The Nations Judged

3 a “In those days and at that time,

when I restore the fortunesb of Judahc and Jerusalem,

2 I will gatherd all nations

and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.b e

There I will put them on trialf

for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,

because they scatteredg my people among the nations

and divided up my land.

3 They cast lotsh for my people

and traded boys for prostitutes;

they sold girls for winei to drink.

4 “Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidonj and all you regions of Philistia?k 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.l 5 For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.c m 6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks,n that you might send them far from their homeland.

7 “See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them,o and I will returnp on your own heads what you have done. 8 I will sell your sonsq and daughters to the people of Judah,r and they will sell them to the Sabeans,s a nation far away.” The Lord has spoken.t

9 Proclaim this among the nations:

Prepare for war!u

Rouse the warriors!v

Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.

10 Beat your plowshares into swords

and your pruning hooksw into spears.x

Let the weaklingy say,

“I am strong!”z

11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side,

and assemblea there.

Bring down your warriors,b Lord!

12 “Let the nations be roused;

let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,c

for there I will sit

to judged all the nations on every side.

13 Swing the sickle,e

for the harvestf is ripe.

Come, trample the grapes,g

for the winepressh is full

and the vats overflow—

so great is their wickedness!”

14 Multitudes,i multitudes

in the valleyj of decision!

For the day of the Lordk is near

in the valley of decision.l

15 The sun and moon will be darkened,

and the stars no longer shine.m

16 The Lord will roarn from Zion

and thunder from Jerusalem;o

the earth and the heavens will tremble.p

But the Lord will be a refugeq for his people,

a strongholdr for the people of Israel.

Blessings for God’s People

17 “Then you will knows that I, the Lord your God,t

dwell in Zion,u my holy hill.v

Jerusalem will be holy;w

never again will foreigners invade her.x

18 “In that day the mountains will drip new wine,y

and the hills will flow with milk;z

all the ravines of Judah will run with water.a

A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s houseb

and will water the valley of acacias.d c

19 But Egyptd will be desolate,

Edome a desert waste,

because of violencef done to the people of Judah,

in whose land they shed innocent blood.

20 Judah will be inhabited foreverg

and Jerusalem through all generations.

21 Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?h

No, I will not.i”

The Lord dwells in Zion!j