Joel 3

1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

For, behold, in those days and in that time, when I will have converted the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

I will gather all the Gentiles, and will lead them into the valley of Jehoshaphat. And there I will dispute with them over my people, and over Israel, my inheritance, for they have scattered them among the nations and have divided my land.

3 And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

And they have cast lots over my people; and the boy they have placed in the brothel, and the girl they have sold for wine, so that they might drink.

4 Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Sidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;

Truly, what is there between you and me, Tyre and Sidon and all the distant places of the Philistines? How will you take vengeance on me? And if you were to revenge yourselves against me, I would deliver a repayment to you, quickly and soon, upon your head.

5 Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:

For you have carried away my silver and gold. And my desirable and most beautiful, you have taken into your shrines.

6 The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.

And you, sons of Judah and sons of Jerusalem, you have sold the sons of the Greeks, so that you might drive them far from their own territory.

7 Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:

Behold, I will raise them up from the place into which you have sold them, and I will turn back your retribution on your own head.

8 And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for Yhwh hath spoken it.

And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a distant nation, for the Lord has spoken.

9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

Proclaim this among the Gentiles: “Sanctify a war, raise up the strong. Approach, ascend, all men of war.

10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

Cut your ploughs into swords and your hoes into spears. Let the weak say, ‘For I am strong.’

11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Yhwh.

Break out and advance, all nations of the world, and gather together. There the Lord will cause all your strong ones to meet death.”

12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

Let them arise and ascend to the valley of Jehoshaphat. For there I will sit, so as to judge all the nations of the world.

13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the pressfats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

Send forth the sickles, because the harvest has matured. Advance and descend, for the press is full, the pressing room is overflowing. For their malice has been increasing.

14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of Yhwh is near in the valley of decision.

Nations, nations in the valley of being cut to pieces: for the day of the Lord fittingly takes place in the valley of being cut to pieces.

15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

The sun and the moon have been darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their splendor.

16 Yhwh also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: But Yhwh will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

And the Lord will roar from Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem. And the heavens and the earth will be moved. And the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the sons of Israel.

17 So shall ye know that I am Yhwh your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

And you will know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem will be holy, and strangers will not cross through it anymore.

18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of Yhwh, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

And it will happen, in that day, that the mountains will drip sweetness, and the hills will flow with milk. And the waters will pass through all the rivers of Judah. And a fountain will go forth from the house of the Lord, and it will irrigate the desert of thorns.

19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

Egypt will be in desolation, and Edom will be a wilderness destroyed, because of what they have unfairly done to the sons of Judah, and because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

20 But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

And Judea will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem for generation upon generation.

21 For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for Yhwh dwelleth in Zion.

And I will cleanse their blood, which I had not cleansed. And the Lord will remain in Zion.