Joel 3:5-15

5 You robbed me, cleaned me out of silver and gold, carted off everything valuable to furnish your own temples.

6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem into slavery to the Greeks in faraway places.

7 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'll sell your children as slaves to your neighbors, And they'll sell them to the far-off Sabeans."

9 Announce this to the godless nations: Prepare for battle! Soldiers at attention! Present arms! Advance!

10 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 Hurry up, pagans! Wherever you are, get a move on! Get your act together. Prepare to be shattered by God!

12 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 - the harvest is ready. Stomp on the grapes - the winepress is full. The wine vats are full, overflowing with vintage evil.

14 "Mass confusion, mob uproar - in Decision Valley! God's Judgment Day has arrived in Decision Valley.

15 "The sky turns black, sun and moon go dark, stars burn out.

Joel 3:5-15 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.