Joel 3

New International Version

The Nations Judged

3 ^[a]“In those days and at that time,
    when I restore the fortunes^(A) of Judah^(B) and Jerusalem,
²I 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.
³They 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) ⁵For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.^[c]^(L) ⁶You 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. ⁸I 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)

⁹Proclaim this among the nations:
    Prepare for war!^(T)
Rouse the warriors!^(U)
    Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
¹⁰Beat your plowshares into swords
    and your pruning hooks^(V) into spears.^(W)
Let the weakling^(X) say,
    “I am strong!”^(Y)
¹¹Come 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.
¹³Swing 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!”

¹⁴Multitudes,^(AH) multitudes
    in the valley^(AI) of decision!
For the day of the Lord^(AJ) is near
    in the valley of decision.^(AK)
¹⁵The sun and moon will be darkened,
    and the stars no longer shine.^(AL)
¹⁶The 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)
¹⁹But 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.
²⁰Judah will be inhabited forever^(BF)
    and Jerusalem through all generations.
²¹Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?^(BG)
    No, I will not.^(BH)”

The Lord dwells in Zion!^(BI)

Footnotes

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

Acts 3

New International Version

Peter Heals a Lame Beggar

3 One day Peter and John^(A) were going up to the temple^(B) at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.^(C) ²Now a man who was lame from birth^(D) was being carried to the temple gate^(E) called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg^(F) from those going into the temple courts. ³When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” ⁵So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

⁶Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,^(G) walk.” ⁷Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. ⁸He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping,^(H) and praising God. ⁹When all the people^(I) saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful,^(J) and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter Speaks to the Onlookers

¹¹While the man held on to Peter and John,^(K) all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade.^(L) ¹²When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,^(M) the God of our fathers,^(N) has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over^(O) to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate,^(P) though he had decided to let him go.^(Q) ¹⁴You disowned the Holy^(R) and Righteous One^(S) and asked that a murderer be released to you.^(T) ¹⁵You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.^(U) We are witnesses^(V) of this. ¹⁶By faith in the name of Jesus,^(W) this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

¹⁷“Now, fellow Israelites,^(X) I know that you acted in ignorance,^(Y) as did your leaders.^(Z) ¹⁸But this is how God fulfilled^(AA) what he had foretold^(AB) through all the prophets,^(AC) saying that his Messiah would suffer.^(AD) ¹⁹Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,^(AE) that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, ²⁰and that he may send the Messiah,^(AF) who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. ²¹Heaven must receive him^(AG) until the time comes for God to restore everything,^(AH) as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.^(AI) ²²For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.^(AJ) ²³Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’^[a]^(AK)

²⁴“Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets^(AL) who have spoken have foretold these days. ²⁵And you are heirs^(AM) of the prophets and of the covenant^(AN) God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’^[b]^(AO) ²⁶When God raised up^(AP) his servant, he sent him first^(AQ) to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

Footnotes

Acts 3:23 Deut. 18:15,18,19
Acts 3:25 Gen. 22:18; 26:4

Proverbs 8

New International Version

Wisdom’s Call

8 Does not wisdom call out?^(A)
    Does not understanding raise her voice?
²At the highest point along the way,
    where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
³beside the gate leading into the city,
    at the entrance, she cries aloud:^(B)
⁴“To you, O people, I call out;^(C)
    I raise my voice to all mankind.
⁵You who are simple,^(D) gain prudence;^(E)
    you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.^[a]
⁶Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
    I open my lips to speak what is right.
⁷My mouth speaks what is true,^(F)
    for my lips detest wickedness.
⁸All the words of my mouth are just;
    none of them is crooked or perverse.
⁹To the discerning all of them are right;
    they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
¹⁰Choose my instruction instead of silver,
    knowledge rather than choice gold,^(G)
¹¹for wisdom is more precious^(H) than rubies,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.^(I)

¹²“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
    I possess knowledge and discretion.^(J)
¹³To fear the Lord^(K) is to hate evil;^(L)
    I hate^(M) pride and arrogance,
    evil behavior and perverse speech.
¹⁴Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
    I have insight, I have power.^(N)
¹⁵By me kings reign
    and rulers^(O) issue decrees that are just;
¹⁶by me princes govern,^(P)
    and nobles—all who rule on earth.^[b]
¹⁷I love those who love me,^(Q)
    and those who seek me find me.^(R)
¹⁸With me are riches and honor,^(S)
    enduring wealth and prosperity.^(T)
¹⁹My fruit is better than fine gold;^(U)
    what I yield surpasses choice silver.^(V)
²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness,^(W)
    along the paths of justice,
²¹bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
    and making their treasuries full.^(X)

²²“The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,^[c]^[d]
    before his deeds of old;
²³I was formed long ages ago,
    at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
²⁴When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
    when there were no springs overflowing with water;^(Y)
²⁵before the mountains were settled in place,^(Z)
    before the hills, I was given birth,^(AA)
²⁶before he made the world or its fields
    or any of the dust of the earth.^(AB)
²⁷I was there when he set the heavens in place,^(AC)
    when he marked out the horizon^(AD) on the face of the deep,
²⁸when he established the clouds above^(AE)
    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,^(AF)
²⁹when he gave the sea its boundary^(AG)
    so the waters would not overstep his command,^(AH)
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.^(AI)
³⁰    Then I was constantly^[e] at his side.^(AJ)
I was filled with delight day after day,
    rejoicing always in his presence,
³¹rejoicing in his whole world
    and delighting in mankind.^(AK)

³²“Now then, my children, listen^(AL) to me;
    blessed are^(AM) those who keep my ways.^(AN)
³³Listen to my instruction and be wise;
    do not disregard it.
³⁴Blessed are those who listen^(AO) to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorway.
³⁵For those who find me^(AP) find life^(AQ)
    and receive favor from the Lord.^(AR)
³⁶But those who fail to find me harm themselves;^(AS)
    all who hate me love death.”^(AT)

Footnotes

Proverbs 8:5 Septuagint; Hebrew foolish, instruct your minds
Proverbs 8:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; other Hebrew manuscripts all righteous rulers
Proverbs 8:22 Or way; or dominion
Proverbs 8:22 Or The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work; or The Lord brought me forth at the beginning of his work
Proverbs 8:30 Or was the artisan; or was a little child