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 will cause to return the captivity of Judah 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.

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.

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

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 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;

5 In that My silver and My gold you took, And My desirable things that are good, You have brought into your temples.

Because my silver and my gold have ye taken, and the handsomest of my precious things have ye 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 Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the sons of the Jevanim, in order to remove them far from their borders.

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 awaken them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and I will bring back your recompense upon your own 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.”

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.

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, wake up the mighty men; let them draw near; let them come up—all the men of war.

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

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

11 Hurry, and come in, all you nations around, And be gathered together, There cause to come down, O YHWH, Your mighty ones.

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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.”

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

But Judah shall be inhabited 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 avenge their blood that I have not yet avenged; for the Lord dwelleth in Zion.