Study Desk

Then the Lord was jealous^(bg) for his land and took pity^(bh) on his people.

The Lord replied^[a] to them: "I am sending you grain, new wine^(bi) and olive oil,^(bj) enough to satisfy you fully;^(bk) never again will I make you an object of scorn^(bl) to the nations.

"I will drive the northern horde^(bm) far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land; its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea. And its stench^(bn) will go up; its smell will rise." Surely he has done great things!

Do not be afraid,^(bo) land of Judah; be glad and rejoice.^(bp) Surely the Lord has done great things!^(bq)

Do not be afraid, you wild animals, for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.^(br) The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree^(bs) and the vine^(bt) yield their riches.^(bu)

Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice^(bv) in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful.^(bw) He sends you abundant showers,^(bx) both autumn^(by) and spring rains,^(bz) as before.

The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow^(ca) with new wine^(cb) and oil.

"I will repay you for the years the locusts^(cc) have eaten^(cd)— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm^[b]— my great army^(ce) that I sent among you.

You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,^(cf) and you will praise^(cg) the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders^(ch) for you; never again will my people be shamed.^(ci)

Then you will know^(cj) that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord ^(ck) your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.^(cl)

"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit^(cm) on all people.^(cn) Your sons and daughters will prophesy,^(co) your old men will dream dreams,^(cp) your young men will see visions.

Even on my servants,^(cq) both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.^(cr)

I will show wonders in the heavens^(cs) and on the earth,^(ct) blood and fire and billows of smoke.

The sun will be turned to darkness^(cu) and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord .^(cv)

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord ^(cw) will be saved;^(cx) for on Mount Zion^(cy) and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance,^(cz) as the Lord has said, even among the survivors^(da) whom the Lord calls.^[c](db)

^[a]"In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes^(a) of Judah^(b) and Jerusalem,

I will gather^(c) all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.^[b](d) There I will put them on trial^(e) for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered^(f) my people among the nations and divided up my land.

They cast lots^(g) for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine^(h) to drink.

"Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon⁽ⁱ⁾ and all you regions of Philistia?^(j) Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done.^(k)

For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.^[c](l)

You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks,^(m) that you might send them far from their homeland.

"See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them,⁽ⁿ⁾ and I will return^(o) on your own heads what you have done.

I will sell your sons^(p) and daughters to the people of Judah,^(q) and they will sell them to the Sabeans,^(r) a nation far away." The Lord has spoken.^(s)

Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war!^(t) Rouse the warriors!^(u) Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.

Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks^(v) into spears.^(w) Let the weakling^(x) say, "I am strong!"^(y)

Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble^(z) there. Bring down your warriors,^(aa) Lord !

"Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,^(ab) for there I will sit to judge^(ac) all the nations on every side.

Swing the sickle,^(ad) for the harvest^(ae) is ripe. Come, trample the grapes,^(af) for the winepress^(ag) is full and the vats overflow— so great is their wickedness!"

Multitudes,^(ah) multitudes in the valley^(ai) of decision! For the day of the Lord ^(aj) is near in the valley of decision.^(ak)

The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine.^(al)

The Lord will roar^(am) from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem;^(an) the earth and the heavens will tremble.^(ao) But the Lord will be a refuge^(ap) for his people, a stronghold^(aq) for the people of Israel.

"Then you will know^(ar) that I, the Lord your God,^(as) dwell in Zion,^(at) my holy hill.^(au) Jerusalem will be holy;^(av) never again will foreigners invade her.^(aw)

"In that day the mountains will drip new wine,^(ax) and the hills will flow with milk;^(ay) all the ravines of Judah will run with water.^(az) A fountain will flow out of the Lord 's house^(ba) and will water the valley of acacias.^[d](bb)

But Egypt^(bc) will be desolate, Edom^(bd) a desert waste, because of violence^(be) done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood.

Judah will be inhabited forever^(bf) and Jerusalem through all generations.

Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?^(bg) No, I will not.^(bh)" The Lord dwells in Zion!^(bi)