Joel 3
God Is a Safe Hiding Place
1-3 "In those days, yes, at that very time when I put life back together again for Judah and Jerusalem, I'll assemble all the godless nations. I'll lead them down into Judgment Valley And put them all on trial, and judge them one and all because of their treatment of my own people Israel. They scattered my people all over the pagan world and grabbed my land for themselves. They threw dice for my people and used them for barter. They would trade a boy for a whore, sell a girl for a bottle of wine when they wanted a drink.
4-8 "As for you, Tyre and Sidon and Philistia, why should I bother with you? Are you trying to get back at me for something I did to you? If you are, forget it. I'll see to it that it boomerangs on you. You robbed me, cleaned me out of silver and gold, carted off everything valuable to furnish your own temples. You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem into slavery to the Greeks in faraway places. But I'm going to reverse your crime. I'm going to free those slaves. I'll have done to you what you did to them: I'll sell your children as slaves to your neighbors, And they'll sell them to the far-off Sabeans." God's Verdict.
9-11 Announce this to the godless nations: Prepare for battle! Soldiers at attention! Present arms! Advance! Turn your shovels into swords, turn your hoes into spears. Let the weak one throw out his chest and say, "I'm tough, I'm a fighter." Hurry up, pagans! Wherever you are, get a move on! Get your act together. Prepare to be shattered by God!
12 Let the pagan nations set out for Judgment Valley. There I'll take my place at the bench and judge all the surrounding nations.
13 "Swing the sickle— the harvest is ready. Stomp on the grapes— the winepress is full. The wine vats are full, overflowing with vintage evil.
14 "Mass confusion, mob uproar— in Decision Valley! God's Judgment Day has arrived in Decision Valley.
15-17 "The sky turns black, sun and moon go dark, stars burn out. God roars from Zion, shouts from Jerusalem. Earth and sky quake in terror. But God is a safe hiding place, a granite safe house for the children of Israel. Then you'll know for sure that I'm your God, Living in Zion, my sacred mountain. Jerusalem will be a sacred city, posted: 'no trespassing.'
Milk Rivering Out of the Hills
18-21 "What a day! Wine streaming off the mountains, Milk rivering out of the hills, water flowing everywhere in Judah, A fountain pouring out of God's Sanctuary, watering all the parks and gardens! But Egypt will be reduced to weeds in a vacant lot, Edom turned into barren badlands, All because of brutalities to the Judean people, the atrocities and murders of helpless innocents. Meanwhile, Judah will be filled with people, Jerusalem inhabited forever. The sins I haven't already forgiven, I'll forgive." God has moved into Zion for good.
Joel 3
1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,2 I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will execute judgment upon them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations: and they have parted my land,3 and have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.4 Yea, and what are ye to me, O Tyre, and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? will ye render me a recompense? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense upon your own head.5 Forasmuch as ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly precious things,6 and have sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem unto the sons of the Grecians, that ye may remove them far from their border;7 behold, I will stir them up out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompense upon your own head;8 and I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the men of Sheba, to a nation far off: for Jehovah hath spoken it.9 Proclaim ye this among the nations; prepare war; stir up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.11 Haste ye, and come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Jehovah.12 Let the nations bestir themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about.13 Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision.15 The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.16 And Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but Jehovah will be a refuge unto his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel.17 So shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God, dwelling in Zion my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall flow with waters; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and shall water the valley of Shittim.19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.20 But Judah shall abide for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.21 And I will cleanse their blood, that I have not cleansed: for Jehovah dwelleth in Zion.