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Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat

Proclaim this among the nations:
Consecrate yourselves for war;
    stir up the warriors.
Let all the soldiers draw near;
    let them come up.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords
    and your pruning hooks into spears;
    let the weakling say, “I am a warrior.”(A)

11 Come quickly,[a]
    all you nations all around;
    gather yourselves there.
Bring down your warriors, O Lord.(B)
12 Let the nations rouse themselves
    and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit to judge
    all the neighboring nations.(C)

13 Put in the sickle,
    for the harvest is ripe.
Go in, tread,
    for the winepress is full.
The vats overflow,
    for their wickedness is great.(D)

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

16 The Lord roars from Zion
    and utters his voice from Jerusalem,
    and the heavens and the earth shake.
But the Lord is a refuge for his people,
    a stronghold for the people of Israel.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 3.11 Meaning of Heb uncertain

The Prophet’s Response

Proclaim this among the nations:
    Consecrate yourselves for war!
    Rouse the strong warriors!
    Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.

10 Beat your plowshares into swords,
    and your pruning knives into spears.
    Let the weakling say, “I am a strong warrior!”
11 Come quickly to help, all you nations from every side,
    and assemble there.
    Bring down your strong warriors, O Lord!

The Lord’s Promise

12 Let the nations be roused.
    Let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
    for there I will be seated to judge all the nations.
13 Swing the sickle,
        for the harvest is ripe.
    Come, trample the grapes,
        for the winepress is full and the vats overflow,
    because the nations’ wickedness is so great!

14 Multitudes, multitudes in the Valley of Decision!
    For the Day of the Lord is near in the Valley of Decision.
15 The sun and moon will be darkened,
    and the stars will stop shining.
16 The Lord will roar from Zion
    and shout from Jerusalem.
    The sky and the earth will tremble.
    But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,
    a stronghold for the people of Israel.

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