Joel 3
1 At that time when this happens, when I bring back the exiles to Judah and Jerusalem,
For, in those days and in that time, when I bring back 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 the nations and bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and there I will enter into judgment with them for my people and my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and divided my land.
3 They cast lots for my people; they traded boys in payment for prostitutes and girls to buy wine to drink.
They have cast lots for my people. They have traded boys for prostitutes, and sold girls for wine, and drunk 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.
What are you to me, Tyre and Sidon and all the districts of Philistia? Were you repaying any deed of mine, or were you doing something for me? Quickly will I return your deed upon your heads.
5 You stole my silver and my gold and my best treasures, and you put them in your temples.
You who have taken my silver and my gold, and you have brought my goodly jewels into your palaces,
6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks so they could be sent far away from their land.
you have sold the people of Judah and of Jerusalem to the Greeks, so that you might remove them far from their own 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.
I am about to stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will turn your deeds 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 hands of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far off, for the Lord has spoken.
9 Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Call up the mighty warriors! Let all the soldiers get ready and advance!
Proclaim this among the nations, sanctify war. Arouse the warriors, let all the fighting men muster and go 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 lances; let the weak say, I, indeed, am strong.
11 Hurry up and come, all nations from everywhere, and gather there. Bring down your warriors, Lord!
Bestir yourselves and come, all you nations round about. Quickly gather yourselves together, ask the Lord to bring his warriors.
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 rouse themselves and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will I sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
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 in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; go in, tread, for the wine 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.
Noisy multitudes, noisy multitudes in the valley of decision. For near is the Lord’s day in the valley of decision!
15 The sun and moon will become dark, and the stars will stop shining.
Sun and moon have turned dark, and the stars withdrawn 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.
Whenever the Lord roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem, earth and sky quake; but the Lord is a refuge to his people, and a fortress to the people 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.
And you will know that I am the Lord your God, I who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain, and Jerusalem will be holy, and strangers will 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.
In that day, the mountains will drop sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, all the channels of Judah will flow with water, a fountain will spring from the house of Judah, and will 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 will become a desolation, and Edom a wilderness, because of the violence done to the people of Judah, because they shed innocent blood in their land,
20 Judah will be lived in forever, and Jerusalem for all generations.
Judah will remain inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
21 Will I pardon and leave unpunished the shedding of innocent blood? The Lord lives in Zion!”
I will avenge their blood which I have not yet avenged. The Lord lives in Zion!
