The Prophet Joel

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- Chapter 3 -

For, behold, in those days and in that time, when I will have converted the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

I will gather all the Gentiles, and will lead them into the valley of Jehoshaphat. And there I will dispute with them over my people, and over Israel, my inheritance, for they have scattered them among the nations and have divided my land.(a)

And they have cast lots over my people; and the boy they have placed in the brothel, and the girl they have sold for wine, so that they might drink.

Truly, what is there between you and me, Tyre and Sidon and all the distant places of the Philistines? How will you take vengeance on me? And if you were to revenge yourselves against me, I would deliver a repayment to you, quickly and soon, upon your head.

For you have carried away my silver and gold. And my desirable and most beautiful, you have taken into your shrines.

And you, sons of Judah and sons of Jerusalem, you have sold the sons of the Greeks, so that you might drive them far from their own territory.

Behold, I will raise them up from the place into which you have sold them, and I will turn back your retribution on your own head.

And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a distant nation, for the Lord has spoken.(b)

Proclaim this among the Gentiles: “Sanctify a war, raise up the strong. Approach, ascend, all men of war.(c)

Cut your ploughs into swords and your hoes into spears. Let the weak say, ‘For I am strong.’

Break out and advance, all nations of the world, and gather together. There the Lord will cause all your strong ones to meet death.”(d)

Let them arise and ascend to the valley of Jehoshaphat. For there I will sit, so as to judge all the nations of the world.

Send forth the sickles, because the harvest has matured. Advance and descend, for the press is full, the pressing room is overflowing. For their malice has been increasing.

Nations, nations in the valley of being cut to pieces: for the day of the Lord fittingly takes place in the valley of being cut to pieces.(e)

The sun and the moon have been darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their splendor.

And the Lord will roar from Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem. And the heavens and the earth will be moved. And the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the sons of Israel.

Blessings for God’s People

And you will know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem will be holy, and strangers will not cross through it anymore.

And it will happen, in that day, that the mountains will drip sweetness, and the hills will flow with milk. And the waters will pass through all the rivers of Judah. And a fountain will go forth from the house of the Lord, and it will irrigate the desert of thorns.(f)

(g)

Egypt will be in desolation, and Edom will be a wilderness destroyed, because of what they have unfairly done to the sons of Judah, and because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

And Judea will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem for generation upon generation.(h)

And I will cleanse their blood, which I had not cleansed. And the Lord will remain in Zion.

Footnotes

(a)3:2 In this context, and in the Christian interpretation, ‘Gentes’ refers to secular society and to the nations, or that portion of any nation, that does not worship God devoutly.(Conte)

(b)3:8 In the above verses (3:6 and 3:8), note the use of the words ‘filios’ (sons) and ‘filias’ (daughters). A translation of ‘filios’ into ‘children’ is not justified because the text does use ‘daughters’ when daughters are being described. And although ‘filiis’ could be either first declension feminine plural or second declension masculine plural, the context makes the translation of ‘sons’ more likely than ‘daughters.’ Note that there is a different word in Latin (pueri) used to refer to children of both genders. Alternately, when specifying children of both genders, the text will sometimes use both ‘filios’ and ‘filias’ as in verse 3:8 above.(Conte)

(c)3:9 Yes, it actually says and means ‘sanctify a war,’ though some translations, not liking this meaning, obscure it with some alternate wording.(Conte)

(d)3:11 The word ‘circuitu’ refers to a revolution or a course or an area around something. It is also sometimes used in Latin to refer to the world or the heavens. In this context, and in the context of the Christian faith, it refers to the nations of the world.(Conte)

(e)3:14 Numerous translations have this as ‘the valley of decision.’ This is not at all what the Latin text says. The Douay-Rheims at least has it somewhat right as ‘the valley of destruction.’ More precisely, cutting right to the heart of the matter, the word ‘concisionis’ refers to cutting or dividing something into pieces. In verse 3:2, God complains ‘for they have scattered them among the nations and have divided my land.’ This verse also references the valley of Jehoshaphat. So, verse 14 gives us a play on words. They have scattered and divided, so now they will be divided into pieces. Also, ‘iuxta’ in this verse does not mean ‘near.’ It means ‘according to’ or ‘accordingly’ or ‘fittingly.’ In other words, they are cut to pieces according to the way that they have treated God’s people, scattering them and dividing their land.(Conte)

(f)3:18 In this case, the word ‘torrentem’ does not mean a torrent (as in a rushing stream or river), but instead refers to a dry, parched, scorched, or burning place, i.e. and arid land or a desert.(Conte)

(g)3:18 A fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, etc:Viz., the fountain of grace in the church militant, and of glory in the church triumphant: which shall water the torrent or valley of thorns, that is, the souls that before, like barren ground brought forth nothing but thorns; or that were afflicted with the thorns of crosses and tribulations.(Challoner)

(h)3:20 Judea--and Jerusalem:That is, the spiritual Jerusalem, viz., the church of Christ.(Challoner)

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

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,

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.

“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.

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

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.

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

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.”

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

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

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

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

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.”

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 are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

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.

Blessings for God’s People

“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.

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.

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.

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

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