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Yahweh’s Judgment on the Nations

[a] For look! In those days, and in that time, when I will return[b] the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations, and I will bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will argue a case against them[c] there concerning my people and my inheritance Israel whom they have scattered among the nations, and my land that they have divided. For my people they cast lots,[d] and they traded[e] the male child for the prostitute, and the female child they sold for wine and they drank it.

What are you to me, O Tyre and O Sidon, and all of the regions of Philistia? Are you repaying to me what is deserved? If you are recompensing me, I will return swiftly and quickly what you deserve on your head! For you have taken my silver and my gold, and my beautiful treasures you have carried into your temples. And the sons of Judah and Jerusalem you sold to the sons of the Greeks, in order to remove them from their border. Look! I am rousing them from the place where you have sold them, and I will return what you deserve on your head! I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans and to a nation far away, for Yahweh has spoken.

Yahweh’s Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat

Proclaim this among the nations:
    Prepare for war![f]
        Stir up the mighty warriors;
let them approach and come up;
    let all the men of war approach.
10 Beat your cutting tools of iron into swords
    and your pruning hooks into spears;
        let the weakling say, ‘I am a mighty warrior!’
11 Hurry and come,
    all the nations, from all around,
        and gather yourselves there.
Bring down your mighty warriors, O Yahweh!
12 Let the nations be roused and let them come up
    to the valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit to judge
    all the nations from all around.
13 Send forth the sickle,
    for the harvest is ripe!
        Go tread,
for the winepress is full!
    The vats overflow,
        because their evil is great!
14 Commotion, commotion
    in the valley of decision!
For the day of Yahweh is near
    in the valley of decision!
15 The sun and the moon grow dark,
    and the stars have withheld[g] their splendor.
16 And Yahweh roars from Zion;
    from Jerusalem he utters his voice,
and the heavens and the earth shake.
But Yahweh is a refuge for his people,
    and a protection for the children of Israel.
17 And you will know that I, Yahweh your God,
    am dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain.
And Jerusalem will be a place of holiness,
    and strangers will pass through it no longer.
18 And it will happen on that day;
the mountains will drip new wine,
    and the hills will flow with milk,
    and all the channels of Judah will flow with water.
A spring from the house of Yahweh will come forth,
    and it will water the valley of Acacia Trees.[h]
19 Egypt will become a desolation,
    and Edom will become a desolate desert,[i]
because of the violence they did against the children of Judah,
    in whose land they have shed innocent blood.
20 But Judah will be inhabited forever,
    and Jerusalem for all generations.[j]
21 I will cleanse their bloodguilt[k] that I did not cleanse,[l]
    for Yahweh is dwelling in Zion.

Footnotes

  1. Joel 3:1 Joel 3:1–21 in the English Bible is 4:1–21 in the Hebrew Bible
  2. Joel 3:1 Or “restore”
  3. Joel 3:2 Literally “a matter with them”
  4. Joel 3:3 Hebrew “lot”
  5. Joel 3:3 Literally “gave”
  6. Joel 3:9 Literally “Sanctify a battle”
  7. Joel 3:15 Literally “gathered”
  8. Joel 3:18 Or “the wadi Shittim”
  9. Joel 3:19 Literally “desert of desolation”
  10. Joel 3:20 Or “for each generation”
  11. Joel 3:21 Literally “I will not leave unpunished their blood”
  12. Joel 3:21 Or “I did not consider innocent”

The Coming Judgment of Nations

[a]“Look, now! In those very days and at that time,
when I restore prosperity to[b] Judah and Jerusalem,
I will gather all nations,
    bringing them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
I will set out my case against[c] them there,
    on behalf of my people, my heritage Israel,
whom they scattered among the nations,
    apportioning my land among themselves.[d]
They cast lots for my people—
    they sold a young boy in exchange for a prostitute,
and a girl for wine,
    so they could drink.”

The Lord’s Judgment upon Philistia

“Furthermore, what have you to do with me,
    Tyre, Sidon, and all the sea coasts of Philistia?
        Are you taking revenge on me?
If you are taking revenge on me,
    I’ll send it back on you[e] swiftly and promptly,
since you took my silver and gold,
    carried my precious treasures into your temples,
and sold Judah’s and Jerusalem’s descendants to the Greeks,[f]
    so you can remove them far from their homeland!

“Look, I will bring them up from where you sold them,
    I will turn your revenge back upon you,[g]
and I will sell your sons and daughters into the control of the people of Judah.
    And they will sell them to the people of Sheba, a country far away.”
        Indeed, the Lord has spoken.”

The Lord’s Call to Judgment

“Declare this among the nations:
    ‘Prepare for war!
Wake up your elite forces!
    Let all the soldiers draw near!
        Call them up!
10 Beat your plow blades into swords,
    and your pruning knives into spears!
        Let the frail say, “I am strong!”
11 Hurry and come, all you gentiles!
    Gather yourselves together!’”
        Lord, cause your mighty army[h] to come down.

12 “Let the nations be awakened
    and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
        because I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
13 Put in the sickle,
    because the harvest is ripe.
Come and go down,
    because the winepress is full.
The wine vats are overflowing,
    because their evil is great!

14 “Multitudes, multitudes
    in the Valley of Judgment!
For the Day of the Lord is near
    in the Valley of Judgment!
15 The sun and moon will grow dark,
    and the stars will stop shining.

16 “The Lord will roar from Zion,
    and shout from Jerusalem.
The heavens and the earth will shake,
    but the Lord will be the refuge of his people,
        and the strength of the people of Israel.”

God’s Blessings on His People

17 “And truly you will know that I am the Lord your God,
    dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain.
Then Jerusalem will be holy,
    and no foreigners will invade her again.
18 It will come about at that time
    that the mountains will drip with newly pressed wine,
the hills will flow with milk,
    and the streams of Judah will flow abundantly.
A fountain will spring from the Temple of the Lord,
    to water the Valley of the Acacias.

19 Egypt will be desolate,
    and Edom will be a desert,
because of violence against the people of Judah
    since they shed innocent blood in their land.
20 But Judah will live forever,
    and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
21 I will acquit their bloodguilt that has not yet been acquitted.
    For the Lord lives in Zion!”

Footnotes

  1. Joel 3:1 This verse is 4:1 in MT, and so through the end of the chapter.
  2. Joel 3:1 Or bring back the captivity of
  3. Joel 3:2 Or will judge
  4. Joel 3:2 The Heb. lacks among themselves
  5. Joel 3:4 Lit. your head
  6. Joel 3:6 Lit. Jevanites; i.e. descendants of Javan
  7. Joel 3:7 Lit. turn back your reward
  8. Joel 3:11 Lit. mighty ones