The LORD Judges the Nations 1 WBS For behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again 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 WBS 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 divided 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 WBS And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink. BSB BSB: They cast lots for My people; they bartered a boy for a prostitute and sold a girl for wine to drink.
4 WBS Yes, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompense? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily I will return your recompense upon your own 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 WBS Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things. BSB BSB: For you took My silver and gold and carried off My finest treasures to your temples.
6 WBS The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold to the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border. BSB BSB: You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, to send them far from their homeland.
7 WBS Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompense upon your own 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 WBS 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 . 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 WBS 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: BSB BSB: Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the men of war advance and attack!
10 WBS Beat your plow-shares 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 WBS Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together around: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. BSB BSB: Come quickly, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves. Bring down Your mighty ones, O LORD.
12 WBS Let the heathen be awakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen on every side. 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 WBS Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, go down; for the press 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 WBS Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of the LORD 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 WBS The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. BSB BSB: The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine.
16 WBS The LORD also will 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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 from the house of the LORD, and shall 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. BSB BSB: But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
21 WBS For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion. BSB BSB: For I will avenge their blood, which I have not yet avenged.” For the LORD dwells in Zion.