Judgment of the Nations

[a]Yes, in those days and at that time,
when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,(A)
I will gather all the nations(B)
and take them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.[b](C)
I will enter into judgment with them there(D)
because of My people, My inheritance Israel.
The nations have scattered the Israelites
in foreign countries(E)
and divided up My land.(F)
They cast lots for My people;(G)
they bartered a boy for a prostitute
and sold a girl for wine to drink.(H)

And also: Tyre,(I) Sidon, and all the territories of Philistia(J)—what are you to Me? Are you paying Me back or trying to get even with Me? I will quickly bring retribution on your heads.(K) For you took My silver and gold and carried My finest treasures(L) to your temples. You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks(M) to remove them far from their own territory. Look, I am about to rouse them up from the place where you sold them;(N) I will bring retribution on your heads. I will sell your sons and daughters into the hands of the people of Judah,(O) and they will sell them to the Sabeans,[c](P) to a distant nation, for the Lord has spoken.

Proclaim this among the nations:(Q)
Prepare for holy war;(R)
rouse the warriors;(S)
let all the men of war advance and attack!
10 Beat your plows into swords
and your pruning knives into spears.(T)
Let even the weakling say, “I am a warrior.”
11 Come quickly,[d] all you surrounding nations;
gather yourselves.(U)
Bring down Your warriors there, Lord.(V)

12 Let the nations be roused
and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit down
to judge all the surrounding nations.(W)
13 Swing the sickle
because the harvest is ripe.(X)
Come and trample the grapes
because the winepress is full;(Y)
the wine vats overflow
because the wickedness of the nations is great.(Z)

14 Multitudes, multitudes(AA)
in the valley of decision!
For the Day of the Lord is near(AB)
in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and moon will grow dark,
and the stars will cease their shining.(AC)
16 The Lord will roar from Zion(AD)
and raise His voice from Jerusalem;(AE)
heaven and earth will shake.(AF)
But the Lord will be a refuge for His people,(AG)
a stronghold for the Israelites.(AH)

Israel Blessed

17 Then you will know
that I am Yahweh your God,(AI)
who dwells in Zion, My holy mountain.(AJ)
Jerusalem will be holy,(AK)
and foreigners will never overrun it again.(AL)
18 In that day
the mountains will drip with sweet wine,(AM)
and the hills will flow with milk.(AN)
All the streams of Judah will flow with water,(AO)
and a spring will issue from the Lord’s house,(AP)
watering the Valley of Acacias.[e](AQ)
19 Egypt will become desolate,
and Edom a desert wasteland,
because of the violence done to the people of Judah(AR)
in whose land they shed innocent blood.
20 But Judah will be inhabited forever,(AS)
and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
21 I will pardon their bloodguilt,[f](AT)
which I have not pardoned,
for the Lord dwells in Zion.

Footnotes

  1. Joel 3:1 Jl 4:1 in Hb
  2. Joel 3:2 = The Lord Will Judge
  3. Joel 3:8 Probably the south Arabian kingdom of Sheba (modern Yemen)
  4. Joel 3:11 LXX, Syr, Tg read Gather yourselves and come; Hb obscure
  5. Joel 3:18 Or Shittim
  6. Joel 3:21 LXX, Syr read I will avenge their blood

The Nations Judged

[a]“In those days and at that time,
    when I restore the fortunes(A) of Judah(B) and Jerusalem,
I will gather(C) all nations
    and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.[b](D)
There I will put them on trial(E)
    for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,
because they scattered(F) my people among the nations
    and divided up my land.
They cast lots(G) for my people
    and traded boys for prostitutes;
    they sold girls for wine(H) to drink.

“Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon(I) and all you regions of Philistia?(J) Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done.(K) For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.[c](L) You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks,(M) that you might send them far from their homeland.

“See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them,(N) and I will return(O) on your own heads what you have done. I will sell your sons(P) and daughters to the people of Judah,(Q) and they will sell them to the Sabeans,(R) a nation far away.” The Lord has spoken.(S)

Proclaim this among the nations:
    Prepare for war!(T)
Rouse the warriors!(U)
    Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords
    and your pruning hooks(V) into spears.(W)
Let the weakling(X) say,
    “I am strong!”(Y)
11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
    and assemble(Z) there.

Bring down your warriors,(AA) Lord!

12 “Let the nations be roused;
    let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,(AB)
for there I will sit
    to judge(AC) all the nations on every side.
13 Swing the sickle,(AD)
    for the harvest(AE) is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,(AF)
    for the winepress(AG) is full
    and the vats overflow—
so great is their wickedness!”

14 Multitudes,(AH) multitudes
    in the valley(AI) of decision!
For the day of the Lord(AJ) is near
    in the valley of decision.(AK)
15 The sun and moon will be darkened,
    and the stars no longer shine.(AL)
16 The Lord will roar(AM) from Zion
    and thunder from Jerusalem;(AN)
    the earth and the heavens will tremble.(AO)
But the Lord will be a refuge(AP) for his people,
    a stronghold(AQ) for the people of Israel.

Blessings for God’s People

17 “Then you will know(AR) that I, the Lord your God,(AS)
    dwell in Zion,(AT) my holy hill.(AU)
Jerusalem will be holy;(AV)
    never again will foreigners invade her.(AW)

18 “In that day the mountains will drip new wine,(AX)
    and the hills will flow with milk;(AY)
    all the ravines of Judah will run with water.(AZ)
A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house(BA)
    and will water the valley of acacias.[d](BB)
19 But Egypt(BC) will be desolate,
    Edom(BD) a desert waste,
because of violence(BE) done to the people of Judah,
    in whose land they shed innocent blood.
20 Judah will be inhabited forever(BF)
    and Jerusalem through all generations.
21 Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?(BG)
    No, I will not.(BH)

The Lord dwells in Zion!(BI)

Footnotes

  1. Joel 3:1 In Hebrew texts 3:1-21 is numbered 4:1-21.
  2. Joel 3:2 Jehoshaphat means the Lord judges; also in verse 12.
  3. Joel 3:5 Or palaces
  4. Joel 3:18 Or Valley of Shittim