Joel 3

1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring back 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 nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there for My people and for My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and 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 for My people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, and have drunk.

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

4 And also what are ye to Me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the regions of Philistia? will ye render retribution on My behalf? and if ye render retribution on My behalf, swiftly, speedily will I return your retribution upon your own 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 Forasmuch as ye have taken My silver and My gold, and have carried into your temples My goodly treasures;

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

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

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 stir them up out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your retribution upon 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 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.

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

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

10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears; let the weak say: 'I am strong.'

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

11 Haste ye, and come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together; thither cause Thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD!

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

12 Let the nations be stirred up, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about.

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 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.

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

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 are become black, and the stars withdraw their shining.

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

16 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 stronghold to the children 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 But Judah shall be inhabited for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

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

21 And I will hold as innocent their blood that I have not held as innocent; and the LORD dwelleth 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.