God will judge and punish the nations

9 Proclaim to the people of all nations,

“Prepare for a war!

Summon your soldiers,

and tell them to stand in their battle positions.

10 Take your plows and make swords from them,

and take your pruning knives and make spears from them.

Even the weak people must also be like [MET] strong soldiers.

11 All you people from the nations that are near Judah

must come quickly and gather in the Valley of Judgment.”

But Yahweh, when that happens, send your army of angels to attack them!

12 The people in the nations near Judah must get ready and come to the Valley of Judgment.

There Yahweh will sit and judge and punish them.

13 They are like [MET] crops that are ready to be harvested;

so strike them like [MET] a farmer swings his sickle to cut the grain.

They are like [MET] grapes that are piled high in the pits where they will be pressed;

because they are very wicked,

punish them severely [MET] now,

like [MET] a farmer tramples on the grapes until the pits are full of juice.

14 There will be huge crowds of people in that Valley of Judgment.

It will soon be the time that Yahweh will punish them.

15 At that time there will be no light from the sun or moon,

and the stars will not shine.

16 From Zion Hill in Jerusalem Yahweh will shout,

and his voice will be like thunder,

and his voice will cause the sky and the earth to shake.

But Yahweh will protect [MET] his people;

he will be like [MET] a strong wall behind which the people of Israel will be protected.