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The Lord judges the nations

3 ‘Judah and Jerusalem were once great.
One day, at that time, I will make them great again.
2 Then I will bring all the nations together.
I will bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. [ a ]
There I will judge against them
because of what they did to my children, my people Israel.
Those nations pushed my people out into other countries.
They broke up my land and each took pieces.
3 They played games to win my people.
They gave boys to buy women to have sex with them.
They sold girls so that they could get wine to drink.

4 You people in Tyre, Sidon, and of all the land of the people called Philistines, listen. You cannot say that I have done anything wrong. You want to punish me. If you do this, I will soon do the same to you. 5 You took my silver and my gold, and you put all my riches in your temples. 6 You sold the people from Judah and Jerusalem to the Greek people. You wanted to send them a long way from their own country. 7 Now I will bring them back from the places to which you sold them. I will do to you what you have done to them. 8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people in Judah. And they will sell them to the people called Sabeans, who live far away. I, the Lord , have spoken.’

9 Tell this news to the people in all the countries:

Get ready for war!
Shout to the soldiers.
Make all the men who fight get ready to attack.
10 Make your ploughs into swords.
Make the tools that you use on the farm into spears.
The weak man must say, ‘I am strong!’
11 Come quickly, you people who live round Israel.
And get together in the valley.
Lord , send down your army to attack them.

12 ‘Wake up the people in all the countries!
Bring them into the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
I will sit there to judge the people from every place.
13 Now is the time to cut down the fruits.
They are ready for you to bring them in.
Walk all over the grapes.
The winepress is full of them.
They come over the top.
The people in all countries have done so many bad things.’

14 Many nations are in the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
It is there that the day of the Lord will soon come.
15 The sun and moon will become dark.
The stars will not shine.
16 The Lord will shout from Zion.
He will make a great noise from Jerusalem.
The earth and the sky will move about.
But the Lord will keep his people safe.

God will bless his people

17 ‘Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.
You will know that I live in Zion, my holy hill.
Jerusalem will be holy.
Strangers will never take it again.
18 In that day new wine will run from the mountains.
And milk will run from the hills.
All the valleys of Judah will have rivers of water.
Water will come from the house of the Lord
and it will water the Valley of Acacias.
19 But Egypt will be empty,
and Edom will become a desert.
They attacked the people in Judah,
and they killed them for no good reason.
20 My people will always live in Jerusalem and Judah.
21 I will forgive all the wrong things that they have done.’

The Lord has made his home in Zion!

Footnotes

  1. 3:2 The Valley of Jehoshaphat means a place where God judged people.

Judah’s Enemies Will Be Punished

3 “Yes, at that time I will bring back the people of Judah and Jerusalem from captivity. 2 I will also gather all the nations together. I will bring all these nations down into Jehoshaphat Valley. [ a ] There I will judge them. Those nations scattered my people, Israel. They forced them to live in other nations, so I will punish those nations. They divided up my land. 3 They threw lots for my people. They sold boys to buy a prostitute, and they sold girls to buy wine to drink.

4 “Tyre! Sidon! All of you areas of Philistia! You are not important to me! [ b ] Are you punishing me for something I did? You might think that you are punishing me, but I will soon punish you. 5 You took my silver and gold. You took my precious treasures and put them in your temples. [ c ]

6 “You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks. That way you could take them far from their land. 7 You sent my people to that faraway place, but I will bring them back. And I will punish you for what you did. 8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah. Then they will sell them to the faraway Sabeans. [ d ] ” This is what the Lord said.

Prepare for War

9 Announce this among the nations:
Prepare for war!
Wake up the strong men!
Let all the men of war come near.
Let them come up!
10 Beat your plows into swords.
Make spears from your pruning hooks. [ e ]
Let the weak man say,
“I am a strong soldier.”
11 All you nations, hurry!
Come together in that place.
Lord , bring your strong soldiers.
12 Wake up, nations!
Come to Jehoshaphat Valley.
There I will sit to judge
all the surrounding nations.
13 Bring the sickle,
because the harvest is ripe. [ f ]
Come, walk on the grapes,
because the winepress is full.
The barrels will be full and spilling over,
because their evil is great.

14 There are many, many people in the Valley of Decision. [ g ]
The Lord ’s special day is near in the Valley of Decision.
15 The sun and the moon will become dark.
The stars will stop shining.
16 The Lord God will shout from Zion.
He will shout from Jerusalem,
and the sky and the earth will shake.
But the Lord God will be a safe place for his people.
He will be a place of safety for the people of Israel.
17 “Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.
I live on Zion, my holy mountain.
Jerusalem will become holy.
Strangers will never pass through that city again.

