27 Heb “send.”
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.
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).

In other versions

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.

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!”

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.

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.”

Send forth the sickle,

for the harvest is ripe!

Go tread,

for the winepress is full!

The vats overflow,

because their evil is great!

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.

Public Domain