Joel 3:1-11

1 "In those days and at that time, when I will make things better for Judah and Jerusalem,
2 I will gather all the nations together and bring them down into the Valley Where the Lord Judges. There I will judge them, because those nations scattered my own people Israel and forced them to live in other nations. They divided up my land
3 and threw lots for my people. They traded boys for prostitutes, and they sold girls to buy wine to drink.
4 "Tyre and Sidon and all of you regions of Philistia! What did you have against me? Were you punishing me for something I did, or were you doing something to hurt me? I will very quickly do to you what you have done to me.
5 You took my silver and gold, and you put my precious treasures in your temples.
6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks so that you could send them far from their land.
7 "You sent my people to that faraway place, but I will get them and bring them back, and I will do to you 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 far away." The Lord said this.
9 Announce this among the nations: Prepare for war! Wake up the soldiers! Let all the men of war come near and attack.
10 Make swords from your plows, and make spears from your hooks for trimming trees. Let even the weak person say, "I am a soldier."
11 All of you nations, hurry, and come together in that place. Lord, send your soldiers to gather the nations.

Joel 3:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOEL 3

This chapter, which some make the fourth, contains a prophecy of God's judgments on all the antichristian nations at the time of the Jews' conversion, and the reasons of them, Joe 3:1-3; a threatening of Tyre and Zidon, by way of retaliation, for carrying the riches of the Jews into their temples, and selling their persons to the Greeks, Joe 3:4-8; an alarm to prepare for the battle of Armageddon, or the destruction that shall be made in the valley of Jehoshaphat, Joe 3:9-15; and after that an account of the happy state of the church of Christ, their safety and security, plenty, prosperity, and purity, to the end of the world, Joe 3:16-21.

Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.