Joel 3
1 At that time when this happens, when I bring back the exiles to Judah and Jerusalem,
For lo! in those days, and at that time, —when I shall bring back 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 gather all the nations, and bring them down into the Vale of Jehoshaphat, —and will enter into judgment with them there, concerning my people, and mine inheritance Israel, whom they scattered among the nations, and, my land, they apportioned;
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, they cast lots, —and gave a boy for a harlot, and a girl sold they for wine—and drank.
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.
Moreover also, what have, ye, to do with me, O Tyre and Zidon, and all the circuit of Palestine? A recompense, are ye paying back unto me? But, though ye should make a recompense unto me, swiftly, speedily, would I return 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, ye took away, —and, my richly beautiful things, carried ye 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 sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem, ye sold to the sons of Greece, —that they might be far removed from their own boundary.
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 me! rousing them up out of the place whither ye sold them, —So will I bring back your dealing 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 sons of Judah, and they will sell them to Sabeans, unto a nation afar off, —for, Yahweh, hath spoken.
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, Hallow a war, rouse the mighty ones, let them draw near, 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-hooks into spears, —as for the weak, let him say, mighty, I am.
11 Hurry up and come, all nations from everywhere, and gather there. Bring down your warriors, Lord!
Give help—and come in, all ye nations on every side, and gather yourselves together, —Thither, bring down, O Yahweh, 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, be roused, and come up, into the Vale of Jehoshaphat, —for, there, will I sit to judge all the nations, on 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.
Thrust ye in the vintage knife, for, grown ripe, is the vintage, —Go in, tread down, for full is the winepress, flow over do the vats, for abundant 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, in the vale of strict decision, —for near is the day of Yahweh, in the vale of strict decision.
15 The sun and moon will become dark, and the stars will stop shining.
The sun and the moon, have become dark, —and, the stars, have 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.
And, Yahweh, out of Zion, will roar, and, out of Jerusalem, will utter his voice, and the heavens and the earth, shall tremble, —but, Yahweh, shall be a shelter to his people, and a refuge 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.
So shall ye know that, I, Yahweh, am your God, making my habitation in Zion my holy mountain, —So shall, Jerusalem, be, holy, and, foreigners, 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.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow down with milk, and, all the channels of Judah, shall flow down with waters, —and, a spring, out of the house of Yahweh, shall come forth, and shall water the torrent-valley of the acacias.
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, to a desolation, shall be turned, and, Edom, to a desert most desolate, shall be changed, —because of the violence done to the sons of Judah, in that they shed innocent blood in their land.
20 Judah will be lived in forever, and Jerusalem for all generations.
But, Judah, age-abidingly, shall remain, and, Jerusalem, to generation after generation.
21 Will I pardon and leave unpunished the shedding of innocent blood? The Lord lives in Zion!”
And I will free from their blood-guiltiness them whom I had not freed, —for, Yahweh, is about to make his habitation in Zion.
