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 shall bring again 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 nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted 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 for my people: and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, 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.

Yea, and what are ye to me, [O] Tyre, and Zidon, and all the regions of Philistia? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own 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.

Forasmuch as ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things;

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.

the children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the sons of the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border:

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 stir them up out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence 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 Shabeans, Unto a nation far off, for Jehovah hath spoken.

and I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the men of Sheba, to a nation far off: for the LORD hath spoken it.

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 ye this among the nations; prepare war: stir up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.

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

Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, 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.

Haste ye, and come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.

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

Let the nations bestir themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about.

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.

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

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

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

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

The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

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 shall roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake, but the LORD will be a refuge unto his people, and a strong hold to the children 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.

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.

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 shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall flow with waters; and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

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 shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

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

But Judah shall abide for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to 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 that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.