New King James Version

King James Bible

God Judges the Nations

“For behold, in those days and at that time,
When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,

1

The Lord Judges the Nations

For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

2

I will also gather all nations,
And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
And I will 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.

2

I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

3

They have cast lots for My people,
Have given a boy as payment for a harlot,
And sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.

3

And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

4

“Indeed, what have you to do with Me,
O Tyre and Sidon, and all the coasts of Philistia?
Will you [a]retaliate against Me?
But if you [b]retaliate against Me,
Swiftly and speedily I will return your [c]retaliation upon your own head;

4

Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;

5

Because you have taken My silver and My gold,
And have carried into your temples My [d]prized possessions.

5

Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:

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.

6

The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.

7

“Behold, I will raise them
Out of the place to which you have sold them,
And will return your [e]retaliation upon your own head.

7

Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence 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 Sabeans,[f]
To a people far off;
For the Lord has spoken.”

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 Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken it.

9

Proclaim this among the nations:
“Prepare for war!
Wake up the mighty men,
Let all the men of war draw near,
Let them come up.

9

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

10

Beat your plowshares into swords
And your [g]pruning hooks into spears;
Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ ”

10

Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

11

Assemble and come, all you nations,
And gather together all around.
Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord.

11

Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.

12

“Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.

12

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.

13

Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.
Come, go down;
For the winepress is full,
The vats overflow —
For their wickedness is great.”

13

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.

14

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

14

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

15

The sun and moon will grow dark,
And the stars will diminish their brightness.

15

The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

16

The Lord also will roar from Zion,
And utter His voice from Jerusalem;
The heavens and earth will shake;
But the Lord will be a shelter for His people,
And the strength of the children of Israel.

16

The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of 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 holy mountain.
Then Jerusalem shall be holy,
And no aliens shall ever pass through her again.”

17

Blessings for God's People

So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

18

God Blesses His People

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 fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord
And water the Valley of [h]Acacias.

18

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

19

“Egypt shall be a desolation,
And Edom a desolate wilderness,
Because of violence against the people of Judah,
For they have shed innocent blood in their land.

19

Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

20

But Judah shall abide forever,
And Jerusalem from generation to generation.

20

But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

21

For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted;
For the Lord dwells in Zion.”

21

For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.

Parallel

New King James Version

King James Bible

Joel 3

Joel 3