Joel 3:3 (LSB)

Passage

They have also cast lots for My people, Traded a boy for a harlot, And sold a girl for wine that they may drink.

Nearby Context

Joel 3:1 “For behold, in those days and at that time, When I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,

Joel 3:2 I will gather all the nations And bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; And they have divided up My land.

Joel 3:3 They have also cast lots for My people, Traded a boy for a harlot, And sold a girl for wine that they may drink.

Joel 3:4 Moreover, what are you to Me, O Tyre, Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you rendering Me a recompense? But if you do recompense Me, swiftly and speedily I will return your recompense on your head.

Joel 3:5 Since you have taken My silver and My gold, brought My desirable treasures to your temples,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "cast", "lots", "people", "traded", "harlot", "sold", "girl", and "wine". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "cast" and "lots", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "I will gather all the nations And..." into verse 4's "Moreover what are you to Me O...", so "cast" and "lots" belong inside that flow. In Joel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "cast" and "lots" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.