Joel 3

¹For behold, in those days and at that time, When I shall bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,

²I will assemble all the nations, And will bring them down it to the valley of Jehoshaphat, And there will I contend with them for my people and inheritance, Israel; Because they scattered them among the nations, And divided my land among themselves.

³Yea, they cast lots for my people, And gave a boy for a harlot, And sold a damsel for wine to drink.

⁴What have ye to do with me, O Tyre and Sidon, And all the borders of Philistia? Will ye retaliate on me? Or will ye do anything against me? Swiftly and speedily will I bring back your doings upon your own head.

⁵Ye have taken my silver and my gold, And have carried into your palaces my precious, goodly things;

⁶The sons also of Judah, and the sons of Jerusalem, Ye have sold to the Grecians, That ye might remove them far from their border.

⁷Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, And I will return your injury upon your own head;

⁸I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, And they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation afar off; For Jehovah hath spoken it.

⁹Proclaim ye this among the nations: "Prepare war! Stir up the mighty ones! Let all the warriors draw near; let them come up!"

¹⁰Beat your ploughshares into swords, And your pruning-hooks into spears; Let the weak say, I am strong!

¹¹Assemble yourselves and come, all ye nations round about; Gather yourselves together! Thither, O Jehovah, bring down thy mighty ones!

¹²Let the nations rise and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat! For there will I sit to judge all the nations around.

¹³Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; Come and tread, for the wine-press is full; The vats overflow; For their wickedness is great!

¹⁴The multitudes, the multitudes in the valley of judgment! For the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of judgment.

¹⁵The sun and the moon are darkened, And the stars withdraw their shining.

¹⁶Jehovah also will roar from Zion, And utter his voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and the earth shall shake. But Jehovah will be a refuge to his people! A strong-hold to the sons of Israel.

¹⁷Then shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God, Dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain; And Jerusalem shall be holy; Strangers shall pass through her no more.

¹⁸In that day shall the mountains drop down new wine, And the hills shall flow with milk. And all the streams of Judah shall flow with water. A fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, That shall water the valley of Shittim.

¹⁹Egypt shall be a waste, And Edom a desolate wilderness, For their violence against the sons of Judah; For they shed innocent blood in their land.

²⁰But Judah shall be inhabited for ever, And Jerusalem from generation to generation.

²¹And I will avenge their blood, which I have not avenged, And Jehovah will dwell upon Zion.

Joel 3

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

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

³And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

⁴Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;

⁵Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:

⁶The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.

⁷Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:

⁸And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the Lord hath spoken it.

⁹Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

¹⁰Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

¹¹Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.

¹²Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

¹³Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

¹⁴Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

¹⁵The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

¹⁶The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

¹⁷So 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.

¹⁸And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers 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.

¹⁹Egypt 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.

²⁰But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

²¹For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the Lord dwelleth in Zion.