Joel 3:1–14

Judgment of the Nations

3^uYes, in those days and at that time,

when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, ^v

²I will gather all the nations ^w

and take them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. ^xy

I will enter into judgment with them there ^z

because of My people, My inheritance Israel.

The nations have scattered the Israelites

in foreign countries ^a

and divided up My land. ^b

³They cast lots for My people; ^c

they bartered a boy for a prostitute

and sold a girl for wine to drink. ^d

⁴And also: Tyre, ^eSidon, and all the territories of Philistia ^f—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. ^g5For you took My silver and gold and carried My finest treasures ^hto your temples. ⁶You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks ⁱto remove them far from their own territory. ⁷Look, I am about to rouse them up from the place where you sold them; ^jI will bring retribution on your heads. ⁸I will sell your sons and daughters into the hands of the people of Judah, ^kand they will sell them to the Sabeans, ^lmto a distant nation, for the Lord has spoken.

⁹Proclaim this among the nations: ⁿ

Prepare for holy war; ^o

rouse the warriors; ^p

let all the men of war advance and attack!

¹⁰Beat your plows into swords

and your pruning knives into spears. ^q

Let even the weakling say, “I am a warrior.”

¹¹Come quickly, ^rall you surrounding nations;

gather yourselves. ^s

Bring down Your warriors there, Lord. ^t

¹²Let the nations be roused

and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat,

for there I will sit down

to judge all the surrounding nations. ^u

¹³Swing the sickle

because the harvest is ripe. ^v

Come and trample the grapes

because the winepress is full; ^w

the wine vats overflow

because the wickedness of the nations is great. ^x

¹⁴Multitudes, multitudes ^y

in the valley of decision!

For the Day of the Lord is near ^z

in the valley of decision.