The LORD Judges the Nations

1For behold, in those days and in that time when I shall turn hack the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

2And I gathered all nations, and I brought them down to the valley of Jehoshophat, and I contended with them there for my people and mine inheritance Israel whom they scattered among the nations, and they divided the land.

3And for my people they cast the lot: and they will give the boy for a harlot, and they sold the girl for wine; and they will drink.

4And also what are ye to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the circuits of Philistia? do ye requite to me a recompense? and if ye recompense to me, swiftly and speedily I will turn back your recompense upon your head; 5For ye took my silver and my gold, and my delights of good things ye brought to your temples. 6And the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem ye sold to the sons of the Grecians, in order to remove them far off from their border. 7Behold me raising them up from the place where ye sold them there, and I turned back your recompense upon your head: 8And I sold your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they sold them to the Sabeans to a nation far off: for Jehovah spake.

9Call ye this among the nations: Consecrate war; rouse up the strong ones, they shall draw near, all the men of war shall come up.

10Beat your plough-shares into swords, and your pruning-knives into spears: the weak shall say, I am strong.

11Hasten and come all ye nations from round about, and be ye gathered together: there lead down, O Jehovah, thy strong ones.

12The nations shall be roused and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there I will sit to judge all the nations from round about.

13Send ye forth the sickle, for the harvest was ripened: come ye, go down, for the wine press was filled, the vats, overflowed; for their evil is great.

14Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of judgment: for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of judgment.

15The sun and the moon were darkened, and the stars took away their shining.

16And Jehovah shall cry out from Zion, and from Jerusalem he shall give his voice; and the heavens and the earth trembled: and Jehovah the refuge to his people, and the fortress to the sons of Israel.

Blessings for God’s People

17And ye knew that I am Jehovah your God dwelling in Zion my holy mountain: and Jerusalem was holy, and strangers shall no more pass through her.

18And it was in that day the mountains shall drop new wine, and the hills shall flow milk, and all the channels of Judah shall flow waters, and a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and it watered the valley of acacias.

19Egypt shall be for a desolation, and Edom shall be for a desert of desolation from violence to the sons of Judah, because they poured out innocent blood in their land.

20And Judah shall dwell forever, and Jerusalem to generation and generation.

21And I cleansed their blood I cleansed not: and Jehovah dwelt in Zion.