Joel Chapter 3

1 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you.

2 And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of Jehovah your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you; and my people shall never be put to shame.

3 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Jehovah your God, and there is none else; and my people shall never be put to shame.

4 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

5 and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit.

6 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

7 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh.

8 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as Jehovah hath said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call.

9 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

10 I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will execute judgment upon them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations: and they have parted my land,

11 and have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.

12 Yea, and what are ye to me, O Tyre, and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? will ye render me a recompense? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense upon your own head.

13 Forasmuch as ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly precious things,

14 and have sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem unto the sons of the Grecians, that ye may remove them far from their border;

15 behold, I will stir them up out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompense upon your own head;

16 and I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the men of Sheba, to a nation far off: for Jehovah hath spoken it.

17 Proclaim ye this among the nations; prepare war; stir up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.

18 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

19 Haste ye, and come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Jehovah.

20 Let the nations bestir themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about.

21 Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

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

2 I will also gather all the nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of my people and mine inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations: and they have parted my land;

3 and they have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, and have drunk [it].

4 Yea also, what have ye to do with me, O Tyre and Zidon, and all the districts of Philistia? Will ye render me a recompence? But if ye recompense me, swiftly [and] speedily will I bring your recompence upon your own head;

5 because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my beautiful pleasant things,

6 and the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the children of the Greeks, that ye might remove them far from their border.

7 Behold, I will raise them up out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will bring your recompence upon your own head.

8 And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far off: for Jehovah hath spoken.

9 Proclaim this among the nations: prepare war, arouse the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.

10 Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-knives into spears; let the weak say, I am strong.

11 Haste ye and come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together. Thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Jehovah.

12 Let the nations rouse themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about.

13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down, for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Jehovah is at hand in the valley of decision.

15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

16 And Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: and Jehovah will be a shelter for his people, and the refuge of the children of Israel.

17 And ye shall know that I, Jehovah, [am] yourGod, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain; and Jerusalem shall be holy, and no strangers shall pass through her any more.

18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the water-courses of Judah shall flow with waters; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, in that they have shed innocent blood in their land.

20 But Judah shall abide for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

21 And I will purge them from the blood from which I had not purged them: for Jehovah dwelleth in Zion.

lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

2 And on my servants and on [my] handmaids in those days will I pour out of my Spirit.

3 And I will shew wonders in heaven, and upon the earth, blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke.

4 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord come.

5 And it shall come to pass [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved: for in mount Sion and in Jerusalem shall the saved one be as the Lord has said, and they that have glad tidings preached to them, whom the Lord has called.

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Quia ecce in diebus illis, et in tempore illo cum convertero captivitatem Iuda, et Ierusalem:

2 Congregabo omnes Gentes, et deducam eas in vallem Iosaphat: et disceptabo cum eis ibi super populo meo, et hereditate mea Israel, quos disperserunt in nationibus, et terram meam diviserunt.

3 Et super populum meum miserunt sortem: et posuerunt puerum in prostibulo, et puellam vendiderunt pro vino ut biberent.

4 Verum quid mihi et vobis Tyrus et Sidon, et omnis terminus Palæsthinorum? numquid ultionem vos reddetis mihi? et si ulciscimini vos contra me, cito velociter reddam vicissitudinem vobis super caput vestrum.

5 Argentum enim meum, et aurum tulistis: et desiderabilia mea, et pulcherrima intulistis in delubra vestra.

6 Et filios Iuda, et filios Ierusalem vendidistis filiis Græcorum, ut longe faceretis eos de finibus suis.

7 Ecce ego suscitabo eos de loco, in quo vendidistis eos: et convertam retributionem vestram in caput vestrum.

8 Et vendam filios vestros, et filias vestras in manibus filiorum Iuda, et venundabunt eos Sabæis genti longinquæ, quia Dominus locutus est.

9 Clamate hoc in Gentibus, sanctificate bellum, suscitate robustos: accedant, ascendant omnes viri bellatores.

10 Concidite aratra vestra in gladios, et ligones vestros in lanceas. Infirmus dicat: Quia fortis ego sum.

11 Erumpite, et venite omnes gentes de circuitu, et congregamini: ibi occumbere faciet Dominus robustos tuos.

12 Consurgant, et ascendant Gentes in vallem Iosaphat: quia ibi sedebo ut iudicem omnes gentes in circuitu.

13 Mittite falces, quoniam maturavit messis: venite, et descendite, quia plenum est torcular, exuberant torcularia: quia multiplicata est malitia eorum.

14 Populi populi in valle concisionis: quia iuxta est dies Domini in valle concisionis.

15 Sol et luna obtenebrati sunt, et stellæ retraxerunt splendorem suum.

16 Et Dominus de Sion rugiet, et de Ierusalem dabit vocem suam: et movebuntur cæli, et terra: et Dominus spes populi sui, et fortitudo filiorum Israel.

