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1 “At the time of those events,” says the Lord ,
“when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem,
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I will gather the armies of the world
into the valley of Jehoshaphat. 2
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.
3
They threw dice 3 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.
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. 5 You have taken my silver and gold and all my precious treasures, and have carried them off to your pagan temples. 6 You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, 4 so they could take them far from their homeland. 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. 8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the people of Arabia, 5 a nation far away. I, the Lord , have spoken!”
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Say to the nations far and wide:
“Get ready for war!
Call out your best warriors.
Let all your fighting men advance for the attack.
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Hammer your plowshares into swords
and your pruning hooks into spears.
Train even your weaklings to be warriors.
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Come quickly, all you nations everywhere.
Gather together in the valley.”
And now, O Lord , call out your warriors!
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“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.
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Swing the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe. 6
Come, tread the grapes,
for the winepress is full.
The storage vats are overflowing
with the wickedness of these people.”
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Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision.
There the day of the Lord will soon arrive.
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The sun and moon will grow dark,
and the stars will no longer shine.
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The 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.