New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 “At the time of those events,” says the LORD, “when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem,
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"In those days, yes, at that very time when I put life back together again for Judah and Jerusalem,
2 I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. 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.
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I'll assemble all the godless nations. I'll lead them down into Judgment Valley And put them all on trial, and judge them one and all because of their treatment of my own people Israel. They scattered my people all over the pagan world and grabbed my land for themselves.
3 They threw dice 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.
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They threw dice for my people and used them for barter. They would trade a boy for a whore, sell a girl for a bottle of wine when they wanted a drink.
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.
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"As for you, Tyre and Sidon and Philistia, why should I bother with you? Are you trying to get back at me for something I did to you? If you are, forget it. I'll see to it that it boomerangs on you.
5 You have taken my silver and gold and all my precious treasures, and have carried them off to your pagan temples.
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You robbed me, cleaned me out of silver and gold, carted off everything valuable to furnish your own temples.
6 You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, so they could take them far from their homeland.
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You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem into slavery to the Greeks in faraway places.
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.
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But I'm going to reverse your crime. I'm going to free those slaves. I'll have done to you what you did to them:
8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the people of Arabia, a nation far away. I, the LORD, have spoken!”
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I'll sell your children as slaves to your neighbors, And they'll sell them to the far-off Sabeans."
9 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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Announce this to the godless nations: Prepare for battle! Soldiers at attention! Present arms! Advance!
10 Hammer your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Train even your weaklings to be warriors.
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Turn your shovels into swords, turn your hoes into spears. Let the weak one throw out his chest and say, "I'm tough, I'm a fighter."
11 Come quickly, all you nations everywhere. Gather together in the valley.” And now, O LORD, call out your warriors!
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Hurry up, pagans! Wherever you are, get a move on! Get your act together. Prepare to be shattered by God!
12 “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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Let the pagan nations set out for Judgment Valley. There I'll take my place at the bench and judge all the surrounding nations.
13 Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread the grapes, for the winepress is full. The storage vats are overflowing with the wickedness of these people.”
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"Swing the sickle - the harvest is ready. Stomp on the grapes - the winepress is full. The wine vats are full, overflowing with vintage evil.
14 Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision. There the day of the LORD will soon arrive.
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"Mass confusion, mob uproar - in Decision Valley! God's Judgment Day has arrived in Decision Valley.
15 The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine.
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"The sky turns black, sun and moon go dark, stars burn out.
16 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.
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God roars from Zion, shouts from Jerusalem. Earth and sky quake in terror. But God is a safe hiding place, a granite safe house for the children of Israel.
17 “Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, live in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy forever, and foreign armies will never conquer her again.
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Then you'll know for sure that I'm your God, Living in Zion, my sacred mountain. Jerusalem will be a sacred city, posted: 'no trespassing.'
18 In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. Water will fill the streambeds of Judah, and a fountain will burst forth from the LORD ’s Temple, watering the arid valley of acacias.
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"What a day! Wine streaming off the mountains, Milk rivering out of the hills, water flowing everywhere in Judah, A fountain pouring out of God's Sanctuary, watering all the parks and gardens!
19 But Egypt will become a wasteland and Edom will become a wilderness, because they attacked the people of Judah and killed innocent people in their land.
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But Egypt will be reduced to weeds in a vacant lot, Edom turned into barren badlands, All because of brutalities to the Judean people, the atrocities and murders of helpless innocents.
20 “But Judah will be filled with people forever, and Jerusalem will endure through all generations.
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Meanwhile, Judah will be filled with people, Jerusalem inhabited forever.
21 I will pardon my people’s crimes, which I have not yet pardoned; and I, the LORD, will make my home in Jerusalem with my people.”
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The sins I haven't already forgiven, I'll forgive." God has moved into Zion for good.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.