17 Et scietis quia ego Dominus Deus vester habitans in Sion monte sancto meo. et erit Ierusalem sancta, et alieni non transibunt per eam amplius.

18 Et erit in die illa: stillabunt montes dulcedinem, et colles fluent lacte: et per omnes rivos Iuda ibunt aquæ: et fons de domo Domini egredietur, et irrigabit torrentem spinarum.

19 Ægyptus in desolationem erit, et Idumæa in desertum perditionis: pro eo quod inique egerint in filios Iuda, et effuderint sanguinem innocentem in terra sua.

20 Et Iudæa in æternum habitabitur, et Ierusalem in generationem et generationem.

21 Et mundabo sanguinem eorum, quem non mundaveram: et Dominus commorabitur in Sion.

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

1 “For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will execute judgment on them there for my people, and for my heritage, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations. They have divided my land,

3 and have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.

4 “Yes, and what are you to me, Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Will you repay me? And if you repay me, I will swiftly and speedily return your repayment on your own head.

5 Because you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my finest treasures into your temples,

6 and have sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to the sons of the Greeks, that you may remove them far from their border.

7 Behold, I will stir them up out of the place where you have sold them, and will return your repayment on your own head;

8 and I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the children of Judah, and they will sell them to the men of Sheba, to a faraway nation, for the LORD has spoken it.”

9 Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Stir up the mighty men. Let all the warriors draw near. Let them come up.

10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’

11 Hurry and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves together.” Cause your mighty ones to come down there, LORD.

12 “Let the nations arouse themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.

13 Put in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.”

14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

15 The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

16 The LORD will roar from Zion, and thunder from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth will shake; but the LORD will be a refuge to his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel.

17 “So you will know that I am the LORD, your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain. Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no strangers will pass through her any more.

18 It will happen in that day, that the mountains will drop down sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, all the brooks of Judah will flow with waters; and a fountain will flow out from the LORD’s house, and will water the valley of Shittim.

19 Egypt will be a desolation and Edom will be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

20 But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

21 I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed, for the LORD dwells in Zion.”

ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8

1 For lo, in those days, and in that time, When I turn back <FI>to<Fi> the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 Then I have gathered all the nations, And caused them to go down unto the valley of Jehoshaphat, And I have been judged with them there, Concerning My people and Mine inheritance--Israel, Whom they scattered among nations, And My land they have apportioned.

3 And for My people they do cast a lot, And they give the young man for an harlot, And the young woman have sold for wine, That they may drink.

4 And also, what <FI>are<Fi> ye to Me, O Tyre and Zidon, And all circuits of Philistia? Recompence are ye rendering unto Me? And if ye are giving recompence to Me, Swiftly, hastily, I turn back your recompence on your head.

5 In that My silver and My gold ye took, And My desirable things that are good, Ye have brought in to your temples.

6 And sons of Judah, and sons of Jerusalem, Ye have sold to the sons of Javan, To put them far off from their border.

7 Lo, I am stirring them up out of the place Whither ye have sold them, And I have turned back your recompence on your head,

8 And have sold your sons and your daughters Into the hand of the sons of Judah, And they have sold them to Shabeans, Unto a nation far off, for Jehovah hath spoken.

9 Proclaim ye this among nations, Sanctify a war, stir up the mighty ones, Come nigh, come up, let all the men of war.

10 Beat your ploughshares to swords, And your pruning-hooks to javelins, Let the weak say, `I <FI>am<Fi> mighty.'

11 Haste, and come in, all ye nations round, And be gathered together, Thither cause to come down, O Jehovah, Thy mighty ones.

12 Wake and come up let the nations unto the valley of Jehoshaphat, For there I sit to judge all the nations around.

13 Send ye forth a sickle, For ripened hath harvest, Come in, come down, for filled hath been the press, Overflowed hath wine-presses, For great <FI>is<Fi> their wickedness.

14 Multitudes, multitudes <FI>are<Fi> in the valley of decision, For near <FI>is<Fi> the day of Jehovah in the valley of decision.

15 Sun and moon have been black, And stars have gathered up their shining.

16 And Jehovah from Zion doth roar, And from Jerusalem giveth forth His voice, And shaken have the heavens and earth, And Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> a refuge to his people, And a stronghold to sons of Israel.

17 And ye have known that I <FI>am<Fi> Jehovah your God, Dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain, And Jerusalem hath been holy, And strangers do not pass over into it again.

18 And it hath come to pass, in that day, Drop down do the mountains juice, And the hills do flow <FI>with<Fi> milk, And all streams of Judah do go <FI>with<Fi> water, And a fountain from the house of Jehovah goeth forth, And hath watered the valley of Shittim.

19 Egypt a desolation becometh, And Edom a desolation, a wilderness, becometh, For violence <FI>to<Fi> sons of Judah, Whose innocent blood they shed in their land.

20 And Judah to the age doth dwell, And Jerusalem to generation and generation.

21 And I have declared their blood innocent, <FI>That<Fi> I did not declare innocent, And Jehovah is dwelling in Zion!

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).