Logos Bible Study

Joel 3:12–15

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3:12Let the nations be roused and let them go up

to the valley of Jehoshaphat,

for there I will sit in judgment on all the surrounding nations.

3:13Rush forth with27 the sickle, for the harvest is ripe!

Come, stomp the grapes,28 for the winepress is full!

The vats overflow.

Indeed, their evil is great!29

3:14Crowds, great crowds are in the valley of decision,

for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision!30

3:15The sun and moon are darkened;

the stars withhold31 their brightness.

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Footnotes

  1. 27 Heb “send.”
  2. 28 Heb “go down” or “tread.” The Hebrew term רְדוּ (rédu) may be from יָרַד (yarad, “to go down”) or from רָדָה (radah, “have dominion,” here in the sense of “to tread”). If it means “go down,” the reference would be to entering the vat to squash the grapes. If it means “tread,” the verb would refer specifically to the action of those who walk over the grapes to press out their juice. The phrase “the grapes” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
  3. 29 The immediacy of judgment upon wickedness is likened to the urgency required for a harvest that has reached its pinnacle of development. When the harvest is completely ripe, there can be no delay by the reapers in gathering the harvest. In a similar way, Joel envisions a time when human wickedness will reach such a heightened degree that there can be no further stay of divine judgment (cf. the “fullness of time” language in Gal 4:4).
  4. 30 The decision referred to here is not a response on the part of the crowd, but the verdict handed out by the divine judge.
  5. 31 Heb “gather in.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Let the nations stir themselves up

and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;

for there I will sit to judge

all the surrounding nations.

Put in the sickle,

for the harvest is ripe.

Go in, tread,

for the winepress is full.

The vats overflow,

for their evil is great.

Multitudes, multitudes,

in the valley of decision!

For the day of the Lord is near

in the valley of decision.

The sun and the moon are darkened,

and the stars withdraw their shining.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Let the nations be roused;

let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,

for there I will sit

to judge all the nations on every side.

Swing the sickle,

for the harvest is ripe.

Come, trample the grapes,

for the winepress is full

and the vats overflow—

so great is their wickedness!”

Multitudes, multitudes

in the valley of decision!

For the day of the Lord is near

in the valley of decision.

The sun and moon will be darkened,

and the stars no longer shine.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Let the nations be roused

and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat,

for there I will sit down

to judge all the surrounding nations.

Swing the sickle

because the harvest is ripe.

Come and trample the grapes

because the winepress is full;

the wine vats overflow

because the wickedness of the nations is extreme.

Multitudes, multitudes

in the valley of decision!

For the day of the Lord is near

in the valley of decision.

The sun and moon will grow dark,

and the stars will cease their shining.

NLTNew Living Translation

“Let the nations be called to arms.

Let them march to the valley of Jehoshaphat.

There I, the Lord, will sit

to pronounce judgment on them all.

Swing the sickle,

for the harvest is ripe.

Come, tread the grapes,

for the winepress is full.

The storage vats are overflowing

with the wickedness of these people.”

Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision.

There the day of the Lord will soon arrive.

The sun and moon will grow dark,

and the stars will no longer shine.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Let the nations be roused and let them come up

to the valley of Jehoshaphat,

for there I will sit to judge

all the nations from all around.

Send forth the sickle,

for the harvest is ripe!

Go tread,

for the winepress is full!

The vats overflow,

because their evil is great!

Commotion, commotion

in the valley of decision!

For the day of Yahweh is near

in the valley of decision!

The sun and the moon grow dark,

and the stars have withheld their splendor.

KJV 1900King James Version

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.

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.

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision:

For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

The sun and the moon shall be darkened,

And the stars shall withdraw their shining.