The LORD Judges the Nations 1 ULT For behold, in those days and at that time, when I return the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, BSB BSB: “Yes, in those days and at that time, when I restore Judah and Jerusalem from captivity,
2 ULT then I will gather all of the nations, and I will bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will judge them there because of my people and my inheritance, Israel, whom they scattered among the nations, and they divided up my land. BSB BSB: I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My people, My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations as they divided up My land.
3 ULT And they cast the lot for my people, and they traded a boy for a prostitute, and they sold a girl for wine, and drank. BSB BSB: They cast lots for My people; they bartered a boy for a prostitute and sold a girl for wine to drink.
4 ULT And indeed, what{ are} you to me, Tyre, Sidon, and all of the regions of Philistia? Are you repaying a recompense to me? And if you are recompensing me, swiftly, speedily I will return your recompense upon your head, BSB BSB: Now what do you have against Me, O Tyre, Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you rendering against Me a recompense? If you retaliate against Me, I will swiftly and speedily return your recompense upon your heads.
5 ULT because you took my silver and my gold, and you brought my precious treasures into your temples. BSB BSB: For you took My silver and gold and carried off My finest treasures to your temples.
6 ULT And you sold the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem to the sons of Javan, in order to remove them far from their territory. BSB BSB: You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, to send them far from their homeland.
7 ULT Behold me rousing them from the place where you sold them there, and I will return your recompense onto your head. BSB BSB: Behold, I will rouse them from the places to which you sold them; I will return your recompense upon your heads.
8 ULT For I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a faraway nation.” For Yahweh has spoken. BSB BSB: I will sell your sons and daughters into the hands of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans—to a distant nation.” Indeed, the LORD has spoken.
9 ULT Proclaim this among the nations:“Consecrate a war! Rouse the warriors! May they approach: may all of the men of war come up. BSB BSB: Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the men of war advance and attack!
10 ULT Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say,‘I{ am} strong.’ BSB BSB: Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, ‘I am strong!’
11 ULT Hurry and come, all of you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there.” Yahweh, bring down your warriors! BSB BSB: Come quickly, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves. Bring down Your mighty ones, O LORD.
12 ULT “Let the nations rouse themselves and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will I sit to judge all of the surrounding nations. BSB BSB: Let the nations be roused and advance to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the nations on every side.
13 ULT Stretch out the sickle, for the harvest has ripened. Come, go down, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.” BSB BSB: Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because their wickedness is great.
14 ULT Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, for the day of Yahweh{ is} near in the valley of decision! BSB BSB: Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the Day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
15 ULT The sun and the moon become dark, and the stars withdraw their brightness. BSB BSB: The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine.
16 ULT Yahweh will roar from Zion, and from Jerusalem he will utter his voice, and the heavens and the earth will shake. But Yahweh{ will be} a shelter for his people and a stronghold for the sons of Israel. BSB BSB: The LORD will roar from Zion and raise His voice from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
Blessings for God’s People 17 ULT “Then you will know that I{ am} Yahweh your God living in Zion, the mountain of my holiness. And Jerusalem will be holy, and strangers will not pass through it again. BSB BSB: Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, My holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy, never again to be overrun by foreigners.
18 ULT And it will be on that day, the mountains will drip sweet wine, and the hills will flow{ with} milk, and all of the brooks of Judah will flow{ with} water, and a spring will go forth from the house of Yahweh and water the Valley of Shittim. BSB BSB: And in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the streams of Judah will run with water, and a spring will flow from the house of the LORD to water the Valley of Acacias.
19 ULT Egypt will become desolation, and Edom will become a desolate wilderness for the violence of the sons of Judah, that they shed innocent blood in their land. BSB BSB: Egypt will become desolate, and Edom a desert wasteland, because of the violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood.
20 ULT But Judah will dwell forever, and Jerusalem to generation and generation. BSB BSB: But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
21 ULT And I will acquit their blood{ that} I have not acquitted, for Yahweh{ is} dwelling in Zion.” BSB BSB: For I will avenge their blood, which I have not yet avenged.” For the LORD dwells in Zion.