Yoweli 1
1 Yehova anayankhula ndi Yoweli mwana wa Petueli.
[I am] Joel, the son of Pethuel. [This is] a message that Yahweh gave to me.
2 Inu akuluakulu, imvani izi; mvetserani, nonse amene mumakhala mʼdziko. Kodi zinthu zokhala ngati izi zinayamba zaonekapo mʼnthawi yanu, kapena mʼnthawi ya makolo anu?
You leaders [of Israel], and everyone else who lives in this country, listen [to this message]! Nothing [RHQ] like this has ever happened during the time that we have lived or the time when our ancestors lived.
3 Muwafotokozere ana anu, ndipo ana anuwo afotokozere ana awo, ndipo ana awo adzafotokozere mʼbado winawo.
Tell your children about it, and tell your children to tell it to their children, and tell your grandchildren to tell it to their children.
4 Chimene dzombe losamera mapiko lasiya dzombe lowuluka ladya; chimene dzombe lowuluka lasiya dzombe lalingʼono ladya; chimene dzombe lalingʼono lasiya chilimamine wadya.
[I am talking about] the locusts that have eaten our crops. The first swarm of locusts came and cut [many of the leaves of the crops]; then another swarm came and ate [the rest of the leaves], then another swarm came hopping along, and finally another swarm came and they destroyed [everything else].
5 Dzukani, inu zidakwa ndipo mulire! Lirani mofuwula, inu nonse amene mumamwa vinyo; lirani mofuwula chifukwa cha vinyo watsopano, pakuti wachotsedwa pakamwa panu.
You people who are drunk, wake up! Wake up and wail loudly, because all the grapes are ruined, and so there will be no new wine [MTY]!
6 Mtundu wa anthu wathira nkhondo dziko langa, wamphamvu ndi wosawerengeka; uli ndi mano a mkango, zibwano za mkango waukazi.
[Huge swarms of] locusts have entered our country. [They are like] [MET] a powerful army [that has very many soldiers], [with the result that] no one can count them. The locusts have teeth that are [as sharp as] the teeth of lions [DOU]!
7 Wawononga mphesa zanga ndipo wathyola mitengo yanga ya mkuyu. Wakungunula makungwa ake ndi kuwataya, kusiya nthambi zake zili mbee.
They have destroyed our grapevines and our fig trees [by] stripping off [and eating all] the bark, with the result that the branches are white [and (bare/have no leaves on them)].
8 Lirani ngati namwali wovala chiguduli, chifukwa cha mwamuna wa utsikana wake.
Cry like [SIM] a young woman cries when the young man to whom she was (engaged/promised to marry) has died.
9 Chopereka cha chakudya ndi cha chakumwa sizikuperekedwa ku nyumba ya Yehova. Ansembe akulira, amene amatumikira pamaso pa Yehova.
There is no grain or wine for us to offer [as sacrifices] at the temple, [so] the priests who serve Yahweh are mourning/weeping.
10 Minda yaguga, nthaka yauma; tirigu wawonongeka, vinyo watsopano watha, mitengo ya mafuta yauma.
[The crops in] the fields have been ruined; [it is as though] [PRS] the ground is mourning. The grain has been destroyed, there are no [grapes to make] wine, and there is no [more olive] oil.
11 Khalani ndi nkhawa, inu alimi, lirani mofuwula inu alimi a mphesa; imvani chisoni chifukwa cha tirigu ndi barele, pakuti zokolola za mʼmunda zawonongeka.
You farmers, grieve! You who take care of grapevines, wail, because the grain has been destroyed; there is no wheat or barley growing.
12 Mpesa wauma ndipo mtengo wamkuyu wafota; makangadza, kanjedza ndi mitengo ya apulosi, mitengo yonse ya mʼmunda yauma. Ndithudi chimwemwe cha anthu chatheratu.
The grapevines and the fig trees have withered, and the pomegranate [trees] and palm [trees] and apricot [trees] have also dried up. The people are no longer joyful.
13 Inu ansembe, valani ziguduli ndipo lirani; lirani mofuwula, inu amene mumatumikira pa guwa lansembe. Bwerani, fundani ziguduli usiku wonse, inu amene mumatumikira pamaso pa Mulungu wanga; pakuti chopereka cha chakudya ndi cha chakumwa sizikupezekanso mʼnyumba ya Mulungu wanu.
You priests, put on [rough] sack clothes and wail. You who serve God [by offering sacrifices] on the altar, wear those rough sack clothes all night [to show that you are mourning], because there is no grain or wine to be offered at the temple of your God.
14 Lengezani tsiku lopatulika losala zakudya, itanani msonkhano wopatulika. Sonkhanitsani akuluakulu ndi anthu onse okhala mʼdziko ku nyumba ya Yehova Mulungu wanu ndipo alirire Yehova.
Tell the people that they should (fast/abstain from eating food). Tell the leaders and the other people to gather at the temple and to cry [out] to Yahweh [there].
15 Kalanga ine tsikulo! Pakuti tsiku la Yehova layandikira; lidzabwera ngati chiwonongeko chochokera kwa Wamphamvuzonse.
Terrible things are happening to us! It will soon be the time when Yahweh, [who is] the Almighty God, [will really punish us], [when he] will cause us to experience more disasters.
16 Kodi chakudya chathu sichachotsedwa ife tikuona? Kodi mʼnyumba ya Mulungu wathu simulibe chimwemwe ndi chisangalalo?
Our crops are already gone, and no [one is] rejoicing at all [DOU] at the temple of our God.
17 Mbewu zikunyala poti pansi ndi powuma. Nyumba zosungiramo zinthu zawonongeka; nkhokwe zapasuka popeza tirigu wauma.
[When we plant] seeds, [they do not grow]; they dry up in the ground, so there are no crops to harvest. Our barns/storehouses are empty; there is no grain [to store in them].
18 Taonani mmene zikulirira ziweto; ngʼombe zikungoyenda uku ndi uku chifukwa zilibe msipu; ngakhalenso nkhosa zikusauka.
Our cattle groan, searching for a pasture with some grass to eat, and the sheep bleat because they are suffering.
19 Kwa Inu Yehova ndilirira, pakuti moto wapsereza msipu wakuthengo, malawi amoto apsereza mitengo yonse ya mʼtchire.
Yahweh, I cry [out] to you, because our pastures and our forests have dried up in the hot sunshine [MET].
20 Ngakhale nyama zakuthengo zikulirira Inu; timitsinje tonse taphwa ndipo moto wapsereza msipu wa kuthengo.
[It is as though] even the wild animals cry [out] to you because all the streams have dried up. The rivers and streams are all dry, and the grass in the pastures is all parched.
