< Joel 1 >

1 The Lord sent a message through Joel, son of Pethuel.
Buno bwe bubaka bwa Mukama obwajjira Yoweeri mutabani wa Pesweri.
2 Listen to this, elders; pay attention, everyone who lives in the land. Has anything ever happened like this before in your experience, or that of your forefathers?
Muwulirize mmwe abakadde ba Isirayiri, buli ali mu nsi naye awulirize. Kino kyali kibaddewo mu biseera byammwe, oba mu biseera bya bakitammwe?
3 Tell your children about it, and have your children tell it to their children, and their children tell the next generation.
Mukibuulire abaana bammwe, nabo balikibuulira abaana baabwe, nabo balikibuulira ab’emirembe egiriddawo.
4 What the cutting locusts left, the swarming locusts have eaten; what the swarming locusts left, the hopping locusts have eaten; what the hopping locusts left, the destroying locusts have eaten.
Ebibinja by’enzige ebisooka bye zitalidde, enzige eziddirira zibirumbye, ate ezo bye zireseewo, enzige ento bye ziridde, ate zino bye zireseewo, enzige endala ne zibizikiririza ddala byonna!
5 Wake up, you drunks, and weep! Howl you wine-drinkers, because the new wine has been suddenly taken away from your mouth!
Muzuukuke, mmwe abatamiivu, mwekaabire amaziga; mukube ebiwoobe mmwe mwenna abanywi b’omwenge, mukube ebiwoobe kubanga akamwa kammwe katuuse okwerabira omwenge omusu.
6 A nation has invaded my land: powerful and too many to count. Their teeth are like lion's teeth, their fangs like those of a lioness.
Eggwanga lirumbye ensi yange, ery’amaanyi ennyo era ery’abantu abatabalika. Amannyo gaalyo gali ng’ag’empologoma, n’amasongezo gaalyo ng’ag’empologoma enkazi.
7 It has ruined my grapevines and destroyed my fig trees, stripping them completely and reducing them to stumps, white and bare.
Eggwanga eryo lizikirizza emizabbibu gyange, ne limalawo emitiini gyange. Lisusumbudde ebikuta byagyo, byonna biri ku ttaka, amatabi gaagyo gasigadde gatukuuliridde.
8 Mourn like a bride dressed in sackcloth, mourning the death of her husband-to-be.
Mukungubage nga nnamwandu omuto afiiriddwa bba, ng’ayambadde ebibukutu olw’ennaku.
9 Grain and wine offerings have stopped in the Temple. The priests who minister before the Lord are in mourning.
Ebiweebwayo eby’emmere ey’empeke n’ebiweebwayo eby’okunywa tewakyali kirabikako mu nnyumba ya Mukama. Bakabona abaweerereza mu maaso ga Katonda bakungubaga.
10 The fields are devastated, the earth mourns; for the grain is ruined, the new wine dries up, the olive oil fails.
Ennimiro ziweddemu ebirime; ettaka likaze, Emmere ey’empeke eweddewo, omwenge omusu n’amafuta g’emizeeyituuni ne bibulira ddala.
11 Be ashamed, farmers, and wail in sorrow, keepers of vineyards, over the wheat and the barley, for the crops from the fields are ruined.
Mmwe abalimi mukwatibwe entiisa, mmwe abalima emizabbibu mukaabe. Mukaabire eŋŋaano ne sayiri, kubanga ebyandikunguddwa byonna biweddewo.
12 The vines are shriveled, the fig trees are withered; the pomegranate, the palm, and the apricot trees—all the fruit trees have dried up, and at the same time the people's happiness has also dried up.
Omuzabbibu gukaze n’omutiini guyongobedde. Omukomamawanga, n’olukindu ne apo n’emiti gyonna egy’omu nnimiro giwotose. Abantu tebakyalina ssanyu.
13 Dress in sackcloth, you priests, and mourn; weep, you who minister before the altar! Go and spend the night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God, for the grain and wine offerings have stopped in the Temple.
Mmwe bakabona, mwesibe mwambale ebibukutu mukungubage. Mmwe abaweereza ba Katonda wange ab’oku kyoto, mweyale wansi awali ekyoto, musule awo ekiro kyonna nga mukuba ebiwoobe, kubanga mu nnyumba ya Katonda wammwe temukyali kiweebwayo kyonna, eky’emmere ey’empeke oba eky’envinnyo.
14 Proclaim a fast; call a sacred assembly. Have the elders and all people of the land gather in the Temple, and cry out to your God, to the Lord.
Mulangirire okusiiba okutukuvu n’okukuŋŋaana mu maaso ga Katonda. Muyite abakulu abakulembeze n’abantu bonna ababeera mu nsi, bajje mu nnyumba ya Mukama Katonda waabwe bamukaabirire.
15 What a terrible day! For the day of the Lord is near, it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
Zitusanze olw’olunaku luli! Kubanga olunaku lwa Mukama olw’entiisa lusembedde. Lulijja, ng’okuzikiriza okuva eri Ayinzabyonna.
16 Haven't we seen our food taken away from us, right before our eyes? There is no joy and happiness in God's Temple.
Emmere tetuweddeeko nga tulaba? Essanyu n’okujaguza mu nnyumba ya Katonda waffe tebikomye?
17 Seeds planted in the ground shrivel up; the storehouses are empty, the barns are torn down because the grain has dried up.
Ensigo ziwotokedde mu ttaka, amawanika makalu n’ebyagi by’emmere bikaze, kubanga emmere ey’empeke eweddewo.
18 The farm animals moan with hunger. The herds of cattle wander everywhere because they can't find grass to eat; the flocks of sheep are suffering.
Ensolo nga zisinda! Amagana gabuliddwa amagezi; kubanga tewali muddo, n’endiga nazo zidooba.
19 To you, Lord, I cry out! For fire has destroyed the pastures in the wilderness; flames have burned up all the orchards.
Ayi Mukama, Ggwe gwe nkaabirira, kubanga omuddo gwonna gumaliddwawo empiira, n’emiti gyonna egy’omu nnimiro nagyo giyidde.
20 Even the wild animals long for you because the streams have dried up, and fire has destroyed the pastures in the wilderness.
Ensolo ez’omu nsiko nazo zikukaabira okuziyamba, emigga gikalidde, ne gye ziriira, omuddo gwonna guyidde.

< Joel 1 >