Joel 3
1 For lo! in those days, and at that time, —when I shall bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
For, in those days and in that time, when I bring back again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
2 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;
I will also gather all the nations and bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and there I will enter into judgment with them for my people and my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and divided my land.
3 And, for my people, they cast lots, —and gave a boy for a harlot, and a girl sold they for wine—and drank.
They have cast lots for my people. They have traded boys for prostitutes, and sold girls for wine, and drunk it.
4 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.
What are you to me, Tyre and Sidon and all the districts of Philistia? Were you repaying any deed of mine, or were you doing something for me? Quickly will I return your deed upon your heads.
5 Because, my silver and my gold, ye took away, —and, my richly beautiful things, carried ye into your temples;
You who have taken my silver and my gold, and you have brought my goodly jewels into your palaces,
6 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.
you have sold the people of Judah and of Jerusalem to the Greeks, so that you might remove them far from their own borders.
7 Behold me! rousing them up out of the place whither ye sold them, —So will I bring back your dealing upon your own head.
I am about to stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will turn your deeds upon your own head.
8 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.
I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far off, for the Lord has spoken.
9 Proclaim ye this, among the nations, Hallow a war, rouse the mighty ones, let them draw near, come up, all the men of war!
Proclaim this among the nations, sanctify war. Arouse the warriors, let all the fighting men muster and go up.
10 Beat your plough-shares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears, —as for the weak, let him say, mighty, I am.
Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into lances; let the weak say, I, indeed, am strong.
11 Give help—and come in, all ye nations on every side, and gather yourselves together, —Thither, bring down, O Yahweh, thy mighty ones!
Bestir yourselves and come, all you nations round about. Quickly gather yourselves together, ask the Lord to bring his warriors.
12 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.
Let the nations rouse themselves and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will I sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
13 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.
Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; go in, tread, for the wine press is full. The vats overflow, for great is their wickedness.
14 Multitudes, multitudes, in the vale of strict decision, —for near is the day of Yahweh, in the vale of strict decision.
Noisy multitudes, noisy multitudes in the valley of decision. For near is the Lord’s day in the valley of decision!
15 The sun and the moon, have become dark, —and, the stars, have withdrawn their shining,
Sun and moon have turned dark, and the stars withdrawn their shining.
16 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.
Whenever the Lord roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem, earth and sky quake; but the Lord is a refuge to his people, and a fortress to the people of Israel.
17 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.
And you will know that I am the Lord your God, I who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain, and Jerusalem will be holy, and strangers will not pass through her any more.
18 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.
In that day, the mountains will drop sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, all the channels of Judah will flow with water, a fountain will spring from the house of Judah, and will water the Valley of Shittim.
19 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.
Egypt will become a desolation, and Edom a wilderness, because of the violence done to the people of Judah, because they shed innocent blood in their land,
20 But, Judah, age-abidingly, shall remain, and, Jerusalem, to generation after generation.
Judah will remain inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
21 And I will free from their blood-guiltiness them whom I had not freed, —for, Yahweh, is about to make his habitation in Zion.
I will avenge their blood which I have not yet avenged. The Lord lives in Zion!
