Proclaim this among the nations:
(A)Consecrate for war;[a]
    stir up the mighty men.
Let all the men of war draw near;
    let them come up.
10 (B)Beat your plowshares into swords,
    and (C)your pruning hooks into spears;
    let the weak say, “I am a warrior.”

11 (D)Hasten and come,
    all you surrounding nations,
    and gather yourselves there.
(E)Bring down your warriors, O Lord.
12 Let the nations stir themselves up
    and come up to (F)the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
(G)for there I will sit to judge
    all the surrounding nations.

13 (H)Put in the sickle,
    (I)for the harvest is ripe.
(J)Go in, tread,
    (K)for the winepress is full.
The vats overflow,
    for their evil is great.

14 Multitudes, multitudes,
    in the valley of decision!
For (L)the day of the Lord is near
    in the valley of decision.
15 (M)The sun and the moon are darkened,
    and the stars withdraw their shining.

16 (N)The Lord roars from Zion,
    and (O)utters his voice from Jerusalem,
    (P)and the heavens and the earth quake.
But the Lord is (Q)a refuge to his people,
    a stronghold to the people of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 3:9 Or Consecrate a war

Yahweh’s Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat

Proclaim this among the nations:
    Prepare for war![a]
        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[b] 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.

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 3:9 Literally “Sanctify a battle”
  2. Joel 3:15 Literally “gathered”