Joel

¹ when I put life back together again for Judah and Jerusalem,

² I'll lead them down into Judgment Valley And put them all on trial, and judge them one and all because of their treatment of my own people Israel. They scattered my people all over the pagan world and grabbed my land for themselves.

³ and used them for barter. They would trade a boy for a whore, sell a girl for a bottle of wine when they wanted a drink.

⁴ why should I bother with you? Are you trying to get back at me for something I did to you? If you are, forget it. I'll see to it that it boomerangs on you.

⁵ carted off everything valuable to furnish your own temples.

⁶ into slavery to the Greeks in faraway places.

⁷ I'm going to free those slaves. I'll have done to you what you did to them:

⁸ And they'll sell them to the far-off Sabeans." God's Verdict.

⁹ Prepare for battle! Soldiers at attention! Present arms! Advance!

¹⁰ turn your hoes into spears. Let the weak one throw out his chest and say, "I'm tough, I'm a fighter."

¹¹ Get your act together. Prepare to be shattered by God!

¹² for Judgment Valley. There I'll take my place at the bench and judge all the surrounding nations.

¹³ the harvest is ready. Stomp on the grapes— the winepress is full. The wine vats are full, overflowing with vintage evil.

¹⁴ in Decision Valley! God's Judgment Day has arrived in Decision Valley.

¹⁵ sun and moon go dark, stars burn out.

¹⁶ Earth and sky quake in terror. But God is a safe hiding place, a granite safe house for the children of Israel.

¹⁷ that I'm your God, Living in Zion, my sacred mountain. Jerusalem will be a sacred city, posted: 'no trespassing.'

¹⁸ Wine streaming off the mountains, Milk rivering out of the hills, water flowing everywhere in Judah, A fountain pouring out of God's Sanctuary, watering all the parks and gardens!

¹⁹ Edom turned into barren badlands, All because of brutalities to the Judean people, the atrocities and murders of helpless innocents.

²⁰ Jerusalem inhabited forever.

²¹ God has moved into Zion for good.