< Joel 1 >
1 The word of Jehovah that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel.
Neno la Bwana ambalo lilimjia Yoeli mwana wa Pethueli.
2 Hear this, you elders, And listen, all you inhabitants of the land. Has this ever happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers?
Sikilizeni hili, enyi wazee; sikilizeni, ninyi nyote mnaoishi katika nchi. Je, jambo kama hili lilishawahi kutokea katika siku zenu au katika siku za babu zenu?
3 Tell your children about it, and have your children tell their children, and their children, another generation.
Waelezeni watoto wenu, na watoto wenu wawaambie watoto wao, na watoto wao kwa kizazi kitakachofuata.
4 What the swarming locust has left, the great locust has eaten. What the great locust has left, the grasshopper has eaten. What the grasshopper has left, the caterpillar has eaten.
Kilichosazwa na kundi la tunutu nzige wakubwa wamekula, kilichosazwa na nzige wakubwa parare wamekula, kilichosazwa na parare madumadu wamekula.
5 Wake up, you drunkards, and weep. Wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.
Amkeni, enyi walevi, mlie! Pigeni yowe enyi wanywaji wote wa mvinyo, pigeni yowe kwa sababu ya mvinyo mpya, kwa kuwa mmenyangʼanywa kutoka midomoni mwenu.
6 For a nation has come up on my land, strong, and without number. His teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he has the fangs of a lioness.
Taifa limevamia nchi yangu, lenye nguvu tena lisilo na idadi; lina meno ya simba, magego ya simba jike.
7 He has laid my vine waste, and stripped my fig tree. He has stripped its bark, and thrown it away. Its branches are made white.
Limeharibu mizabibu yangu na kuangamiza mitini yangu. Limebambua magome yake na kuyatupilia mbali, likayaacha matawi yake yakiwa meupe.
8 Mourn like a virgin dressed in sackcloth for the husband of her youth.
Omboleza kama bikira aliyevaa nguo ya gunia anayehuzunika kwa ajili ya mume wa ujana wake.
9 The meal offering and the drink offering are cut off from Jehovah's house. The priests, Jehovah's ministers, mourn.
Sadaka za nafaka na sadaka za kinywaji zimekatiliwa mbali kutoka nyumba ya Bwana. Makuhani wanaomboleza, wale wanaohudumu mbele za Bwana.
10 The field is laid waste. The land mourns, for the grain is destroyed, The new wine has dried up, and the oil languishes.
Mashamba yameharibiwa, ardhi imekauka; nafaka imeharibiwa, mvinyo mpya umekauka, mafuta yamekoma.
11 Be confounded, you farmers. Wail, you vineyard keepers; for the wheat and for the barley; for the harvest of the field has perished.
Kateni tamaa, enyi wakulima, lieni, enyi mlimao mizabibu; huzunikeni kwa ajili ya ngano na shayiri, kwa sababu mavuno ya shambani yameharibiwa.
12 The vine has dried up, and the fig tree withered; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all of the trees of the field are withered; for joy has withered away from the sons of men.
Mzabibu umekauka na mtini umenyauka; mkomamanga, mtende na mtofaa, miti yote shambani, imekauka. Hakika furaha yote ya mwanadamu imeondoka.
13 Put on sackcloth and mourn, you priests. Wail, you ministers of the altar. Come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God, for the meal offering and the drink offering are withheld from your God's house.
Vaeni nguo ya gunia, enyi makuhani, muomboleze; pigeni yowe, enyi mnaohudumu madhabahuni. Njooni, vaeni nguo ya gunia usiku kucha, enyi mnaohudumu mbele za Mungu wangu; kwa kuwa sadaka za nafaka na sadaka za kinywaji zimezuiliwa kufika katika nyumba ya Mungu wenu.
14 Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders, and all the inhabitants of the land, to the house of Jehovah, your God, and cry to Jehovah.
Tangazeni saumu takatifu; liiteni kusanyiko takatifu. Iteni wazee na wote waishio katika nchi waende katika nyumba ya Bwana Mungu wenu, wakamlilie Bwana.
15 Alas for the day. For the day of Jehovah is at hand, and it will come as destruction from Shaddai.
Ole kwa siku hiyo! Kwa kuwa siku ya Bwana iko karibu; itakuja kama uharibifu kutoka kwa Mwenyezi.
16 Isn't the food cut off before our eyes; joy and gladness from the house of our God?
Je, chakula hakikukatiliwa mbali mbele ya macho yetu: furaha na shangwe kutoka nyumba ya Mungu wetu?
17 The seeds shrivel under their shovels. The storehouses are laid desolate. The granaries are broken down, for the grain has withered.
Mbegu zinakauka chini ya mabonge ya udongo. Ghala zimeachwa katika uharibifu, ghala za nafaka zimebomolewa, kwa maana hakuna nafaka.
18 How the animals groan. The herds of livestock are perplexed, because they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep suffer.
Jinsi gani ngʼombe wanavyolia! Makundi ya mifugo yanahangaika kwa sababu hawana malisho; hata makundi ya kondoo yanateseka.
19 Jehovah, I cry to you, for the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame has burned all the trees of the field.
Kwako, Ee Bwana, naita, kwa kuwa moto umeteketeza malisho ya mbugani na miali ya moto imeunguza miti yote shambani.
20 Yes, the animals of the field pant to you, for the water brooks have dried up, And the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
Hata wanyama wa porini wanakuonea shauku; vijito vya maji vimekauka, na moto umeteketeza malisho yote ya mbugani.