Joel 3

1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

Behold, in those days and at that time, when I return the exiles of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will judge them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and divided my land.

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 they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

They cast lots for my people, traded a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine so they could drink.

4 Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Philistia? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily I will return your recompence 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 ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my precious things:

For you took my silver and my gold, and you brought my precious treasures into your temples.

6 The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold to the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.

You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, in order to remove them far from their territory.

7 Behold, I will raise them out of the place where ye have sold them, and will return your recompence 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 sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people 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 Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

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 plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning knives into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'

11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together all around: there cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.

Hurry and come, all you nearby nations, gather yourselves together there. Yahweh, bring down your mighty warriors.

12 Let the heathen be awakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen on 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 ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, go down; for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

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 in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near 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 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

The sun and the moon become dark, the stars keep back their brightness.

16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of 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 in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers 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 shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth from 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 be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

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 dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem will be inhabited from generation to generation.

21 For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.

I will avenge their blood that I have not yet avenged, for Yahweh lives in Zion.”