New International Reader's Version

Joel 3:13-20 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

13. My soldiers, swing your sickles. The nations are ripe for harvest. Come. Stomp on them as if they were grapes. Crush them until the winepress of my anger is full. Do it until the wine spills over from the places where it is stored. The nations have committed far too many sins!"

14. Huge numbers of soldiers are gathered in the valley where the Lord will hand down his sentence. The day of the Lord is near in that valley.

15. The sun and moon will become dark. The stars won't shine anymore.

16. The Lord will roar like a lion from Jerusalem. His voice will sound like thunder from Zion. The earth and sky will tremble. But the Lord will keep the people of Israel safe. He will be a place of safety for them.

17. The Lord says, "You will know that I am the Lord your God. I live in Zion. It is my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be my holy city. People from other lands will never attack it again.

18. "At that time fresh wine will drip from the mountains. Milk will flow down from the hills. Water will run through all of Judah's valleys. A fountain will flow out of my temple. It will water the places where acacia trees grow.

19. But Egypt will be deserted. Edom will become a dry and empty desert. They did terrible harm to the people of Judah. My people were not guilty of doing anything wrong. But Egypt and Edom spilled their blood anyway.

20. My people will live in Judah and Jerusalem forever. The land will be their home for all time to come.