The Lord Judges the Nations

Joel 3

1 1 "For behold, i in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 j I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And k I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, 3 and l have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it.

4 "What are you to me, m O Tyre and Sidon, and all n the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, o I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily. 5 For p you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples. 2 6 You have sold q the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their own border. 7 Behold, I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and o I will return your payment on 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 r Sabeans, to a nation far away, for the Lord has spoken."

9 Proclaim this among the nations:
s Consecrate for war; 3
stir up the mighty men.
Let all the men of war draw near;
let them come up.
 10 t Beat your plowshares into swords,
and t your pruning hooks into spears;
let the weak say, "I am a warrior."

11 u Hasten and come,
all you surrounding nations,
and gather yourselves there.
v Bring down your warriors, O Lord.
 12 Let the nations stir themselves up
and come up to w the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
x for there I will sit to judge
all the surrounding nations.

13 y Put in the sickle,
z for the harvest is ripe.
a Go in, tread,
a for the winepress is full.
The vats overflow,
for their evil is great.

14 Multitudes, multitudes,
in the valley of decision!
For b the day of the Lord is near
in the valley of decision.
 15 c The sun and the moon are darkened,
and the stars withdraw their shining.

16 d The Lord roars from Zion,
and d utters his voice from Jerusalem,
e and the heavens and the earth quake.
But the Lord is f a refuge to his people,
a stronghold to the people of Israel.

  1. Cross References
    Jeremiah 30:3
    For behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.
  2. Cross References
    Zephaniah 3:8
    Therefore wait for me," declares the Lord, "for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed.
    Zechariah 14:2 - 4
    For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
  3. Cross References
    Isaiah 66:16
    For by fire will the Lord enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the Lord shall be many.
    Jeremiah 25:31
    The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against the nations; he is entering into judgment with all flesh, and the wicked he will put to the sword, declares the Lord.
  4. Cross References
    Obadiah 1:11
    On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.
    Nahum 3:10
    Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity; her infants were dashed in pieces at the head of every street; for her honored men lots were cast, and all her great men were bound in chains.
  5. Cross References
    Isaiah 23:1 - 2
    The oracle concerning Tyre. Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor! From the land of Cyprus it is revealed to them.
    Jeremiah 47:4
    Because of the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remains. For the Lord is destroying the Philistines, the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor.
    Amos 1:9
    Thus says the Lord : "For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they delivered up a whole people to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.
  6. Cross References
    Ezekiel 25:15 - 16
    Thus says the Lord God : Because the Philistines acted revengefully and took vengeance with malice of soul to destroy in never-ending enmity.
  7. Cross References
    Obadiah 1:15
    For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.
  8. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 21:16 - 17
    And the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the anger of the Philistines and of the Arabians who are near the Ethiopians.
  9. Cross References
    Joel 3:3
    And have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it.
  10. Cross References
    Joel 3:4
    What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily.
  11. Cross References
    1 Kings 10:1
    Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.
  12. Cross References
    Micah 3:5
    Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry "Peace" when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths.
  13. Cross References
    Isaiah 2:4
    He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
  14. Cross References
    Isaiah 2:4
    He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
  15. Cross References
    Isaiah 54:15
    If anyone stirs up strife, it is not from me; whoever stirs up strife with you shall fall because of you.
  16. Cross References
    Zechariah 14:5
    And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
  17. Cross References
    Joel 3:2
    I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land.
  18. Cross References
    Psalms 96:13
    Before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to ...
    Psalms 98:9
    Before the Lord, for he comes to judge the eart...
    Psalms 110:6
    He will execute judgment among the nations, fil...
    Isaiah 2:4
    He shall judge between the nations, and shall d...
    Isaiah 3:13
    The Lord has taken his place to contend; he sta...
    Micah 4:3
    He shall judge between many peoples, and shall ...
  19. Cross References
    Revelation 14:15
    And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.
  20. Cross References
    Jeremiah 51:33
    For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Isr...
    Hosea 6:11
    For you also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed, ...
    Matthew 13:30
    Let both grow together until the harvest, and a...
    Matthew 13:39
    And the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The ...
    Mark 4:29
    But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in ...
    John 4:35
    Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, the...
    Revelation 14:15
    And another angel came out of the temple, calli...
    Revelation 14:18
    And another angel came out from the altar, the ...
  21. Cross References
    Revelation 14:20
    And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.
    Isaiah 63:2 - 3
    Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?
  22. Cross References
    Revelation 14:20
    And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.
    Isaiah 63:2 - 3
    Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?
  23. Cross References
    Joel 1:15
    Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.
  24. Cross References
    Joel 2:10
    The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
  25. Cross References
    Joel 2:11
    The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it?
    Amos 1:2
    And he said: "The Lord roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers.
    Jeremiah 25:30
    You, therefore, shall prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: "'The Lord will roar from on high, and from his holy habitation utter his voice; he will roar mightily against his fold, and shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
  26. Cross References
    Joel 2:11
    The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it?
    Amos 1:2
    And he said: "The Lord roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers.
    Jeremiah 25:30
    You, therefore, shall prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: "'The Lord will roar from on high, and from his holy habitation utter his voice; he will roar mightily against his fold, and shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
  27. Cross References
    Joel 2:10
    The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
  28. Cross References
    Isaiah 4:6
    There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.
    Isaiah 25:4
    For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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