheritance, Israel; Because they scattered them among the nations, And divided my land among themselves.
3 They cast lots for my people; they traded boys in payment for prostitutes and girls to buy wine to drink.
Yea, they cast lots for my people, And gave a boy for a harlot, And sold a damsel for wine to 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.
What have ye to do with me, O Tyre and Sidon, And all the borders of Philistia? Will ye retaliate on me? Or will ye do anything against me? Swiftly and speedily will I bring back your doings upon your own head.
5 You stole my silver and my gold and my best treasures, and you put them in your temples.
Ye have taken my silver and my gold, And have carried into your palaces my precious, goodly things;
6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks so they could be sent far away from their land.
The sons also of Judah, and the sons of Jerusalem, Ye have sold to 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 I will return your injury 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.
I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, And they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation afar off; For Jehovah 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! Stir up the mighty ones! Let all the warriors 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 ploughshares into swords, And your pruning-hooks 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 nations round about; Gather yourselves together! Thither, O Jehovah, bring 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 rise and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat! For there will I sit to judge all the nations around.
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 and tread, for the wine-press is full; The vats 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.
The multitudes, the multitudes in the valley of judgment! For the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of judgment.
15 The sun and moon will become dark, and the stars will stop shining.
The sun and the moon are darkened, And the stars 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.
Jehovah also will roar from Zion, And utter his voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and the earth shall shake. But Jehovah will be a refuge to his people! A strong-hold to the sons 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.
Then shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God, Dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain; And Jerusalem shall be holy; Strangers shall pass through her no 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.
In that day shall the mountains drop down new wine, And the hills shall flow with milk. And all the streams of Judah shall flow with water. A fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, That 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 waste, And Edom a desolate wilderness, For their violence against the sons of Judah; For they shed innocent blood in their land.
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, which I have not avenged, And Jehovah will dwell upon Zion.
