Joel 3:14
New International Version
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

New Living Translation
Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision. There the day of the LORD will soon arrive.

English Standard Version
Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

Berean Standard Bible
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the Day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

King James Bible
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

New King James Version
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

New American Standard Bible
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

NASB 1995
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

NASB 1977
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

Legacy Standard Bible
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Yahweh is near in the valley of decision.

Amplified Bible
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision (judgment)! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision [when judgment is executed].

Christian Standard Bible
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the Day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

American Standard Version
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision.

Contemporary English Version
Crowds fill Decision Valley. The judgment day of the LORD will soon be here--

English Revised Version
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
There are many, many people in the valley of decision. The day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

Good News Translation
Thousands and thousands are in the Valley of Judgment. It is there that the day of the LORD will soon come.

International Standard Version
"Multitudes, multitudes in the Valley of Judgment! For the Day of the LORD is near in the Valley of Judgment!

Majority Standard Bible
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the Day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

NET Bible
Crowds, great crowds are in the valley of decision, for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision!

New Heart English Bible
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. For the day of the LORD is near, in the valley of decision.

Webster's Bible Translation
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

World English Bible
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Yahweh is near in the valley of decision.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Multitudes, multitudes [are] in the Valley of Decision, "" For near [is] the Day of YHWH in the Valley of Decision.

Young's Literal Translation
Multitudes, multitudes are in the valley of decision, For near is the day of Jehovah in the valley of decision.

Smith's Literal Translation
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of judgment: for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of judgment.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Nations, nations in the valley of destruction: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of destruction.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Nations, nations in the valley of being cut to pieces: for the day of the Lord fittingly takes place in the valley of being cut to pieces.

New American Bible
Crowds upon crowds in the Valley of Decision; For near is the day of the LORD in the Valley of Decision.

New Revised Standard Version
Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
An uproar and tumult in the valley of decision; for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Uproars of uproars in the valley of the judgments, because the day of LORD JEHOVAH is near in the valley of the judgments
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Noises have resounded in the valley of judgment: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of judgment.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD Judges the Nations
13Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because their wickedness is great. 14Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the Day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine.…

Cross References
Revelation 14:15-20
Then another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the One seated on the cloud, “Swing Your sickle and reap, because the time has come to harvest, for the crop of the earth is ripe.” / So the One seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. / Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. ...

Matthew 13:39-42
and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. / As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. / The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. ...

Isaiah 34:1-8
Come near, O nations, to listen; pay attention, O peoples. Let the earth hear, and all that fills it, the world and all that springs from it. / The LORD is angry with all the nations and furious with all their armies. He will devote them to destruction; He will give them over to slaughter. / Their slain will be left unburied, and the stench of their corpses will rise; the mountains will flow with their blood. ...

Zephaniah 1:14-18
The great Day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter. / That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, / a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers. ...

Revelation 16:14-16
These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. / “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.” / And they assembled the kings in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

Isaiah 63:1-6
Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah with crimson-stained garments? Who is this robed in splendor, marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I, proclaiming vindication, mighty to save.” / Why are Your clothes red, and Your garments like one who treads the winepress? / “I have trodden the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me. I trampled them in My anger and trod them down in My fury; their blood spattered My garments, and all My clothes were stained. ...

Jeremiah 25:31-33
The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth because the LORD brings a charge against the nations. He brings judgment on all mankind and puts the wicked to the sword,’” declares the LORD. / This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Behold! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.” / Those slain by the LORD on that day will be spread from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned, gathered, or buried. They will be like dung lying on the ground.

Revelation 19:15
And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

Malachi 4:1
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”

Matthew 24:30-31
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. / And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Isaiah 13:6-9
Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty. / Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt. / Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear. ...

Obadiah 1:15-16
For the Day of the LORD is near for all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your recompense will return upon your own head. / For as you drank on My holy mountain, so all the nations will drink continually. They will drink and gulp it down; they will be as if they had never existed.

Revelation 6:12-17
And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, / and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. / The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. ...

Ezekiel 30:3
For the day is near, the Day of the LORD is near. It will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.

Daniel 12:1-2
“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. / And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.


Treasury of Scripture

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

multitudes.

Joel 3:2
I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of 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.

Isaiah 34:2-8
For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter…

Isaiah 63:1-7
Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save…

decision.

Philippians 3:2
Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

or, threshing.

