Joel 3
English Standard Version
The Lord Judges the Nations
3 [a] “For behold, (A)in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 (B)I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And (C)I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, 3 and (D)have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it.
4 “What are you to me, (E)O Tyre and Sidon, and all (F)the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, (G)I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily. 5 For (H)you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples.[b] 6 You have sold (I)the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their own border. 7 Behold, I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and (J)I will return your payment on your own head. 8 I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the (K)Sabeans, to a nation far away, for the Lord has spoken.”
9 Proclaim this among the nations:
(L)Consecrate for war;[c]
stir up the mighty men.
Let all the men of war draw near;
let them come up.
10 (M)Beat your plowshares into swords,
and (N)your pruning hooks into spears;
let the weak say, “I am a warrior.”
11 (O)Hasten and come,
all you surrounding nations,
and gather yourselves there.
(P)Bring down your warriors, O Lord.
12 Let the nations stir themselves up
and come up to (Q)the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
(R)for there I will sit to judge
all the surrounding nations.
13 (S)Put in the sickle,
(T)for the harvest is ripe.
(U)Go in, tread,
(V)for the winepress is full.
The vats overflow,
for their evil is great.
14 Multitudes, multitudes,
in the valley of decision!
For (W)the day of the Lord is near
in the valley of decision.
15 (X)The sun and the moon are darkened,
and the stars withdraw their shining.
16 (Y)The Lord roars from Zion,
and (Z)utters his voice from Jerusalem,
(AA)and the heavens and the earth quake.
But the Lord is (AB)a refuge to his people,
a stronghold to the people of Israel.
The Glorious Future of Judah
17 (AC)“So you shall know that I am the Lord your God,
(AD)who dwells in Zion, (AE)my holy mountain.
And Jerusalem shall be holy,
and (AF)strangers shall never again pass through it.
18 “And in that day
(AG)the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
and the hills shall flow with milk,
and (AH)all the streambeds of Judah
shall flow with water;
(AI)and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord
and water the Valley of (AJ)Shittim.
19 (AK)“Egypt shall become a desolation
and (AL)Edom a desolate wilderness,
(AM)for the violence done to the people of Judah,
because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
20 (AN)But Judah shall be inhabited forever,
and Jerusalem to all generations.
21 (AO)I will avenge their blood,
blood I have not avenged,[d]
(AP)for the Lord dwells in Zion.”
Joel 3
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Judgment of the Nations
3 [a]Yes, in those days and at that time,
when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,(A)
2 I will gather all the nations(B)
and take them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.[b](C)
I will enter into judgment with them there(D)
because of My people, My inheritance Israel.
The nations have scattered the Israelites
in foreign countries(E)
and divided up My land.(F)
3 They cast lots for My people;(G)
they bartered a boy for a prostitute
and sold a girl for wine to drink.(H)
4 And also: Tyre,(I) Sidon, and all the territories of Philistia(J)—what are you to Me? Are you paying Me back or trying to get even with Me? I will quickly bring retribution on your heads.(K) 5 For you took My silver and gold and carried My finest treasures(L) to your temples. 6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks(M) to remove them far from their own territory. 7 Look, I am about to rouse them up from the place where you sold them;(N) I will bring retribution on your heads. 8 I will sell your sons and daughters into the hands of the people of Judah,(O) and they will sell them to the Sabeans,[c](P) to a distant nation, for the Lord has spoken.
9 Proclaim this among the nations:(Q)
Prepare for holy war;(R)
rouse the warriors;(S)
let all the men of war advance and attack!
10 Beat your plows into swords
and your pruning knives into spears.(T)
Let even the weakling say, “I am a warrior.”
11 Come quickly,[d] all you surrounding nations;
gather yourselves.(U)
Bring down Your warriors there, Lord.(V)
12 Let the nations be roused
and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit down
to judge all the surrounding nations.(W)
13 Swing the sickle
because the harvest is ripe.(X)
Come and trample the grapes
because the winepress is full;(Y)
the wine vats overflow
because the wickedness of the nations is great.(Z)
14 Multitudes, multitudes(AA)
in the valley of decision!
For the Day of the Lord is near(AB)
in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and moon will grow dark,
and the stars will cease their shining.(AC)
16 The Lord will roar from Zion(AD)
and raise His voice from Jerusalem;(AE)
heaven and earth will shake.(AF)
But the Lord will be a refuge for His people,(AG)
a stronghold for the Israelites.(AH)
Israel Blessed
17 Then you will know
that I am Yahweh your God,(AI)
who dwells in Zion, My holy mountain.(AJ)
Jerusalem will be holy,(AK)
and foreigners will never overrun it again.(AL)
18 In that day
the mountains will drip with sweet wine,(AM)
and the hills will flow with milk.(AN)
All the streams of Judah will flow with water,(AO)
and a spring will issue from the Lord’s house,(AP)
watering the Valley of Acacias.[e](AQ)
19 Egypt will become desolate,
and Edom a desert wasteland,
because of the violence done to the people of Judah(AR)
in whose land they shed innocent blood.
20 But Judah will be inhabited forever,(AS)
and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
21 I will pardon their bloodguilt,[f](AT)
which I have not pardoned,
for the Lord dwells in Zion.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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