Joel 3

1 At that time when this happens, when I bring back the exiles to Judah and Jerusalem,

Behold, in those days and at that time, when I return the exiles 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 gather all the nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. I will judge them there, because of my people and my inheritance Israel, whom they scattered among the nations, and because they divided up my land.

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

They cast lots for my people, traded a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine so they could 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.

Now, why are you angry at me, Tyre, Sidon and all the regions of Philistia? Will you repay me? Even if you do repay me, I will immediately return your retribution on your own head.

5 You stole my silver and my gold and my best treasures, and you put them in your temples.

For you took my silver and my gold, and you brought my precious treasures 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.

You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, in order to remove them far from their territory.

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.

Look, I am about to stir them up, out of the place where you sold them, and will return payment on 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, by the hand of the people of Judah. They will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far off, for Yahweh 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, “Prepare yourselves for war, rouse the mighty men, let them come near, let all the men of battle 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 pruning knives 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!

Hurry and come, all you nearby nations, gather yourselves together there. Yahweh, bring down your mighty 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 wake themselves up 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. Come, crush the grapes, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their wickedness is enormous.”

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.

There is a tumult, a tumult in the Valley of Judgment. For the day of Yahweh 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 become dark, the stars keep back 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.

Yahweh will roar from Zion, and raise his voice from Jerusalem. The heavens and earth will shake, but Yahweh will be a shelter for his people, and a fortress for 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.

“So you will know that I am Yahweh your God who lives in Zion, my holy mountain. Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no army will march through her again.

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.

It will come about on that day that the mountains will drip with sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, all the brooks of Judah will flow with water, and a fountain will come from the house of Yahweh and 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 an abandoned devastation, and Edom will become an abandoned 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.

But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem will be inhabited 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 that I have not yet avenged, for Yahweh lives in Zion.”