A New Life for Judah Promised

18 “On that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine.
The hills will flow with milk,
and water will flow through all the empty rivers of Judah.
A fountain will come from the Lord ’s Temple.
It will give water to Acacia Valley.
19 Egypt will be empty.
Edom will be an empty wilderness,
because they were cruel to the people of Judah.
They killed innocent people [ h ] in their country.
20 But there will always be people living in Judah.
People will live in Jerusalem through many generations.
21 Those people killed my people,
so I really will punish them!”

The Lord God will live in Zion!

Footnotes

  1. Joel 3:2 Jehoshaphat Valley This name means “The Lord judges.”
  2. Joel 3:4 You are not important to me Literally, “What are you to me?”
  3. Joel 3:5 temples Here, the temples were used to worship idols.
  4. Joel 3:8 Sabeans A group of people from the Arabian Desert.
  5. Joel 3:10 pruning hooks These tools were used to prune (cut) branches of trees. Read Isa. 2:4.
  6. Joel 3:13 harvest is ripe This time of judgment is compared to harvest time.
  7. Joel 3:14 Valley of Decision This is like the name “Jehoshaphat Valley.”
  8. Joel 3:19 killed innocent people Literally, “shed innocent blood.”

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

2 I 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.

3 And 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.

4 Yea, 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;

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

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

7 Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own 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 Sabeans, to a people far off: for the Lord hath spoken it.

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

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

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

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

13 Put 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.

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

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

16 The 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.

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.

18 And 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 out of the house of the Lord , and shall water 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.

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

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

The Nations Will Be Judged

3 “ [ a ] For behold, ( A ) in those days and at that time,
When I ( B ) restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
2 I will ( C ) gather all the nations
And bring them down to the ( D ) Valley of [ b ] Jehoshaphat.
Then I will ( E ) enter into judgment with them there
On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel,
Whom they have ( F ) scattered among the nations;
And they have ( G ) divided up My land.
3 They have also ( H ) cast lots for My people,
[ c ] ( I ) Traded a boy for a prostitute,
And sold a girl for wine so that they may drink.

4 Moreover, what are you to Me, ( J ) Tyre, Sidon, and all the regions of ( K ) Philistia? Are you repaying Me with retribution? But if you are showing Me retribution , swiftly and speedily I will ( L ) return your retribution on your head! 5 Since you have ( M ) taken My silver and My gold, brought My precious [ d ] treasures to your temples, 6 and sold the ( N ) sons of Judah and Jerusalem to the [ e ] Greeks in order to remove them far from their territory, 7 behold, I am going to ( O ) stir them up from the place where you have sold them, and return your retribution on your head. 8 I will also ( P ) sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the ( Q ) Sabeans, to a distant nation,” for the Lord has spoken.

9 ( R ) Proclaim this among the nations:
( S ) Prepare for holy war; ( T ) stir up the warriors!
Have all the soldiers come forward, have them come up!
10 ( U ) Beat your plowshares into swords,
And your pruning hooks into spears;
( V ) Let the weak man say, “I am a warrior.”
11 [ f ] ( W ) Hurry and come, all you surrounding nations,
And gather yourselves there.
Bring down, Lord , Your ( X ) warriors.
12 Let the nations be awakened
And come up to the ( Y ) Valley of [ g ] Jehoshaphat,
For there I will sit to ( Z ) judge
All the surrounding nations.
13 ( AA ) Put in the sickle, for the ( AB ) harvest is ripe.
Come, ( AC ) tread the grapes , for the ( AD ) wine press is full;
The vats overflow, for their ( AE ) wickedness is great.
14 ( AF ) Multitudes, multitudes in the ( AG ) valley of [ h ] decision!
For the ( AH ) day of the Lord is near in the valley of [ i ] decision.
15 The ( AI ) sun and moon have become dark,
And the stars have lost their brightness.
16 The Lord ( AJ ) roars from Zion
And ( AK ) utters His voice from Jerusalem,
And the ( AL ) heavens and the earth quake.
But the Lord is a ( AM ) refuge for His people,
And a ( AN ) stronghold for the sons of Israel.
17 Then you will ( AO ) know that I am the Lord your God,
Dwelling on Zion, My ( AP ) holy mountain.
So Jerusalem will be ( AQ ) holy,
And ( AR ) strangers will no longer pass through it.

