Joel 3

1 “For behold, in those days, and in that time, When I turn back [to] the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

For behold in those days, and in that time when I shall bring back the captivity of Juda and Jerusalem:

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 gather together all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Josaphat: and I will plead with them there for my people, and for my inheritance Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and have parted my land.

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 cast lots upon my people: and the boy they have put in the stews, and the girl they have sold for wine, that they might drink.

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.

But what have you to do with me, O Tyre, and Sidon, and all the coast of the Philistines? will you revenge yourselves on me? and if you revenge yourselves on me, I will very soon return you a recompense upon your own 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 away my silver and my gold: and my desirable and most beautiful things you have carried into your temples.

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 Juda, and the children of Jerusalem you have sold to the children of the Greeks, that you might remove them far off from their own country.

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,

Behold, I will raise them up out of the place wherein you have sold them: and I will return your recompense upon your own heads.

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.”

And I will sell your sons, and your daughters by the hands of the children of Juda, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far off, for the Lord hath spoken it.

9 Proclaim this among nations, Sanctify a war, stir up the mighty ones, Come near, come up, let all the men of war.

Proclaim ye this among the nations: prepare war, rouse up the strong: let them come, let all the men of war come up.

10 Beat your plowshares to swords, And your pruning-hooks to javelins, Let the weak say, “I [am] mighty.”

Cut your ploughshares into swords, and your spades into spears. Let the weak 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.

Break forth, and come, all ye nations, from round about, and gather yourselves together: there will the Lord cause all thy strong ones to fall down.

12 “Let the nations wake and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, For there I sit to judge all the nations around.

Let them arise, and let the nations come up into the valley of Josaphat: for there I will sit to judge all 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 ye in the sickles, for the harvest is ripe: come and go down, for the press is full, the fats run over: for their wickedness is multiplied.

14 Multitudes, multitudes [are] in the Valley of Decision, For near [is] the Day of YHWH in the Valley of Decision.

Nations, nations in the valley of destruction: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of destruction.

15 Sun and moon have been black, And stars have gathered up their shining.

The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars have withdrawn 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 shall roar out of Sion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem: and the heavens and the earth shall be moved, and the Lord shall be the hope of his people, and the strength of 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 shall know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Sion my holy mountain: and Jerusalem shall be holy and strangers shall pass through it no more.

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 shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweetness, and the hills shall flow with milk: and waters shall flow through all the rivers of Juda: and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the torrent of thorns.

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 shall be a desolation, and Edom a wilderness destroyed: because they have done unjustly against the children of Juda, and have shed innocent blood in their land.

20 And Judah dwells for all time, And Jerusalem to generation and generation.

And Judea shall be inhabited for ever, and Jerusalem to generation and generation.

21 And I have declared their blood innocent, [That] I did not declare innocent, And YHWH is dwelling in Zion!”

And I will cleanse their blood which I had not cleansed: and the Lord will dwell in Sion.