Joel 3

1 “Yes, in those days and at that time, when I restore Judah and Jerusalem from captivity,

2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My people, My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations as they divided up My land.

3 They cast lots for My people; they bartered a boy for a prostitute and sold a girl for wine to drink.

4 Now what do you have against Me, O Tyre, Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you rendering against Me a recompense? If you retaliate against Me, I will swiftly and speedily return your recompense upon your heads.

5 For you took My silver and gold and carried off My finest treasures to your temples.

6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, to send them far from their homeland.

7 Behold, I will rouse them from the places to which you sold them; I will return your recompense upon your heads.

8 I will sell your sons and daughters into the hands of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans—to a distant nation.” Indeed, the LORD has spoken.

9 Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the men of war advance and attack!

10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, ‘I am strong!’

11 Come quickly, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves. Bring down Your mighty ones, O LORD.

12 Let the nations be roused and advance to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the nations on every side.

13 Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because their wickedness is 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 grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine.

16 The LORD will roar from Zion and raise His voice from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.

17 Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, My holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy, never again to be overrun by foreigners.

18 And in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the streams of Judah will run with water, and a spring will flow from the house of the LORD to water the Valley of Acacias.

19 Egypt will become desolate, and Edom a desert wasteland, because of the violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood.

20 But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

21 For I will avenge their blood, which I have not yet avenged.” For the LORD dwells in Zion.

1 ¶ For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and [for] my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

3 And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

4 Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly [and] speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;

5 Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:

6 The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.

7 Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:

8 And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken [it].

9 ¶ Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I [am] strong.

11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.

12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness [is] 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 the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD [will be] the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

17 So shall ye know that I [am] the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

18 ¶ And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence [against] the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

20 But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

21 For I will cleanse their blood [that] I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.

6 For, behold, in those days, and at that time, when I shall turn the prison of Judah and Jerusalem,

7 And I will gather all the heathen together, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and there will I make terms with them for my people, and for my inheritance Israel, which they have scattered among the heathen, and divided themselves into my land.

8 And have cast lots for my people, and have given the boys for meat, and have sold the maidens for wine, and have made them drunk.

9 And ye of Zor, and Zidon, and all the border of the Philistines, what have ye to do with me? Will ye defy me? If ye will defy me, I will speedily repay you upon your head,

10 Who have taken my silver and gold and my beautiful jewels, and have brought them into your churches,

11 For ye have also sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem unto the Grecians, that ye might bring them far from their borders.

12 Behold, I will raise them up out of the place whither ye sold them, and will recompense you upon your head.

13 And I will sell your sons and your daughters again, by the children of Judah; and they shall sell them unto them that are in the kingdom of Arabia, a people of far countries: for the LORD hath spoken it.

14 Proclaim this among the heathen; sanctify a battle; stir up the mighty; let all the men of war come and go up.

15 Make your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak man speak: I am strong.

16 Make a flock, and come hither, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together. There shall the LORD put down thy mighty ones.

17 And the heathen shall arise, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

18 Strike the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come down, for the winepress is full, and the winepress overflows; for their wickedness is great.

19 Here and there shall be multitudes in the valley of judgment: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of judgment.

20 the sun and the moon will be darkened and the stars will restrain their light.

21 And the LORD shall roar out of Zion, and shall cause his voice to be heard out of Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake. But the LORD shall be a refuge unto his people, and a stronghold unto the children of Israel.

22 And ye shall know that I the LORD your God dwell in Zion in my holy mountain. Then shall Jerusalem be holy, and no stranger shall pass through her.

23 In that day shall the mountains run with sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall run with water: and there shall go forth a fountain from the house of the LORD, and it shall water the river Sittim.

24 But Egypt shall be desolate, and Edom a desolate waste, because of the iniquity of the children of Judah, that they shed innocent blood in their land.

25 But Judah shall be inhabited for ever, and Jerusalem for ever.

26 And I will not leave their blood unavenged. And the LORD shall dwell in Zion.