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Judah’s Enemies Will Be Punished

“Yes, at that time I will bring back the people of Judah and Jerusalem from captivity. I will also gather all the nations together. I will bring all these nations down into Jehoshaphat Valley.[a] There I will judge them. Those nations scattered my people, Israel. They forced them to live in other nations, so I will punish those nations. They divided up my land. They threw lots for my people. They sold boys to buy a prostitute, and they sold girls to buy wine to drink.

“Tyre! Sidon! All of you areas of Philistia! You are not important to me![b] Are you punishing me for something I did? You might think that you are punishing me, but I will soon punish you. You took my silver and gold. You took my precious treasures and put them in your temples.[c]

“You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks. That way you could take them far from their land. You sent my people to that faraway place, but I will bring them back. And I will punish you for what you did. I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah. Then they will sell them to the faraway Sabeans.[d]” This is what the Lord said.

Prepare for War

Announce this among the nations:
    Prepare for war!
Wake up the strong men!
    Let all the men of war come near.
    Let them come up!
10 Beat your plows into swords.
    Make spears from your pruning hooks.[e]
Let the weak man say,
    “I am a strong soldier.”
11 All you nations, hurry!
    Come together in that place.
    Lord, bring your strong soldiers.
12 Wake up, nations!
    Come to Jehoshaphat Valley.
There I will sit to judge
    all the surrounding nations.
13 Bring the sickle,
    because the harvest is ripe.[f]
Come, walk on the grapes,
    because the winepress is full.
The barrels will be full and spilling over,
    because their evil is great.

14 There are many, many people in the Valley of Decision.[g]
    The Lord’s special day is near in the Valley of Decision.
15 The sun and the moon will become dark.
    The stars will stop shining.
16 The Lord God will shout from Zion.
He will shout from Jerusalem,
    and the sky and the earth will shake.
But the Lord God will be a safe place for his people.
    He will be a place of safety for the people of Israel.
17 “Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.
    I live on Zion, my holy mountain.
Jerusalem will become holy.
    Strangers will never pass through that city again.

A New Life for Judah Promised

18 “On that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine.
    The hills will flow with milk,
    and water will flow through all the empty rivers of Judah.
A fountain will come from the Lord’s Temple.
    It will give water to Acacia Valley.
19 Egypt will be empty.
    Edom will be an empty wilderness,
because they were cruel to the people of Judah.
    They killed innocent people[h] in their country.
20 But there will always be people living in Judah.
    People will live in Jerusalem through many generations.
21 Those people killed my people,
    so I really will punish them!”

The Lord God will live in Zion!

Footnotes

  1. Joel 3:2 Jehoshaphat Valley This name means “The Lord judges.”
  2. Joel 3:4 You are not important to me Literally, “What are you to me?”
  3. Joel 3:5 temples Here, the temples were used to worship idols.
  4. Joel 3:8 Sabeans A group of people from the Arabian Desert.
  5. Joel 3:10 pruning hooks These tools were used to prune (cut) branches of trees. Read Isa. 2:4.
  6. Joel 3:13 harvest is ripe This time of judgment is compared to harvest time.
  7. Joel 3:14 Valley of Decision This is like the name “Jehoshaphat Valley.”
  8. Joel 3:19 killed innocent people Literally, “shed innocent 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