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Joel 3
Expanded Bible
Joel 3
Expanded Bible
Punishment for Judah’s Enemies
3 “[L For look/T behold] In those days and at that time,
when I will ·make things better for [restore the fortunes of; or return the exiles/captives of] Judah and Jerusalem,
2 I will gather all the nations together
and bring them down into the Valley ·Where the Lord Judges [L of Jehoshaphat; C Jehoshaphat means “the Lord judges”].
There I will ·judge [enter into judgment against] them,
because those nations scattered my ·own people [L people, my heritage] Israel
·and forced them to live in other [L among the] nations.
They divided up my land
3 and ·threw [T cast] lots for my people.
They traded boys for prostitutes,
and they sold girls to buy wine to ·drink [get drunk].
4 “Tyre and Sidon and all of you regions of Philistia! What did you have against me? Were you ·punishing me [paying me back; taking vengeance] for something I did, ·or were you doing something to hurt me? [or If you were trying to pay me back,] I will very quickly ·do to you [L return on your heads] what you have done to me. 5 You took my silver and gold, and you put my ·precious [costly; rich; prized] treasures in your ·temples [or palaces]. 6 You sold the ·people [sons; descendants] of Judah and Jerusalem to the [L sons/descendants of the] Greeks so that you could ·send [remove] them far from their ·land [L border].
7 “[L Look; T Behold] You sent my people to that faraway place, but I will ·get them [rouse them; stir them up] and bring them back, and I will ·do to you [L return on your heads] what you have done to them. 8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabean people [C Arab merchants from the southeast; Job 1:15] far away.” The Lord said this.
God Judges the Nations
9 ·Announce [Proclaim] this among the nations:
Prepare for war!
·Wake up [Rouse; Call out] the ·soldiers [warriors; mighty men]!
Let all the men of war come near and attack.
10 ·Make swords from your plows [T Beat your plowshares into swords],
and make spears from your ·hooks for trimming trees [pruning hooks; C the opposite of Is. 2:4].
Let even the weak person say,
“I am ·a soldier [a warrior; or strong].”
11 All of you nations, hurry,
and ·come together [assemble] in that place.
Lord, ·send your soldiers
to gather the nations [L bring down your warriors].
12 “·Wake up, nations [or Let the nations be roused],
and come ·to attack in [up to] the Valley ·Where the Lord Judges [L of Jehoshaphat; v. 2].
There I will sit to judge
all the nations on every side.
13 Swing the ·cutting tool [sickle],
because the harvest is ripe.
Come, ·walk on them as you would walk on grapes to get their juice [L trample the grapes],
because the winepress is full
and the ·barrels [vats] are ·spilling over [overflowing],
because ·these people are so evil [their wickedness/evil is great]!”
14 ·There are huge numbers of people [L Multitudes, multitudes]
in the Valley of Decision [C the place of the Lord’s verdict against the nations; vv. 2, 12],
because the ·Lord’s day of judging [L day of the Lord; 1:15] is near
in the Valley of Decision.
15 The sun and the moon will become dark,
and the stars will ·stop shining [L withhold their brightness; 2:10].
16 The Lord ·will roar like a lion from Jerusalem [L roars from Zion];
his loud voice will thunder from ·that city [L Jerusalem],
and the ·sky [heavens] and the earth will shake.
But the Lord will be a ·safe place [refuge] for his people,
a ·strong place of safety [stronghold] for the ·people [L sons; T children] of Israel.
17 “Then you will know that I, the Lord your God,
live on my holy Mount Zion.
Jerusalem will be a holy place,
and ·strangers [foreigners] will never even go through it again [C as invaders].
A New Life Promised for Judah
18 “On that day ·wine [sweet/new wine] will drip from the mountains,
milk will flow from the hills [C symbols of bounty and prosperity],
and water will run through all the ·ravines [streambeds] of Judah.
A fountain will flow from the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord
and give water to the valley of ·acacia trees [L Shittim; C perhaps a proper name; Num. 25:1].
19 But Egypt will ·become empty [be desolate],
and Edom an ·empty desert [deserted wilderness],
because ·they were cruel [of their violence] to the ·people [L sons; descendants] of Judah.
They ·killed innocent people [L shed innocent blood] in that land.
20 But ·there will always be people living in Judah [Judah will be inhabited forever],
and ·people will live in Jerusalem from now on [L Jerusalem from generation to generation].
21 ·Egypt and Edom killed my people,
so I will definitely punish them [L I will avenge/punish their blood, which I have not yet avenged/punished].”
The Lord ·lives [dwells] in Jerusalem!
Joel 3
New International Version
Joel 3
New International Version
The Nations Judged
3 [a]“In those days and at that time,
when I restore the fortunes(A) of Judah(B) and Jerusalem,
2 I will gather(C) all nations
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.[b](D)
There I will put them on trial(E)
for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,
because they scattered(F) my people among the nations
and divided up my land.
3 They cast lots(G) for my people
and traded boys for prostitutes;
they sold girls for wine(H) to drink.
4 “Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon(I) and all you regions of Philistia?(J) Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done.(K) 5 For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.[c](L) 6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks,(M) that you might send them far from their homeland.
7 “See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them,(N) and I will return(O) on your own heads what you have done. 8 I will sell your sons(P) and daughters to the people of Judah,(Q) and they will sell them to the Sabeans,(R) a nation far away.” The Lord has spoken.(S)
9 Proclaim this among the nations:
Prepare for war!(T)
Rouse the warriors!(U)
Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords
and your pruning hooks(V) into spears.(W)
Let the weakling(X) say,
“I am strong!”(Y)
11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
and assemble(Z) there.
Bring down your warriors,(AA) Lord!
12 “Let the nations be roused;
let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,(AB)
for there I will sit
to judge(AC) all the nations on every side.
13 Swing the sickle,(AD)
for the harvest(AE) is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,(AF)
for the winepress(AG) is full
and the vats overflow—
so great is their wickedness!”
14 Multitudes,(AH) multitudes
in the valley(AI) of decision!
For the day of the Lord(AJ) is near
in the valley of decision.(AK)
15 The sun and moon will be darkened,
and the stars no longer shine.(AL)
16 The Lord will roar(AM) from Zion
and thunder from Jerusalem;(AN)
the earth and the heavens will tremble.(AO)
But the Lord will be a refuge(AP) for his people,
a stronghold(AQ) for the people of Israel.
Blessings for God’s People
17 “Then you will know(AR) that I, the Lord your God,(AS)
dwell in Zion,(AT) my holy hill.(AU)
Jerusalem will be holy;(AV)
never again will foreigners invade her.(AW)
18 “In that day the mountains will drip new wine,(AX)
and the hills will flow with milk;(AY)
all the ravines of Judah will run with water.(AZ)
A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house(BA)
and will water the valley of acacias.[d](BB)
19 But Egypt(BC) will be desolate,
Edom(BD) a desert waste,
because of violence(BE) done to the people of Judah,
in whose land they shed innocent blood.
20 Judah will be inhabited forever(BF)
and Jerusalem through all generations.
21 Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?(BG)
No, I will not.(BH)”
The Lord dwells in Zion!(BI)
Expanded Bible (EXB)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.