Joel 3
1 For behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
At that time when this happens, when I bring back the exiles to Judah and Jerusalem,
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and [for] my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and divided my land.
I will gather together all the nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat and I will judge them there over my people Israel, my inheritance, whom they have scattered among the nations, and have divided up my land.
3 And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.
They cast lots for my people; they traded boys in payment for prostitutes and girls to buy wine to drink.
4 Yes, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompense? and if ye recompense me, swiftly [and] speedily I will return your recompense upon your own head;
Also, what have you got to do with me, Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you trying to get back at me? If you are trying to pay me back, I will quickly pay you back what you deserve for what you've done.
5 Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things.
You stole my silver and my gold and my best treasures, and you put them in 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 so they could be sent far away from their land.
7 Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompense upon your own head:
But watch out! I will get them moving from the places you sold them to, and bring them back, and I will pay you back what you deserve for what you've done.
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 daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a distant nation. I the Lord have 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 for war! Call up the mighty warriors! Let all the soldiers get ready and advance!
10 Beat your plow-shares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears: let the weak say, I [am] strong.
Hammer your plough blades and turn them into swords. Turn your pruning hooks into spears. Even the weak should say ‘I am a strong fighter!’
11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together around: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
Hurry up and come, all nations from everywhere, and gather there. Bring down your warriors, Lord!
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 get ready, let them come to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there I will sit in judgment on all the 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.
Start swinging the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come and tread the grapes for the winepress is full and the vats are overflowing because their wickedness has become so great.
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of the LORD [is] near in the valley of decision.
Huge mobs are in the valley of the Lord's verdict. For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of his verdict.
15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
The sun and moon will become dark, and the stars will stop shining.
16 The LORD also will 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.
The Lord will roar from Zion, shouting in a loud voice from Jerusalem, shaking the heavens and the earth. But the Lord will shelter his people, protecting 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.
Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy mountain, and Jerusalem will be a holy place forever, and no foreigners will ever 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.
At that time new wine will pour down the mountains, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the riverbeds of Judah will run with water. A spring will flow out of the Temple and will 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.
But Egypt will become desolate, and Edom a desert wasteland, because of the violence they did against Judah, for in their land they shed innocent blood.
20 But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
Judah will be lived in forever, and Jerusalem for all generations.
21 For I will cleanse their blood [that] I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.
Will I pardon and leave unpunished the shedding of innocent blood? The Lord lives in Zion!”
