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 in that time, When I turn back [to] the captivity of Judah 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.

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 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 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 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 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 Forasmuch as ye have taken My silver and My gold, and have carried into your temples My goodly treasures;

In that My silver and My gold you took, And My desirable things that are good, You have brought 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 sons of Judah, and sons of Jerusalem, You have sold to the sons of Javan, To put them far off from their border.

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;

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 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 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 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 this among nations, Sanctify a war, stir up the mighty ones, Come near, come up, let all the 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 to swords, And your pruning-hooks to javelins, Let the weak say, “I [am] mighty.”

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

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

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

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.

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 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near 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 The sun and the moon are become black, and the stars withdraw their shining.

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

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

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

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

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