1 “For behold, ain those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,
2aI will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I bwill enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land.
3 They have acast lots for My people, Have given a boy aspayment for a harlot, And sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.
4 “Indeed, what have you to do with Me, aO Tyre and Sidon, and all the coasts of Philistia? Will you1 retaliate against Me? But if you1 retaliate against Me, Swiftly and speedily I will return your1 retaliation upon your own head;
5 Because you have taken My silver and My gold, And have carried into your temples My1 prized possessions.
6 Also the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem You have sold to the Greeks, That you may remove them far from their borders.
7 “Behold, aI will raise them Out of the place to which you have sold them, And will return your1 retaliation upon your own head.
8 I will sell your sons and your daughters Into the hand of the people of Judah, And they will sell them to the aSabeans, To a people bfar off; For the Lord has spoken.”
9aProclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up.
10aBeat your plowshares into swords And your1 pruning hooks into spears; bLet the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ ”
11 Assemble and come, all you nations, And gather together all around. Cause aYour mighty ones to go down there, O Lord.
12 “Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to ajudge all the surrounding nations.
13aPut in the sickle, for bthe harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the cwinepress is full, The vats overflow— For their wickedness is great.”
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For athe day of the Lordis near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness.
16 The Lord also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; aBut the Lord will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.
17 “So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, Dwelling in Zion My aholy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, And no aliens shall ever pass through her again.”
God Blesses His People
18 And it will come to pass in that day That the mountains shall drip with new wine, The hills shall flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water; A afountain shall flow from the house of the Lord And water the Valley of1 Acacias.
GOD'S VENGEANCE ON ISRAEL'S FOES IN THE VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT. HIS BLESSING ON THE CHURCH. (Joel 3:1-21)
bring again the captivity—that is, reverse it. The Jews restrict this to the return from Babylon. Christians refer it to the coming of Christ. But the prophet comprises the whole redemption, beginning from the return out of Babylon, then continued from the first advent of Christ down to the last day (His second advent), when God will restore His Church to perfect felicity [CALVIN].
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Joel 3:1:
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