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 lo! in those days, and at that time, —when I shall bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

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.

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 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, for my people, they cast lots, —and gave a boy for a harlot, and a girl sold they for wine—and drank.

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;

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

Because, my silver and my gold, ye took away, —and, my richly beautiful things, carried ye into your temples;

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 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 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;

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 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.

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 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.

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

Beat your plough-shares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears, —as for the weak, let him say, mighty, I am.

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.

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 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 roused, and come up, into the Vale of Jehoshaphat, —for, there, will I sit to judge all the nations, on every side.

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.

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

Multitudes, multitudes, in the vale of strict decision, —for near is the day of Yahweh, in the vale of strict decision.

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

The sun and the moon, have become dark, —and, the stars, have withdrawn 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, 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 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.

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

But, Judah, age-abidingly, shall remain, and, Jerusalem, to generation after generation.

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