Joel 1
1 [I am] Joel, the son of Pethuel. [This is] a message that Yahweh gave to me.
Neno la Bwana ambalo lilimjia Yoeli mwana wa Pethueli.
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.
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 tell your children to tell it to their children, and tell your grandchildren to tell it to their children.
Waelezeni watoto wenu, na watoto wenu wawaambie watoto wao, na watoto wao kwa kizazi kitakachofuata.
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].
Kilichosazwa na kundi la tunutu nzige wakubwa wamekula, kilichosazwa na nzige wakubwa parare wamekula, kilichosazwa na parare madumadu wamekula.
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]!
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 [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]!
Taifa limevamia nchi yangu, lenye nguvu tena lisilo na idadi; lina meno ya simba, magego ya simba jike.
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)].
Limeharibu mizabibu yangu na kuangamiza mitini yangu. Limebambua magome yake na kuyatupilia mbali, likayaacha matawi yake yakiwa meupe.
8 Cry like [SIM] a young woman cries when the young man to whom she was (engaged/promised to marry) has died.
Omboleza kama bikira aliyevaa nguo ya gunia anayehuzunika kwa ajili ya mume wa ujana wake.
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.
Sadaka za nafaka na sadaka za kinywaji zimekatiliwa mbali kutoka nyumba ya Bwana. Makuhani wanaomboleza, wale wanaohudumu mbele za Bwana.
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.
Mashamba yameharibiwa, ardhi imekauka; nafaka imeharibiwa, mvinyo mpya umekauka, mafuta yamekoma.
11 You farmers, grieve! You who take care of grapevines, wail, because the grain has been destroyed; there is no wheat or barley growing.
Kateni tamaa, enyi wakulima, lieni, enyi mlimao mizabibu; huzunikeni kwa ajili ya ngano na shayiri, kwa sababu mavuno ya shambani yameharibiwa.
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.
Mzabibu umekauka na mtini umenyauka; mkomamanga, mtende na mtofaa, miti yote shambani, imekauka. Hakika furaha yote ya mwanadamu imeondoka.
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.
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 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].
Tangazeni saumu takatifu; liiteni kusanyiko takatifu. Iteni wazee na wote waishio katika nchi waende katika nyumba ya Bwana Mungu wenu, wakamlilie Bwana.
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.
Ole kwa siku hiyo! Kwa kuwa siku ya Bwana iko karibu; itakuja kama uharibifu kutoka kwa Mwenyezi.
16 Our crops are already gone, and no [one is] rejoicing at all [DOU] at the temple of our God.
Je, chakula hakikukatiliwa mbali mbele ya macho yetu: furaha na shangwe kutoka nyumba ya Mungu wetu?
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].
Mbegu zinakauka chini ya mabonge ya udongo. Ghala zimeachwa katika uharibifu, ghala za nafaka zimebomolewa, kwa maana hakuna nafaka.
18 Our cattle groan, searching for a pasture with some grass to eat, and the sheep bleat because they are suffering.
Jinsi gani ngʼombe wanavyolia! Makundi ya mifugo yanahangaika kwa sababu hawana malisho; hata makundi ya kondoo yanateseka.
19 Yahweh, I cry [out] to you, because our pastures and our forests have dried up in the hot sunshine [MET].
Kwako, Ee Bwana, naita, kwa kuwa moto umeteketeza malisho ya mbugani na miali ya moto imeunguza miti yote shambani.
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.
Hata wanyama wa porini wanakuonea shauku; vijito vya maji vimekauka, na moto umeteketeza malisho yote ya mbugani.
