New Living Translation | NET Bible |
1 “At the time of those events,” says the LORD, “when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem, | 1For look! In those days and at that time I will return the exiles to Judah and Jerusalem. |
2I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land. | 2Then I will gather all the nations, and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment against them there concerning my people Israel who are my inheritance, whom they scattered among the nations. They partitioned my land, |
3They threw dice to decide which of my people would be their slaves. They traded boys to obtain prostitutes and sold girls for enough wine to get drunk. | 3and they cast lots for my people. They traded a boy for a prostitute; they sold a little girl for wine so they could drink. |
4“What do you have against me, Tyre and Sidon and you cities of Philistia? Are you trying to take revenge on me? If you are, then watch out! I will strike swiftly and pay you back for everything you have done. | 4Why are you doing these things to me, Tyre and Sidon? Are you trying to get even with me, land of Philistia? I will very quickly repay you for what you have done! |
5You have taken my silver and gold and all my precious treasures, and have carried them off to your pagan temples. | 5For you took my silver and my gold and brought my precious valuables to your own palaces. |
6You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, so they could take them far from their homeland. | 6You sold Judeans and Jerusalemites to the Greeks, removing them far from their own country. |
7“But I will bring them back from all the places to which you sold them, and I will pay you back for everything you have done. | 7Look! I am rousing them from that place to which you sold them. I will repay you for what you have done! |
8I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the people of Arabia, a nation far away. I, the LORD, have spoken!” | 8I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah. They will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away. Indeed, the LORD has spoken! |
9Say to the nations far and wide: “Get ready for war! Call out your best warriors. Let all your fighting men advance for the attack. | 9Proclaim this among the nations: "Prepare for a holy war! Call out the warriors! Let all these fighting men approach and attack! |
10Hammer your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Train even your weaklings to be warriors. | 10Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears! Let the weak say, 'I too am a warrior!' |
11Come quickly, all you nations everywhere. Gather together in the valley.” And now, O LORD, call out your warriors! | 11Lend your aid and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves to that place." Bring down, O LORD, your warriors! |
12“Let the nations be called to arms. Let them march to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I, the LORD, will sit to pronounce judgment on them all. | 12Let the nations be roused and let them go up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit in judgment on all the surrounding nations. |
13Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread the grapes, for the winepress is full. The storage vats are overflowing with the wickedness of these people.” | 13Rush forth with the sickle, for the harvest is ripe! Come, stomp the grapes, for the winepress is full! The vats overflow. Indeed, their evil is great! |
14Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision. There the day of the LORD will soon arrive. | 14Crowds, great crowds are in the valley of decision, for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision! |
15The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine. | 15The sun and moon are darkened; the stars withhold their brightness. |
16The LORD’s voice will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth will shake. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a strong fortress for the people of Israel. Blessings for God’s People | 16The LORD roars from Zion; from Jerusalem his voice bellows out. The heavens and the earth shake. But the LORD is a refuge for his people; he is a stronghold for the citizens of Israel. |
17“Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, live in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy forever, and foreign armies will never conquer her again. | 17You will be convinced that I the LORD am your God, dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy--conquering armies will no longer pass through it. |
18In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. Water will fill the streambeds of Judah, and a fountain will burst forth from the LORD’s Temple, watering the arid valley of acacias. | 18On that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the dry stream beds of Judah will flow with water. A spring will flow out from the temple of the LORD, watering the Valley of Acacia Trees. |
19But Egypt will become a wasteland and Edom will become a wilderness, because they attacked the people of Judah and killed innocent people in their land. | 19Egypt will be desolate and Edom will be a desolate wilderness, because of the violence they did to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood. |
20“But Judah will be filled with people forever, and Jerusalem will endure through all generations. | 20But Judah will reside securely forever, and Jerusalem will be secure from one generation to the next. |
21I will pardon my people’s crimes, which I have not yet pardoned; and I, the LORD, will make my home in Jerusalem with my people.” | 21I will avenge their blood which I had not previously acquitted. It is the LORD who dwells in Zion! |
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