God Will Judge the Nations (JOL 3:1-15)

[3:1] The Lord says, “At that time I will restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem.

[3:2] I will gather all the nations and bring them to the Valley of Judgment. There I will judge them for all they have done to my people. They have scattered the Israelites in foreign countries and divided Israel, my land.

[3:3] They threw dice to decide who would get the captives. They sold boys and girls into slavery to pay for prostitutes and wine.

[3:4] “What are you trying to do to me, Tyre, Sidon, and all of Philistia? Are you trying to pay me back for something? If you are, I will quickly pay you back!

[3:5] You have taken my silver and gold and carried my rich treasures into your temples.

[3:6] You have taken the people of Judah and Jerusalem far from their own country and sold them to the Greeks.

[3:7] Now I am going to bring them out of the places to which you have sold them. I will do to you what you have done to them.

[3:8] I will let your sons and daughters be sold to the people of Judah; they will sell them to the far-off Sabeans. I, the Lord, have spoken.

[3:9] “Make this announcement among the nations: ‘Prepare for war; call your warriors; gather all your soldiers and march!

[3:10] Hammer the points of your plows into swords and your pruning knives into spears. Even the weak must fight.

[3:11] Hurry and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather in the valley.’” Send down, O Lord, your army to attack them!

[3:12] “The nations must get ready and come to the Valley of Judgment. There I, the Lord, will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.

[3:13] They are very wicked; cut them down like grain at harvest time; crush them as grapes are crushed in a full wine press until the wine runs over.”

[3:14] Thousands and thousands are in the Valley of Judgment. It is there that the day of the Lord will soon come.

[3:15] The sun and the moon grow dark, and the stars no longer shine.

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