Joel 3

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

“For behold, in those days, and in that time, When I turn back [to] the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 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.

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

3 They have cast lots for my people. They have traded boys for prostitutes, and sold girls for wine, and drunk it.

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

4 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.

And also, what [are] you to Me, O Tyre and Sidon, And all circuits of Philistia? Are you rendering repayment to Me? And if you are giving repayment to Me, Swiftly, quickly, I return your repayment on your head.

5 You who have taken my silver and my gold, and you have brought my goodly jewels into your palaces,

In that My silver and My gold you took, And My desirable things that are good, You have brought into your temples.

6 you have sold the people of Judah and of Jerusalem to the Greeks, so that you might remove them far from their own borders.

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

7 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.

Behold, I am stirring them up out of the place To where you have sold them, And I have turned back your repayment on your head,

8 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.

And have sold your sons and your daughters Into the hand of the sons of Judah, And they have sold them to Sabeans, To a nation far off, for YHWH has spoken.”

9 Proclaim this among the nations, sanctify war. Arouse the warriors, let all the fighting men muster and go up.

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

10 Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into lances; let the weak say, I, indeed, am strong.

Beat your plowshares to swords, And your pruning-hooks to javelins, Let the weak say, “I [am] mighty.”

11 Bestir yourselves and come, all you nations round about. Quickly gather yourselves together, ask the Lord to bring his warriors.

Hurry, and come in, all you nations around, And be gathered together, There cause to come down, O YHWH, Your mighty ones.

12 Let the nations rouse themselves and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will I sit to judge all the surrounding nations.

“Let the nations wake and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, For there I sit to judge all the nations around.

13 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.

Send forth a sickle, For harvest has ripened, Come in, come down, for the press has been filled, Winepresses have overflowed, For great [is] their wickedness.”

14 Noisy multitudes, noisy multitudes in the valley of decision. For near is the Lord’s day in the valley of decision!

Multitudes, multitudes [are] in the Valley of Decision, For near [is] the Day of YHWH in the Valley of Decision.

15 Sun and moon have turned dark, and the stars withdrawn their shining.

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

16 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.

And YHWH roars from Zion, And gives forth His voice from Jerusalem, And the heavens and earth have shaken, And YHWH [is] a refuge to His people, And a stronghold to sons of Israel.

17 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.

“And you have known that I [am] your God YHWH, Dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain, And Jerusalem has been holy, And strangers do not pass over into it again.”

18 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.

And it has come to pass in that day, The mountains drop down juice, And the hills flow [with] milk, And all streams of Judah go [with] water, And a fountain from the house of YHWH goes forth, And has watered the Valley of Shittim.

19 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,

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

20 Judah will remain inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

And Judah dwells for all time, And Jerusalem to generation and generation.

21 I will avenge their blood which I have not yet avenged. The Lord lives in Zion!

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