Joel 3
1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I will cause to return the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
Behold, in those days and at that time, when I return the exiles 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.
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 And for my people did they cast lots; and gave a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, and drank it.
They cast lots for my people, traded a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine so they could drink.
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;
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 Because my silver and my gold have ye taken, and the handsomest of my precious things have ye carried into your temples;
For you took my silver and my gold, and you brought my precious treasures 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.
You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, in order to remove them far from their territory.
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;
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 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 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 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 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 Beat your plough-shares into swords, and your pruning-knives into spears: let the weak say, I am a hero.
Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning knives into spears. Let the weak 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.
Hurry and come, all you nearby nations, gather yourselves together there. Yahweh, bring down your mighty warriors.
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 wake themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. For there will I sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
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 sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, crush the grapes, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their wickedness is enormous.”
14 Multitudes, multitudes are in the valley of decision; for near is the day of the Lord in the valley of decision.
There is a tumult, a tumult in the Valley of Judgment. For the day of Yahweh is near in the Valley of Judgment.
15 Sun and moon are obscured, and stars withdraw their brightness.
The sun and the moon become dark, the stars keep back their brightness.
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.
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 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 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 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.
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 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 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 But Judah shall be inhabited for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem will be inhabited from generation to generation.
21 And I will avenge their blood that I have not yet avenged; for the Lord dwelleth in Zion.
I will avenge their blood that I have not yet avenged, for Yahweh lives in Zion.”
