Joel 3

1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I will cause to return the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

For in those days and in that time, when I let the fate of Judah and Jerusalem be changed,

2 Then will I assemble all the nations, and I will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will hold judgment with them there because of my people and my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and for my land [which] they have divided out.

I will get together all the nations, and make them come down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and there I will take up with them the cause of my people and of my heritage Israel, whom they have sent wandering among the nations, and of my land which has been parted by them.

3 And for my people did they cast lots; and gave a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, and drank it.

And they have put the fate of my people to the decision of chance: giving a boy for the price of a loose woman and a girl for a drink of wine.

4 And also ye, what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all ye districts of Philistia? is this the recompense which ye repay me? or do ye only commence to render me evil?— swiftly and speedily will I bring back your recompense upon your own head;

And further, what are you to me, O Tyre and Zidon and all the circle of Philistia? will you give me back any payment? and if you do, quickly and suddenly I will send it back on your head,

5 Because my silver and my gold have ye taken, and the handsomest of my precious things have ye carried into your temples;

For you have taken my silver and my gold, putting in the houses of your gods my beautiful and pleasing things.

6 And the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the sons of the Jevanim, in order to remove them far from their borders.

And the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem you have given for a price to the sons of the Greeks, to send them far away from their land:

7 Behold, I will awaken them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and I will bring back your recompense upon your own head;

See, I will have them moved from the place where you have sent them, and will let what you have done come back on your head;

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

I will give your sons and your daughters into the hands of the children of Judah for a price, and they will give them for a price to the men of Sheba, a nation far off: for the Lord has said it.

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

Give this out among the nations; make ready for war: get the strong men awake; let all the men of war come near, let them come up.

10 Beat your plough-shares into swords, and your pruning-knives into spears: let the weak say, I am a hero.

Get your plough-blades hammered into swords, and your vine-knives into spears: let the feeble say, I am strong.

11 Assemble hastily together, and come, all ye nations from every side, and gather yourselves together: there doth the Lord strike down thy mighty ones.

Come quickly, all you nations round about, and get yourselves together there: make your strong ones come down, O Lord.

12 Let the nations awake, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations from every side.

Let the nations be awake, and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there I will be seated as judge of all the nations round about.

13 Put forth the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread down [the grapes]; for the press is full; the vats overflow; for great is their wickedness.

Put in the blade, for the grain is ready: come, get you down, for the wine-crusher is full, the vessels are overflowing; for great is their evil-doing.

14 Multitudes, multitudes are in the valley of decision; for near is the day of the Lord in the valley of decision.

Masses on masses in the valley of decision! for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

15 Sun and moon are obscured, and stars withdraw their brightness.

The sun and the moon have become dark, and the stars keep back their shining.

16 And the Lord will cry aloud out of Zion, and from Jerusalem will he send forth his voice; and the heavens and the earth shall quake; but the Lord will be a refuge for his people, and a stronghold for the children of Israel.

And the Lord will be thundering from Zion, and his voice will be sounding from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth will be shaking: but the Lord will be a breastplate for his people and a strong place for the children of Israel.

17 So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling on Zion, my holy mount: and Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall not pass through her any more.

And you will be certain that I am the Lord your God, living in Zion, my holy mountain: and Jerusalem will be holy, and no strange person will ever again go through her.

18 And it came to pass on that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweet new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the ravines of Judah shall flow with water; and a spring shall come forth out of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

And it will come about in that day that the mountains will be dropping sweet wine, and the hills will be flowing with milk, and all the streams of Judah will be flowing with water; and a fountain will come out from the house of the Lord, watering the valley of acacia-trees.

19 Egypt shall become a desolate land, and Edom shall become a desolate wilderness; because of the violence against the children of Judah, in whose land they have shed innocent blood.

Egypt will be a waste and Edom a land of destruction, because of the evil done to the children of Judah, because they have let blood be drained out in their land without cause.

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

But Judah will be peopled for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

21 And I will avenge their blood that I have not yet avenged; for the Lord dwelleth in Zion.

And I will send punishment for their blood, for which punishment has not been sent, for the Lord is living in Zion.