Joel 3
1 “For behold, in those days, and in that time, When I turn back [to] 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 I have gathered all the nations, And caused them to go down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, And I have been in judgment with them there, Concerning My people and My inheritance—Israel, Whom they scattered among nations, And My land they have apportioned.
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 they cast a lot, And they give the young man for a harlot, And have sold the young woman for wine, That they may drink.
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, what [are] you to Me, O Tyre and Sidon, And all circuits of Philistia? Are you rendering repayment to Me? And if you are giving repayment to Me, Swiftly, quickly, I return your repayment on your 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 In that My silver and My gold you took, And My desirable things that are good, You have brought 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 sons of Judah, and sons of Jerusalem, You have sold to the sons of Javan, To put them far off from their border.
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 am stirring them up out of the place To where you have sold them, And I have turned back your repayment on your 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 have sold your sons and your daughters Into the hand of the sons of Judah, And they have sold them to Sabeans, To a nation far off, for YHWH has spoken.”
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 this among nations, Sanctify a war, stir up the mighty ones, Come near, come up, let 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 plowshares to swords, And your pruning-hooks to javelins, Let the weak say, “I [am] mighty.”
Get your plough-blades hammered into swords, and your vine-knives into spears: let the feeble say, I am strong.
11 Hurry, and come in, all you nations around, And be gathered together, There cause to come down, O YHWH, Your 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 wake and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, For there I sit to judge all the nations around.
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 Send forth a sickle, For harvest has ripened, Come in, come down, for the press has been filled, Winepresses have overflowed, 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 YHWH 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 have been black, And stars have gathered up their shining.
The sun and the moon have become dark, and the stars keep back their shining.
16 And YHWH roars from Zion, And gives forth His voice from Jerusalem, And the heavens and earth have shaken, And YHWH [is] a refuge to His people, And a stronghold to sons 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 “And you have known that I [am] your God YHWH, Dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain, And Jerusalem has been holy, And strangers do not pass over into it again.”
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 has come to pass in that day, The mountains drop down juice, And the hills flow [with] milk, And all streams of Judah go [with] water, And a fountain from the house of YHWH goes forth, And has watered 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 becomes a desolation, And Edom becomes a desolation, a wilderness, For violence [to] sons of Judah, Whose innocent blood they shed in their land.
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 And Judah dwells for all time, And Jerusalem to generation and generation.
But Judah will be peopled for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
21 And I have declared their blood innocent, [That] I did not declare innocent, And YHWH is dwelling in Zion!”
And I will send punishment for their blood, for which punishment has not been sent, for the Lord is living in Zion.
