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Joel 4 (Yoel) in Hebrew and English

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Tenakh Study · Read Joel in Hebrew and English, one chapter per page. Our Tenakh study meets every Wednesday at 7 pm (Central Time) on Zoom. Text us for the Zoom link.

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Tenakh Study · Joel 4:1–21

Joel, Chapter 4

יואל ד

Hashem gathers all nations into the valley of Yehoshafat to judge them for scattering Israel and selling its children; Tzor, Tzidon and Peleshet are repaid, the nations are called to beat plowshares into swords, and Hashem roars from Tziyon, Yehudah dwells for ever, and a fountain flows from His house.

Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. Verses 1–21 here are 3:1–21 in most English Bibles.

4:1For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Yehudah (Judah) and Yerushalayim (Jerusalem),

אכִּ֗י הִנֵּ֛ה בַּיָּמִ֥ים הָהֵ֖מָּה וּבָעֵ֣ת הַהִ֑יא אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָשִׁ֛יב (כתיב אשוב) אֶת־שְׁב֥וּת יְהוּדָ֖ה וִירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

4:2I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Yehoshafat (Jehoshaphat), and will plead with them there for My people and for My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted My land.

בוְקִבַּצְתִּי֙ אֶת־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם וְה֣וֹרַדְתִּ֔ים אֶל־עֵ֖מֶק יְהֽוֹשָׁפָ֑ט וְנִשְׁפַּטְתִּ֨י עִמָּ֜ם שָׁ֗ם עַל־עַמִּ֨י וְנַחֲלָתִ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר פִּזְּר֣וּ בַגּוֹיִ֔ם וְאֶת־אַרְצִ֖י חִלֵּֽקוּ׃

4:3And they have cast lots for My people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

גוְאֶל־עַמִּ֖י יַדּ֣וּ גוֹרָ֑ל וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ הַיֶּ֨לֶד֙ בַּזּוֹנָ֔ה וְהַיַּלְדָּ֛ה מָכְר֥וּ בַיַּ֖יִן וַיִּשְׁתּֽוּ׃

Tzor, Tzidon and Peleshet

4:4Yea, and what have you to do with Me, O Tzor (Tyre), and Tzidon (Zidon), and all the coasts of Peleshet (Palestine)? will you render Me a recompence? and if you recompense Me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;

דוְ֠גַם מָה־אַתֶּ֥ם לִי֙ צֹ֣ר וְצִיד֔וֹן וְכֹ֖ל גְּלִיל֣וֹת פְּלָ֑שֶׁת הַגְּמ֗וּל אַתֶּם֙ מְשַׁלְּמִ֣ים עָלָ֔י וְאִם־גֹּמְלִ֤ים אַתֶּם֙ עָלַ֔י קַ֣ל מְהֵרָ֔ה אָשִׁ֥יב גְּמֻלְכֶ֖ם בְּרֹאשְׁכֶֽם׃

4:5Because you have taken My silver and My gold, and have carried into your temples My goodly pleasant things:

האֲשֶׁר־כַּסְפִּ֥י וּזְהָבִ֖י לְקַחְתֶּ֑ם וּמַֽחֲמַדַּי֙ הַטֹּבִ֔ים הֲבֵאתֶ֖ם לְהֵיכְלֵיכֶֽם׃

4:6The children also of Yehudah and the children of Yerushalayim have you sold unto the Yevanim (Grecians), that you might remove them far from their border.

ווּבְנֵ֤י יְהוּדָה֙ וּבְנֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם מְכַרְתֶּ֖ם לִבְנֵ֣י הַיְּוָנִ֑ים לְמַ֥עַן הַרְחִיקָ֖ם מֵעַ֥ל גְּבוּלָֽם׃

4:7Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither you have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:

זהִנְנִ֣י מְעִירָ֔ם מִן־הַ֨מָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁר־מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם אֹתָ֖ם שָׁ֑מָּה וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֥י גְמֻלְכֶ֖ם בְּרֹאשְׁכֶֽם׃

4:8And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Yehudah, and they shall sell them to the Sheva’im (Sabeans), to a people far off: for Hashem has spoken it.

חוּמָכַרְתִּ֞י אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם וְאֶת־בְּנֽוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם בְּיַד֙ בְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וּמְכָר֥וּם לִשְׁבָאיִ֖ם אֶל־גּ֣וֹי רָח֑וֹק כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֵּֽר׃

Prepare war

4:9Proclaim you this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

טקִרְאוּ־זֹאת֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם קַדְּשׁ֖וּ מִלְחָמָ֑ה הָעִ֨ירוּ֙ הַגִּבּוֹרִ֔ים יִגְּשׁ֣וּ יַֽעֲל֔וּ כֹּ֖ל אַנְשֵׁ֥י הַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃

4:10Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, “I am strong.”

