Joel 1

1 [I am] Joel, the son of Pethuel. [This is] a message that Yahweh gave to me.

Awurade asɛm a ɛbaa Petuel babarima Yoel so ni.

2 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.

Muntie saa asɛm yi, mo mpanyimfo; muntie, mo a mote asase no so nyinaa. Asɛm bi a ɛte sɛɛ asi mo mmere so anaa mo mpanyimfo mmere so pɛn?

3 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.

Monka nkyerɛ mo mma, na mo mma nso nka nkyerɛ wɔn mma na wɔn mma nso nka nkyerɛ awo ntoatoaso a edi so no.

4 [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].

Nea mmoadabikuw no gyawee no, mmoadabi akɛse no awe; nea mmoadabi akɛse no gyawee no, mmoadabi nkumaa no awe; nea mmoadabi nkumaa no gyawee no, mmoadabi afoforo awe.

5 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]!

Mo asabowfo, munnyan, na munsu! Mo a monom bobesa nyinaa, muntwa adwo; muntwa adwo, nsa foforo no nti, efisɛ wɔahuam afi mo ano.

6 [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]!

Ɔman bi atu mʼasase so sa; dɔm a wɔyɛ den na wontumi nkan wɔn; wɔn se te sɛ gyata se na wɔwɔ gyatabere sebɔmmɔfo.

7 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)].

Wasɛe me bobe ne me borɔdɔma nnua. Wawaawae nnua no ho bona, atow agu agyaw ne mman ho fitaa.

8 Cry like [SIM] a young woman cries when the young man to whom she was (engaged/promised to marry) has died.

Di awerɛhow sɛ ababaa a ofura atweaatam na ɔresu ne kunu a ɔwaree no ne mmabaabere mu.

9 There is no grain or wine for us to offer [as sacrifices] at the temple, [so] the priests who serve Yahweh are mourning/weeping.

Aduan ne ahwiesa afɔrebɔde, wɔayi afi Awurade fi. Asɔfo no retwa adwo, wɔn a wɔsom wɔ Awurade anim no.

10 [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.

Mfuw asɛe, asase no so awo wosee aduan no asɛe nsa foforo no ayow ngo nyinaa asa.

11 You farmers, grieve! You who take care of grapevines, wail, because the grain has been destroyed; there is no wheat or barley growing.

Mo ani nwu, mo akuafo, muntwa adwo, mo a mudua bobe; Munsi apini mma awi ne atoko, efisɛ otwabere no asɛe.

12 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.

Bobe no akisa na borɔdɔma nnua no awuwu. Atoaa nnua, mmedua, aprɛ ne nnua a ɛwɔ mfuw no so nyinaa ahyew. Nokware, anigye a nnipa wɔ no atu ayera.

13 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.

Mumfura atweaatam na munni awerɛhow, asɔfo; mo a mosom wɔ afɔremuka anim, muntwa adwo. Mumfura atweaatam mmesi pɛ, mo a mosom wɔ Onyankopɔn anim; efisɛ aduan ne ahwiesa afɔrebɔde no to atwa wɔ Onyankopɔn fi.

14 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].

Mommɔ mmuadadi kronkron ho dawuru; momfrɛ nhyiamu kronkron. Momfrɛ mpanyimfo ne wɔn a wɔte asase no so nyinaa mmra Awurade mo Nyankopɔn fi na wommesu mfrɛ Awurade.

15 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.

A, da no de! Awurade da no abɛn; Ɛbɛba sɛ ɔsɛe a efi Otumfo hɔ.

16 Our crops are already gone, and no [one is] rejoicing at all [DOU] at the temple of our God.

So aduan ho nkɔɔ wɛn, a yɛani tua, anigye ne ahosɛpɛw to atwa wɔ yɛn Nyankopɔn fi ana?

17 [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].

Aba no wu wɔ asase wosee mu, adekoradan abubu, aburowpata nso so nni mfaso, efisɛ nnuan no ahyew.

18 Our cattle groan, searching for a pasture with some grass to eat, and the sheep bleat because they are suffering.

Sɛnea anantwi su! na anantwikuw kyinkyin kwa. Nguankuw mpo rebrɛ efisɛ wonni didibea.

19 Yahweh, I cry [out] to you, because our pastures and our forests have dried up in the hot sunshine [MET].

Awurade, wo na misu frɛ wo, efisɛ ogya ahyew sare so adidibea, na ogyatannaa ahyew mfuw no so nnua nyinaa.

20 [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.

Wuram mmoa mpo pere hwehwɛ wo. Nsuwansuwa ayoyow, na ogya ahyew sare so adidibea.