Joel 3

1 For, behold, in those days and in that time, when I will have converted the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

For, behold, in those days and at that time, when I shall have turned the captivity of Juda and Jerusalem,

2 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.

I will also gather all the Gentiles, and bring them down to the valley of Josaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and my heritage Israel, who have been dispersed among the Gentiles; and [these Gentiles] have divided my land,

3 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.

and cast lots over my people, and have given [their] boys to harlots, and sold [their] girls for wine, and have drunk.

4 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.

And what have you to do with me, O Tyre, and Sidon, and all Galilee of the Gentiles? do you render me a recompense? or do you bear malice against me? quickly and speedily will I return your recompense on your own heads:

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

because you have taken my silver and my gold, and you have brought my choice ornaments into your temples;

6 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.

and you have sold the children of Juda and the children of Jerusalem to the children of the Greeks, that you might expel them from their coasts.

7 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.

Therefore, behold, I [will] raise them up out of the place whither you have sold them, and I will return your recompense on your own heads.

8 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.

And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the children of Juda, and they shall sell them into captivity to a far distant nation: for the Lord has spoken [it].

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

Proclaim these things among the Gentiles; declare war, arouse the warriors, draw near and go up, all you men of war.

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

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

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

Gather yourselves together, and go in, all you nations round about, and gather yourselves there; let the timid become a warrior.

12 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.

Let them be aroused, let all the nations go up to the valley of Josaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the Gentiles round about.

13 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.

Bring forth the sickles, for the vintage is come: go in, tread [the grapes], for the press is full: cause the vats to overflow; for their wickedness is multiplied.

14 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.

Noises have resounded in the valley of judgment: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of judgment.

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

The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their light.

16 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.

And the Lord shall cry out of Sion, and shall utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heaven and the earth shall be shaken, but the Lord shall spare his people, and shall strengthen the children of Israel.

17 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.

And you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwell in Sion my holy mountain: and Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall not pass through her anymore.

18 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.

And it shall come to pass in that day [that] the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the fountains of Juda shall flow with water, and a fountain shall go forth of the house of the Lord, and water the valley of flags.

19 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.

Egypt shall be a desolation, and Idumea shall be a desolate plain, because of the wrongs of the children of Juda, because they have shed righteous blood in their land.

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

But Judea shall be inhabited for ever, and Jerusalem to all generations.

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

And I will make inquisition for their blood, and will by no means leave it unavenged: and the Lord shall dwell in Sion.