Judah Will Be Blessed

18 And on that day
The ( AS ) mountains will drip with [ j ] sweet wine,
And the hills will ( AT ) flow with milk,
And all the ( AU ) brooks of Judah will flow with water;
And a ( AV ) spring will go out from the house of the Lord
And water the Valley of [ k ] Shittim.
19 Egypt will become a wasteland,
And Edom will become a desolate wilderness,
Because of the ( AW ) violence [ l ] done to the sons of Judah,
In whose land they have shed innocent blood.
20 But Judah will be ( AX ) inhabited forever,
And Jerusalem for all generations.
21 And I will ( AY ) avenge their blood which I have not avenged,
For the Lord dwells in Zion.

Footnotes

  1. Joel 3:1 Ch 4:1 in Heb
  2. Joel 3:2 I.e., YHWH judges
  3. Joel 3:3 Lit Given
  4. Joel 3:5 Lit goodly things
  5. Joel 3:6 Lit sons of Javan
  6. Joel 3:11 Or Come help
  7. Joel 3:12 I.e., YHWH judges
  8. Joel 3:14 I.e., God’s verdict
  9. Joel 3:14 I.e., God’s verdict
  10. Joel 3:18 Lit freshly pressed-out grape juice
  11. Joel 3:18 Or acacias
  12. Joel 3:19 Lit of the sons

The Nations Judged

3 [ a ] “In those days and at that time,
when I restore the fortunes ( A ) of Judah ( B ) and Jerusalem,
2 I will gather ( C ) all nations
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. [ b ] ( D )
There I will put them on trial ( E )
for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,
because they scattered ( F ) my people among the nations
and divided up my land.
3 They cast lots ( G ) for my people
and traded boys for prostitutes;
they sold girls for wine ( H ) to drink.

4 “Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon ( I ) and all you regions of Philistia? ( J ) Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done. ( K ) 5 For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples. [ c ] ( L ) 6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, ( M ) that you might send them far from their homeland.

7 “See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them, ( N ) and I will return ( O ) on your own heads what you have done. 8 I will sell your sons ( P ) and daughters to the people of Judah, ( Q ) and they will sell them to the Sabeans, ( R ) a nation far away.” The Lord has spoken. ( S )

9 Proclaim this among the nations:
Prepare for war! ( T )
Rouse the warriors! ( U )
Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords
and your pruning hooks ( V ) into spears. ( W )
Let the weakling ( X ) say,
“I am strong!” ( Y )
11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
and assemble ( Z ) there.

Bring down your warriors, ( AA ) Lord !

12 “Let the nations be roused;
let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, ( AB )
for there I will sit
to judge ( AC ) all the nations on every side.
13 Swing the sickle, ( AD )
for the harvest ( AE ) is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes, ( AF )
for the winepress ( AG ) is full
and the vats overflow—
so great is their wickedness!”

14 Multitudes, ( AH ) multitudes
in the valley ( AI ) of decision!
For the day of the Lord ( AJ ) is near
in the valley of decision. ( AK )
15 The sun and moon will be darkened,
and the stars no longer shine. ( AL )
16 The Lord will roar ( AM ) from Zion
and thunder from Jerusalem; ( AN )
the earth and the heavens will tremble. ( AO )
But the Lord will be a refuge ( AP ) for his people,
a stronghold ( AQ ) for the people of Israel.

Blessings for God’s People

17 “Then you will know ( AR ) that I, the Lord your God, ( AS )
dwell in Zion, ( AT ) my holy hill. ( AU )
Jerusalem will be holy; ( AV )
never again will foreigners invade her. ( AW )

18 “In that day the mountains will drip new wine, ( AX )
and the hills will flow with milk; ( AY )
all the ravines of Judah will run with water. ( AZ )
A fountain will flow out of the Lord ’s house ( BA )
and will water the valley of acacias. [ d ] ( BB )
19 But Egypt ( BC ) will be desolate,
Edom ( BD ) a desert waste,
because of violence ( BE ) done to the people of Judah,
in whose land they shed innocent blood.
20 Judah will be inhabited forever ( BF )
and Jerusalem through all generations.
21 Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged? ( BG )
No, I will not. ( BH ) ”

The Lord dwells in Zion! ( BI )

Footnotes

  1. Joel 3:1 In Hebrew texts 3:1-21 is numbered 4:1-21.
  2. Joel 3:2 Jehoshaphat means the Lord judges ; also in verse 12.
  3. Joel 3:5 Or palaces
  4. Joel 3:18 Or Valley of Shittim
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