Joel 3

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

²I 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.

³And 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.

⁴Truly, 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.

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

⁶And 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.

⁷Behold, 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.

⁸And 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.

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

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

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

¹²Let them arise and ascend to the valley of Jehoshaphat. For there I will sit, so as to judge all the nations of the world.

¹³Send 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.

¹⁴Nations, 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.

¹⁵The sun and the moon have been darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their splendor.

¹⁶And 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.

¹⁷And 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.

¹⁸And 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.

¹⁹Egypt 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.

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

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

Joel 3

¹For behold in those days, and in that time when I shall bring back the captivity of Juda, and Jerusalem:

²I will gather together all nations and will bring them down into the valley of Josaphat: and I will plead with them there for my people, and for my inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and have parted my land.

³And they have cast lots upon my people: and the boy they have put in the stews, and the girl they have sold for wine, that they might drink.

⁴But what have you to do with me, O Tyre, and Sidon, and all the coast of the Philistines? will you revenge yourselves on me? and if you revenge yourselves on me, I will very soon return you a recompense upon your own head.

⁵For you have taken away my silver, and my gold: and my desirable, and most beautiful things you have carried into your temples.

⁶And the children of Juda, and the children of Jerusalem, you have sold to the children of the Greeks, that you might remove them far off from their own country.

⁷Behold, I will raise them up out of the place wherein you have sold them: and I will return your recompense upon your own heads.

⁸And I will sell your sons, and your daughters, by the hands of the children of Juda, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far off, for the Lord hath spoken it.

⁹Proclaim ye this among the nations: Prepare war, raise up the strong: let them come, let all the men of war come up.

¹⁰Cut your ploughshares into swords, and your spades into spears. Let the weak say: I am strong.

¹¹Break forth, and come, all ye nations from round about, and gather yourselves together: there will the Lord cause all thy strong ones to fall down.

¹²Let them arise, and let the nations come up into the valley of Josaphat: for there I will sit to judge all nations round about.

¹³Put ye in the sickles, for the harvest is ripe: come and go down, for the press is full, the fats run over: for their wickedness is multiplied.

¹⁴Nations, nations in the valley of destruction: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of destruction.

¹⁵The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their shining.

¹⁶And the Lord shall roar out of Sion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem: and the heavens and the earth shall be moved, and the Lord shall be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

¹⁷And you shall know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Sion, my holy mountain: and Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall pass through it no more.

¹⁸And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweetness, and the hills shall flow with milk: and waters shall flow through all the rivers of Juda: and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the torrent of thorns.

¹⁹Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom a wilderness destroyed: because they have done unjustly against the children of Juda, and have shed innocent blood in their land.

²⁰And Judea shall be inhabited for ever, and Jerusalem to generation and generation.

²¹And I will cleanse their blood, which I had not cleansed: and the Lord will dwell in Sion.