Joel 2:1
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

Psalm 37:13
The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

2 Peter 3:7
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

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Joel 3
1. God's judgments against the enemies of his people.
9. God will be known in his judgment.
18. His blessing upon the church.














Multitudes, multitudes
The repetition of "multitudes" in Joel 3:14 emphasizes the vast number of people gathered. In Hebrew, the word used is "hamon," which conveys a sense of a great crowd or tumult. This repetition underscores the urgency and significance of the moment. Historically, this gathering is often interpreted as a prophetic vision of the final judgment, where all nations are brought together. The imagery evokes a scene of immense scale and importance, highlighting the gravity of the divine judgment that is to come.

in the valley of decision
The "valley of decision" is a pivotal phrase in this verse. The Hebrew word for "decision" is "charuts," which can also mean "threshing instrument" or "sharp." This suggests a place of decisive action and judgment. The valley is often identified with the Valley of Jehoshaphat, a symbolic location where God judges the nations. This setting is not just a geographical location but a metaphorical space where divine justice is executed. The "valley of decision" represents a moment of truth, where choices and actions are weighed, and ultimate destinies are determined.

For the Day of the LORD
The "Day of the LORD" is a recurring theme in prophetic literature, signifying a time when God intervenes directly in human history to bring about justice and fulfill His purposes. In the context of Joel, it is a day of both judgment and salvation. The phrase carries a dual connotation of fear and hope, as it is a day of reckoning for the wicked and a day of deliverance for the righteous. This concept is deeply rooted in the prophetic tradition, where the "Day of the LORD" serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and the ultimate accountability of all creation to Him.

is near
The phrase "is near" conveys a sense of imminence and urgency. In Hebrew, the word "qarob" suggests something that is close at hand, both in time and space. This immediacy serves as a call to readiness and repentance. The nearness of the "Day of the LORD" is a recurring exhortation in the prophets, urging people to turn back to God and prepare for His coming. It is a reminder that divine intervention is not a distant future event but an impending reality that demands a response from humanity.

(14) Multitudes.--The command has gone forth; it is obeyed; and the prophet stands aghast at the vast multitudes assembling in the valley of decision, the place of judgment.

Verse 14. - This and the following verses, instead of expressly narrating the execution of the Divine command, present a picture of it. In one part the prophet sees in vision and shows us pictorially the multitudes of the nations pouring on in one continuous stream into the fatal valley. In another compartment of the picture, Jehovah is seen in the awfulness of his majesty and in the fearfulness of his judgments on the wicked, while he is a Refuge and Strength for his people. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. These multitudes are the tumultuous masses. Hamon is from the root הָמָה, to be noisy, or tumultuous. "It is identical," says Pusey, "with our ' hum; ' then noise, and, among others, the hum of a multitude, then a multitude even apart from that noise. It is used of the throng of a large army." The repetition emphasizes the masses as pits, pits, equivalent to "nothing but pits;" or ditches, ditches, equivalent to "full of ditches;" or it expresses diversity, equivalent to "multitudes of the living and multitudes of the dead." Decision is charuts, cut, something decided;

(1) so sharp, severe judgment, from chafers, to cut into, sharpen, dig.

(2) Others understand it in the sense of a threshing-wain, equivalent to charuts morag, a sharpened threshing-instrument. All things being now ready, the immediate proximity of the judgment is announced to be at hand.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Multitudes,
הֲמוֹנִ֣ים (hă·mō·w·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1995: A noise, tumult, crowd, disquietude, wealth

multitudes
הֲמוֹנִ֔ים (hă·mō·w·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1995: A noise, tumult, crowd, disquietude, wealth

in the valley
בְּעֵ֖מֶק (bə·‘ê·meq)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6010: A vale

of decision!
הֶֽחָר֑וּץ (he·ḥā·rūṣ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2742: Incised, incisive, a trench, gold, a threshing-sledge, determination, eager

For
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the Day
י֣וֹם (yō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3117: A day

of the LORD
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

is near
קָרוֹב֙ (qā·rō·wḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7138: Near

in the valley
בְּעֵ֖מֶק (bə·‘ê·meq)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6010: A vale

of decision.
הֶחָרֽוּץ׃ (he·ḥā·rūṣ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2742: Incised, incisive, a trench, gold, a threshing-sledge, determination, eager


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OT Prophets: Joel 3:14 Multitudes multitudes in the valley of decision! (Jl Joe.)
Joel 3:13
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