Chapter 3

For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again^{55 7725 4} the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

I will also gather¹⁴ all nations, and will bring them down⁵² into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead⁸ with them there for my people and [for] my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered¹⁴ among the nations, and parted¹⁴ my land.

And they have cast¹ lots for my people; and have given⁴ a boy for an harlot,⁶ and sold¹ a girl for wine, that they might drink.⁴

Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render¹⁸ me a recompence? and if ye recompense⁶ me, swiftly [and] speedily will I return⁵⁵ your recompence upon your own head;

Because ye have taken¹ my silver and my gold, and have carried⁵² into your temples my goodly pleasant things:

The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold¹ unto the Grecians, ¹¹²¹ that ye might remove them far⁵³ from their border.

Behold, I will raise⁵⁶ them out of the place whither ye have sold¹ them, and will return⁵² your recompence upon your own head:

And I will sell¹ your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell¹ them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken¹⁴ [it].

Proclaim³ ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare¹⁶ war, wake up⁵⁴ the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near;⁴ let them come up:⁴

Beat³ your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say,⁴ I [am] strong.

Assemble³ yourselves, and come,³ all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together⁸ round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down,⁵⁴ O LORD.

Let the heathen be wakened,¹¹ and come up⁴ to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit⁴ to judge² all the heathen round about.

Put³ ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe:¹ come,³ get you down;³ for the press is full,¹ the fats overflow;⁵² for their wickedness [is] great.

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD [is] near in the valley of decision.

The sun and the moon shall be darkened,¹ and the stars shall withdraw¹ their shining.

The LORD also shall roar⁴ out of Zion, and utter⁴ his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake:¹ but the LORD [will be] the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

So shall ye know¹ that I [am] the LORD your God dwelling⁶ in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers⁵ pass⁴ through her any more.

And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the mountains shall drop⁴ down new wine, and the hills shall flow⁴ with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow⁴ with waters, and a fountain shall come forth⁴ of the house of the LORD, and shall water⁵² the valley of Shittim.

Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence [against] the children of Judah, because they have shed¹ innocent blood in their land.

But Judah shall dwell⁴ for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

For I will cleanse¹⁴ their blood [that] I have not cleansed:¹⁴ for the LORD dwelleth⁶ in Zion.