< Joel 1 >
1 Pethuel capa Joel khaeah, Angraeng ih lok to angzoh.
[I am] Joel, the son of Pethuel. [This is] a message that Yahweh gave to me.
2 Nangcae mitongnawk hae hae thaih oh, prae thung kaom kaminawk boih, tahngai oh. Nangmacae dung ah maw, to tih ai boeh loe nam panawk dung ah hae baktih hmuen hae oh vaih boeh maw?
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 Hae hmuen hae na caanawk khaeah thui pae oh, na caanawk mah angmacae ih caanawk khaeah thui pae o patoeng nasoe loe, nihcae ih caanawk mah doeh angmacae ih caanawk khaeah thui pae o patoeng nasoe.
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 Pakhuh mah caak ih kanghmat hmuen to pakhuh kalen mah caak; pakhuh kalen mah caak ih kanghmat hmuen to, langkawk mah caak; langkawk mah caak ih kanghmat hmuen to kalah langkawk mah caak o.
[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 Nang, mu paquih kami, angthawk ah loe qah ah; nangcae misurtui nae kaminawk boih, misurtui kangtha na pakha thung hoiah lak ving boeh pongah, tha hoi qah oh.
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 Thacak, kroek laek ai ah kaom acaeng maeto mah, ka prae to lak hanah angzoh boeh; anih ih haa loe kaipui haa baktiah oh moe, hmawsaeng kaipui baktiah ano tawnh.
[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 Anih mah kai ih misur takha to phraek moe, kai ih thaiduetkung to pahum boih boeh; ahin to khok moe, a vah boih; tanghangnawk doeh anglung rawk ah a suek boih.
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 Tangla cuem mah tangla naah angmah ih sava ah hamh ih kami mah anih to duek taak ving naah, buri kahni to angzaeng moe, qah baktih toengah qah oh.
Cry like [SIM] a young woman cries when the young man to whom she was (engaged/promised to marry) has died.
9 Cang hoi nawnto paek ih naek koi tui to Angraeng im hoiah pakha pae ving boeh; to pongah qaimanawk hoi Angraeng toksah kaminawk loe palungset o.
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 Lawk loe pongsut boeh moe, long doeh roem boih boeh; cangnawk loe amro boeh moe, misurtui kangtha doeh atui kang ving boeh, situi doeh om ai boeh.
[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 Nangcae lawksah kaminawk, azathaih hoiah om oh, nangcae misurkung thling kaminawk, cang hoi barli cang aahhaih ahmuen to anghmat ving boeh pongah, qah oh.
You farmers, grieve! You who take care of grapevines, wail, because the grain has been destroyed; there is no wheat or barley growing.
12 Misurtui kang boih boeh moe, thaiduetkung doeh azaem boih boeh; pomegranat thing, ungsikung baktih kaom thing, appal thing hoi lawk ih thingnawk doeh azaem boih boeh: kami capanawk khae hoi anghoehaih doeh azaem boih boeh.
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 Qaimanawk, buri kahni angzaeng oh loe, qah oh; hmaicam hmaa ah toksah nangcae doeh, qah oh; kai ih Sithaw khaeah toksah nangcae, angzo oh loe aqum puek buri kahni angkhuk hoiah om oh; cang hoi naek koi paek ih hmuennawk to na Sithaw im ah paek o ai boeh.
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 Kaciim buhzahhaih to sah oh loe, kaciim amkhuenghaih to sah oh; mitongnawk hoi prae thung kaom kaminawk Angraeng na Sithaw ih imthung ah pakhuengh boih ah loe, Angraeng khaeah qah oh.
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 Ala Angraeng ih ni, to ani loe anghnai boeh; to ni loe Thacak Sithaw khae hoi angzo amrohaih baktiah angzo tih.
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 Aicae hma roe ah caaknaek to kha boeh moe, Sithaw im ah anghoehaih hoi oephaih to om ai boeh na ai maw?
Our crops are already gone, and no [one is] rejoicing at all [DOU] at the temple of our God.
17 Cangtii doeh long thungah aap sut boeh, hmuenmae suekhaih ahmuen loe angqai krang boeh, tapupnawk doeh hmawn boih boeh; cang doeh azaem boih boeh.
[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 Moinawk loe kawkruk maw patangkhang o! Caak han phroh kahoih om ai boeh pongah, maitawnawk doeh thazok o sut moe, tuunawk doeh patangkhang o boeh.
Our cattle groan, searching for a pasture with some grass to eat, and the sheep bleat because they are suffering.
19 Aw Angraeng, taw ih saphoinawk loe hmai mah kangh boih boeh, taw ih thingnawk doeh hmaipalai mah kang boih boeh pongah, nang ni kang palawk boeh.
Yahweh, I cry [out] to you, because our pastures and our forests have dried up in the hot sunshine [MET].
20 Vapui tuinawk loe kang ving boeh moe, hmai mah taw ih saphoinawk to kang boih boeh pongah, taw ih moinawk mah doeh nang ni ang palawk o boeh.
[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.