1For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,2I 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.3And 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.4Yea, 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;5Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:6The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.7Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:8And 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 .9Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:10Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.11Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.12Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.13Put 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.14Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.15The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.16The 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.17So 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.18And 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.19Egypt 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.20But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.21For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.
Joel 3
English Standard Version
The Lord Judges the Nations
1[1] “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, (Jer 30:3)2I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And 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, (Isa 66:16; Jer 25:31; Zep 3:8; Zec 14:2)3and 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. (Ob 1:11; Na 3:10)4“What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily. (Isa 23:1; Jer 47:4; Eze 25:15; Am 1:9; Ob 1:15)5For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples.[2] (2Ch 21:16)6You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their own border. (Joe 3:3)7Behold, I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will return your payment on your own head. (Joe 3:4)8I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away, for the Lord has spoken.” (1Ki 10:1)9Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war;[3] stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. (Mic 3:5)10Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am a warrior.” (Isa 2:4)11Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down your warriors, O Lord. (Isa 54:15; Zec 14:5)12Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. (Ps 96:13; Ps 98:9; Ps 110:6; Isa 2:4; Isa 3:13; Joe 3:2; Mic 4:3)13Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great. (Isa 63:2; Jer 51:33; Ho 6:11; Mt 13:30; Mt 13:39; Mr 4:29; Joh 4:35; Re 14:15; Re 14:18; Re 14:20)14Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. (Joe 1:15)15The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. (Joe 2:10)16The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. (Isa 4:6; Isa 25:4; Jer 25:30; Joe 2:10; Joe 2:11; Am 1:2)
The Glorious Future of Judah
17“So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it. (Ps 48:1; Isa 52:1; Isa 65:11; Jer 31:23; Eze 6:7; Eze 43:7; Joe 2:1; Joe 2:27; Joe 3:21; Na 1:15; Zec 14:21; Re 21:27; Re 22:15)18“And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the Valley of Shittim. (Nu 25:1; Isa 30:25; Jer 31:12; Eze 47:1; Am 9:13)19“Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. (Isa 19:1; Isa 34:5; Ob 1:10)20But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations. (Ps 125:1; Eze 37:25)21I will avenge their blood, blood I have not avenged,[4] for the Lord dwells in Zion.” (Isa 4:4; Eze 36:25; Eze 36:29; Joe 3:17)