上帝要審判萬國

「到那日,在我復興猶大和耶路撒冷的時候, 我要聚集萬國,帶他們下到約沙法[a]谷,在那裡審判他們,因為他們把我的子民,就是我的產業以色列,分散到各國,並瓜分我的土地。 他們抽籤分了我的子民,將男童換妓女,賣女童買酒喝。

「泰爾、西頓和非利士境內所有的人啊,你們為什麼這樣對我?你們要報復我嗎?如果你們是報復我,我必速速使你們遭報應。 你們奪去我的金銀,搶走我的珍寶,拿去放在你們的廟中, 並把猶大和耶路撒冷的居民賣給希臘人,使他們遠離家鄉。 然而,他們被賣到哪裡,我要從哪裡把他們帶回來,並要使你們得到報應, 我要把你們的兒女賣給猶大人,猶大人必把他們賣給遠方的示巴人。這是耶和華說的。」

你們去向萬國宣告:
「要召集勇士,徵調軍隊,
前去打仗!
10 要將犁頭打成刀劍,
把鐮刀鑄成矛頭,
軟弱的人也要做勇士!
11 四圍的列國啊,
你們快快聚集到那裡吧!」

耶和華啊,
求你差遣大能的勇士降臨。

12 「萬國都要起來,
上到約沙法谷受審判,
因為我要坐在那裡審判他們。
13 開鐮吧,因為莊稼熟了;
踩踏吧,因為榨酒池的葡萄滿了。
他們惡貫滿盈,如酒池滿溢。」

14 千千萬萬的人聚集在審判谷,
因為耶和華的日子要臨到那裡。
15 日月昏暗,
星辰無光。
16 耶和華從錫安發出怒吼,
從耶路撒冷發出雷聲,
天地為之震動。
但耶和華卻是祂子民的避難所,
是以色列人的堡壘。

17 「這樣,你們就知道我是你們的上帝耶和華,
我住在錫安——我的聖山上。
耶路撒冷必成為聖地,
外族人必不再侵犯它。

18 「到那日,群山要滴下甜酒,
丘陵要流出乳汁。
猶大的溪澗碧水常流,
必有清泉從耶和華的殿中流出,
澆灌什亭谷。
19 埃及必一片荒涼,
以東必成為不毛之地,
因為他們曾殘暴地對待猶大人,
在猶大濫殺無辜。
20 但猶大必人口興盛,
耶路撒冷必存到萬代。
21 我必追討[b]尚未追討的血債,
因為耶和華住在錫安。」

Footnotes

  1. 3·2 約沙法」意思是「耶和華審判」。
  2. 3·21 追討」希伯來文是「洗淨」。

(4:1) For, hinei, in those days, and in that time, when I shall restore the fortunes of Yehudah and Yerushalayim,

(4:2) I will also gather all Goyim, and will bring them down into the valley of Yehoshafat, and will enter into judgment against them there concerning My people and for My nachalah Yisroel, whom they have scattered among the Goyim, and My land they divided up.

(4:3) And they have cast lots for My people; and have traded the yeledim as barter for zonot, and sold the yaldah for yayin, that they might drink.

(4:4) Yea, and what have ye to do with Me, O Tzor, and Tzidon, and all the coasts of Peleshet? Will ye render Me a pay-back? And if ye recompense Me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense upon your own rosh;

(4:5) Because ye have taken My kesef and My zahav, and have carried into your temples My goodly pleasant things:

(4:6) Also the Bnei Yehudah and the Bnei Yerushalayim have ye sold unto the Yevanim (Greeks), that ye might remove them far from their territory.

(4:7) Hineni, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompense upon your own rosh;

(4:8) And I will sell your banim and your banot into the hand of the Bnei Yehudah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a Goy far off; for Hashem hath spoken it.

(4:9) Proclaim ye this among the Goyim; Prepare milchamah, wake up the gibborim, let all the anshei hamilchamah draw near and attack;

10 (4:10) Beat your plowblades into charavot (swords) and your pruning knives into spears; let the weak say, I am strong.

11 (4:11) Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye Goyim, and gather yourselves together round about; Hashem, thither cause Thy gibborim to come down.

12 (4:12) Let the Goyim be wakened, and come up to the valley of Yehoshafat; for there will I sit to judge all the Goyim round about.

13 (4:13) Put ye in the sickle, for the katzir is ripe; go in, tread; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their ra’ah is great.

14 (4:14) Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the Yom Hashem is near in the valley of decision.

15 (4:15) The shemesh and the yarei’ach shall be darkened, and the kokhavim shall withdraw their shining.

16 (4:16) Hashem also shall roar out of Tziyon, and utter His voice from Yerushalayim; and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but Hashem will be the machseh (refuge) of His people, and the maoz of the Bnei Yisroel.

17 (4:17) So shall ye have da’as that I am Hashem Eloheichem dwelling in Tziyon, My Har Kodesh; then shall Yerushalayim be kodesh, and there shall no zarim pass through her any more.

18 (4:18) And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with cholov; and all the ravines of Yehudah shall flow with mayim, and a ma’ayon shall come forth out of the Beis Hashem, and shall water the valley of Sheetim.

19 (4:19) Mitzrayim shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate midbar, for the chamas against the Bnei Yehudah, because they have shed dahm naki (innocent blood) in their land.

20 (4:20) But Yehudah shall dwell for ever, and Yerushalayim from dor v’dor.

21 (4:21) For I will cleanse them of bloodguilt which I have not yet cleansed; for Hashem dwelleth in Tziyon.

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

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.

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.

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;

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

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.

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

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.

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 Judged

[a]“In those days and at that time,
    when I restore the fortunes(A) of Judah(B) and Jerusalem,
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.
They cast lots(G) for my people
    and traded boys for prostitutes;
    they sold girls for wine(H) to drink.

“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) For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.[c](L) You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks,(M) that you might send them far from their homeland.

“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. 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)

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