Joel 3
Young's Literal Translation
3 For lo, in those days, and in that time, When I turn back [to] the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
2 Then I have gathered all the nations, And caused them to go down unto the valley of Jehoshaphat, And I have been judged with them there, Concerning My people and Mine inheritance -- Israel, Whom they scattered among nations, And My land they have apportioned.
3 And for My people they do cast a lot, And they give the young man for an harlot, And the young woman have sold for wine, That they may drink.
4 And also, what [are] ye to Me, O Tyre and Zidon, And all circuits of Philistia? Recompence are ye rendering unto Me? And if ye are giving recompence to Me, Swiftly, hastily, I turn back your recompence on your head.
5 In that My silver and My gold ye took, And My desirable things that are good, Ye have brought in to your temples.
6 And sons of Judah, and sons of Jerusalem, Ye have sold to the sons of Javan, To put them far off from their border.
7 Lo, I am stirring them up out of the place Whither ye have sold them, And I have turned back your recompence on your head,
8 And have sold your sons and your daughters Into the hand of the sons of Judah, And they have sold them to Shabeans, Unto a nation far off, for Jehovah hath spoken.
9 Proclaim ye this among nations, Sanctify a war, stir up the mighty ones, Come nigh, come up, let all the men of war.
10 Beat your ploughshares to swords, And your pruning-hooks to javelins, Let the weak say, `I [am] mighty.'
11 Haste, and come in, all ye nations round, And be gathered together, Thither cause to come down, O Jehovah, Thy mighty ones.
12 Wake and come up let the nations unto the valley of Jehoshaphat, For there I sit to judge all the nations around.
13 Send ye forth a sickle, For ripened hath harvest, Come in, come down, for filled hath been the press, Overflowed hath wine-presses, For great [is] their wickedness.
14 Multitudes, multitudes [are] in the valley of decision, For near [is] the day of Jehovah in the valley of decision.
15 Sun and moon have been black, And stars have gathered up their shining.
16 And Jehovah from Zion doth roar, And from Jerusalem giveth forth His voice, And shaken have the heavens and earth, And Jehovah [is] a refuge to his people, And a stronghold to sons of Israel.
17 And ye have known that I [am] Jehovah your God, Dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain, And Jerusalem hath been holy, And strangers do not pass over into it again.
18 And it hath come to pass, in that day, Drop down do the mountains juice, And the hills do flow [with] milk, And all streams of Judah do go [with] water, And a fountain from the house of Jehovah goeth forth, And hath watered the valley of Shittim.
19 Egypt a desolation becometh, And Edom a desolation, a wilderness, becometh, For violence [to] sons of Judah, Whose innocent blood they shed in their land.
20 And Judah to the age doth dwell, And Jerusalem to generation and generation.
21 And I have declared their blood innocent, [That] I did not declare innocent, And Jehovah is dwelling in Zion!
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.”
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
