Joel 3

1 For lo, 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 have converted the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 Then I have gathered all the nations, And caused them to go down unto the valley of Jehoshaphat, And I have been judged with them there, Concerning My people and Mine inheritance — Israel, Whom they scattered among nations, And My land they have apportioned.

I will gather all the Gentiles, and will lead them into the valley of Jehoshaphat. And there I will dispute with them over my people, and over Israel, my inheritance, for they have scattered them among the nations and have divided my land.

3 And for My people they do cast a lot, And they give the young man for an harlot, And the young woman have sold for wine, That they may drink.

And they have cast lots over my people; and the boy they have placed in the brothel, and the girl they have sold for wine, so that they might drink.

4 And also, what [are] ye to Me, O Tyre and Zidon, And all circuits of Philistia? Recompence are ye rendering unto Me? And if ye are giving recompence to Me, Swiftly, hastily, I turn back your recompence on your head.

Truly, what is there between you and me, Tyre and Sidon and all the distant places of the Philistines? How will you take vengeance on me? And if you were to revenge yourselves against me, I would deliver a repayment to you, quickly and soon, upon your head.

5 In that My silver and My gold ye took, And My desirable things that are good, Ye have brought in to your temples.

For you have carried away my silver and gold. And my desirable and most beautiful, you have taken into your shrines.

6 And sons of Judah, and sons of Jerusalem, Ye have sold to the sons of Javan, To put them far off from their border.

And you, sons of Judah and sons of Jerusalem, you have sold the sons of the Greeks, so that you might drive them far from their own territory.

7 Lo, I am stirring them up out of the place Whither ye have sold them, And I have turned back your recompence on your head,

Behold, I will raise them up from the place into which you have sold them, and I will turn back your retribution on 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 Shabeans, Unto a nation far off, for Jehovah hath spoken.

And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a distant nation, for the Lord has spoken.

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

Proclaim this among the Gentiles: “Sanctify a war, raise up the strong. Approach, ascend, all men of war.

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

Cut your ploughs into swords and your hoes into spears. Let the weak say, ‘For I am strong.’

11 Haste, and come in, all ye nations round, And be gathered together, Thither cause to come down, O Jehovah, Thy mighty ones.

Break out and advance, all nations of the world, and gather together. There the Lord will cause all your strong ones to meet death.”

12 Wake and come up let the nations unto the valley of Jehoshaphat, For there I sit to judge all the nations around.

Let them arise and ascend to the valley of Jehoshaphat. For there I will sit, so as to judge all the nations of the world.

13 Send ye forth a sickle, For ripened hath harvest, Come in, come down, for filled hath been the press, Overflowed hath wine-presses, For great [is] their wickedness.

Send forth the sickles, because the harvest has matured. Advance and descend, for the press is full, the pressing room is overflowing. For their malice has been increasing.

14 Multitudes, multitudes [are] in the valley of decision, For near [is] the day of Jehovah in the valley of decision.

Nations, nations in the valley of being cut to pieces: for the day of the Lord fittingly takes place in the valley of being cut to pieces.

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

The sun and the moon have been darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their splendor.

16 And Jehovah from Zion doth roar, And from Jerusalem giveth forth His voice, And shaken have the heavens and earth, And Jehovah [is] a refuge to his people, And a stronghold to sons of Israel.

And the Lord will roar from Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem. And the heavens and the earth will be moved. And the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the sons of Israel.

17 And ye have known that I [am] Jehovah your God, Dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain, And Jerusalem hath been holy, And strangers do not pass over into it again.

And you will know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem will be holy, and strangers will not cross through it anymore.

18 And it hath come to pass, in that day, Drop down do the mountains juice, And the hills do flow [with] milk, And all streams of Judah do go [with] water, And a fountain from the house of Jehovah goeth forth, And hath watered the valley of Shittim.

And it will happen, in that day, that the mountains will drip sweetness, and the hills will flow with milk. And the waters will pass through all the rivers of Judah. And a fountain will go forth from the house of the Lord, and it will irrigate the desert of thorns.

19 Egypt a desolation becometh, And Edom a desolation, a wilderness, becometh, For violence [to] sons of Judah, Whose innocent blood they shed in their land.

Egypt will be in desolation, and Edom will be a wilderness destroyed, because of what they have unfairly done to the sons of Judah, and because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

20 And Judah to the age doth dwell, And Jerusalem to generation and generation.

And Judea will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem for generation upon generation.

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

And I will cleanse their blood, which I had not cleansed. And the Lord will remain in Zion.