יכֹּ֤תּוּ אִתֵּיכֶם֙ לַֽחֲרָב֔וֹת וּמַזְמְרֹֽתֵיכֶ֖ם לִרְמָחִ֑ים הַֽחַלָּ֔שׁ יֹאמַ֖ר גִּבּ֥וֹר אָֽנִי׃

4:11Assemble yourselves, and come, all you heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause Your mighty ones to come down, O Hashem.

יאע֣וּשׁוּ וָבֹ֧אוּ כָֽל־הַגּוֹיִ֛ם מִסָּבִ֖יב וְנִקְבָּ֑צוּ שָׁ֕מָּה הַֽנְחַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה גִּבּוֹרֶֽיךָ׃

The valley of decision

4:12Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Yehoshafat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

יביֵע֨וֹרוּ֙ וְיַעֲל֣וּ הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֶל־עֵ֖מֶק יְהֽוֹשָׁפָ֑ט כִּ֣י שָׁ֗ם אֵשֵׁ֛ב לִשְׁפֹּ֥ט אֶת־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם מִסָּבִֽיב׃

4:13Put you in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

יגשִׁלְח֣וּ מַגָּ֔ל כִּ֥י בָשַׁ֖ל קָצִ֑יר בֹּ֤אֽוּ רְדוּ֙ כִּֽי־מָ֣לְאָה גַּ֔ת הֵשִׁ֨יקוּ֙ הַיְקָבִ֔ים כִּ֥י רַבָּ֖ה רָעָתָֽם׃

4:14Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of Hashem is near in the valley of decision.

ידהֲמוֹנִ֣ים הֲמוֹנִ֔ים בְּעֵ֖מֶק הֶֽחָר֑וּץ כִּ֤י קָרוֹב֙ י֣וֹם יְהוָ֔ה בְּעֵ֖מֶק הֶחָרֽוּץ׃

4:15The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

טושֶׁ֥מֶשׁ וְיָרֵ֖חַ קָדָ֑רוּ וְכוֹכָבִ֖ים אָסְפ֥וּ נָגְהָֽם׃

4:16Hashem also shall roar out of Tziyon (Zion), and utter His voice from Yerushalayim; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but Hashem will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

טזוַיהוָ֞ה מִצִּיּ֣וֹן יִשְׁאָ֗ג וּמִירוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ יִתֵּ֣ן קוֹל֔וֹ וְרָעֲשׁ֖וּ שָׁמַ֣יִם וָאָ֑רֶץ וַֽיהוָה֙ מַֽחֲסֶ֣ה לְעַמּ֔וֹ וּמָע֖וֹז לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

4:17So shall you know that I am Hashem your God dwelling in Tziyon, My holy mountain: then shall Yerushalayim be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

יזוִֽידַעְתֶּ֗ם כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם שֹׁכֵ֖ן בְּצִיּ֣וֹן הַר־קָדְשִׁ֑י וְהָיְתָ֤ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ קֹ֔דֶשׁ וְזָרִ֥ים לֹא־יַֽעַבְרוּ־בָ֖הּ עֽוֹד׃

A fountain from the house of Hashem

4:18And 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 rivers of Yehudah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of Hashem, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

יחוְהָיָה֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַה֜וּא יִטְּפ֧וּ הֶהָרִ֣ים עָסִ֗יס וְהַגְּבָעוֹת֙ תֵּלַ֣כְנָה חָלָ֔ב וְכָל־אֲפִיקֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה יֵ֣לְכוּ מָ֑יִם וּמַעְיָ֗ן מִבֵּ֤ית יְהוָה֙ יֵצֵ֔א וְהִשְׁקָ֖ה אֶת־נַ֥חַל הַשִּׁטִּֽים׃

4:19Mitzrayim (Egypt) shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Yehudah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

יטמִצְרַ֨יִם֙ לִשְׁמָמָ֣ה תִֽהְיֶ֔ה וֶאֱד֕וֹם לְמִדְבַּ֥ר שְׁמָמָ֖ה תִּֽהְיֶ֑ה מֵֽחֲמַס֙ בְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־שָׁפְכ֥וּ דָם־נָקִ֖יא בְּאַרְצָֽם׃

4:20But Yehudah shall dwell for ever, and Yerushalayim from generation to generation.

כוִיהוּדָ֖ה לְעוֹלָ֣ם תֵּשֵׁ֑ב וִירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם לְד֥וֹר וָדֽוֹר׃

4:21For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for Hashem dwells in Tziyon.

כאוְנִקֵּ֖יתִי דָּמָ֣ם לֹֽא־נִקֵּ֑יתִי וַֽיהוָ֖ה שֹׁכֵ֥ן בְּצִיּֽוֹן׃

Sources & method

Hebrew text
The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. A paragraph mark (ס or פ) inside a verse is shown in small type.
English translation
The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the King James spelling in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Yehudah (Judah)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem”; “God” (Elohim) is unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
Verse numbers
Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In Joel they differ from most English Bibles, or a verse is divided differently, in chapters 2, 3 and 4; a note under the summary on those pages explains how.
Hebrew font
SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.