Joel 3
Lexham English Bible
Yahweh’s Judgment on the Nations
3 [a] For look! In those days, and in that time, when I will return[b] the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 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. 3 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.
4 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! 5 For you have taken my silver and my gold, and my beautiful treasures you have carried into your temples. 6 And the sons of Judah and Jerusalem you sold to the sons of the Greeks, in order to remove them from their border. 7 Look! I am rousing them from the place where you have sold them, and I will return what you deserve on your head! 8 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
9 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
- Joel 3:1 Joel 3:1–21 in the English Bible is 4:1–21 in the Hebrew Bible
- Joel 3:1 Or “restore”
- Joel 3:2 Literally “a matter with them”
- Joel 3:3 Hebrew “lot”
- Joel 3:3 Literally “gave”
- Joel 3:9 Literally “Sanctify a battle”
- Joel 3:15 Literally “gathered”
- Joel 3:18 Or “the wadi Shittim”
- Joel 3:19 Literally “desert of desolation”
- Joel 3:20 Or “for each generation”
- Joel 3:21 Literally “I will not leave unpunished their blood”
- Joel 3:21 Or “I did not consider innocent”
Joel 3
New American Standard Bible
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
- Joel 3:1 Ch 4:1 in Heb
- Joel 3:2 I.e., YHWH judges
- Joel 3:3 Lit Given
- Joel 3:5 Lit goodly things
- Joel 3:6 Lit sons of Javan
- Joel 3:11 Or Come help
- Joel 3:12 I.e., YHWH judges
- Joel 3:14 I.e., God’s verdict
- Joel 3:14 I.e., God’s verdict
- Joel 3:18 Lit freshly pressed-out grape juice
- Joel 3:18 Or acacias
- Joel 3:19 Lit of the sons
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