< Yoel 1 >

1 Esiae nye gbedeasi si va na Yoel, Petuel ƒe vi, tso Yehowa gbɔ.
The word of Yahweh, which came unto Joel, son of Pethuel.
2 Miɖo to afii, mi Israel ƒe ame tsitsiwo! Mi anyigbadzitɔwo, mise nya sia ɖa. Le miaƒe agbemeŋkekewo katã me ɖe, miese nya sia tɔgbi kpɔa?
Hear this, ye elders, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land, —hath this ever happened in your days? or in the days of your fathers?
3 Mitsɔe xlɔ̃ nu mia viwoe eye woawo hã nagblɔe na wo viwo ne wòazu xotunya tso dzidzime yi dzidzime.
Concerning it, to your children, tell ye the story, —and your children, to their children, and their children, to the generation following: —
4 Nu siwo ʋetsuviwo ƒe ha gã agblẽ ɖi la, ʋetsuviwo aɖui, nu siwo ʋetsuviwo agblẽ ɖi la, ʋetrawo aɖui, eye nu siwo ʋetrawo agblẽ ɖi la, abɔwo aɖui.
That which was left by the creeping locust, hath the swarming locust eaten, and, that which was left by the swarming locust, hath the grass locust eaten; and, that which was left by the grass locust, hath the corn locust eaten.
5 Minyɔ, mi ahanomunɔwo, ne miafa avi hehehe, mi waintsunolawo, mifa avi, elabena woɖe wain le miaƒe nu me, eye miagakpɔ wain yeye ano o!
Awake, ye drunkards, and weep, and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, —over the new wine, because it hath been cut off from your mouth.
6 Dukɔ gã aɖe va xɔ anyigba la katã dzi. Ŋɔdzi le wo ŋu ŋutɔ eye ame aɖeke mate ŋu axlẽ wo o, evɔ woƒe aɖuwo hã le ɖaɖam abe dzatatsu ƒe aɖuwo kple dzatanɔ ƒe tsyowo ene!
For, a nation, hath come up over my land, bold, and without number, —his teeth, are the teeth of a lion, and, the fangs of a lioness, hath he!
7 Wogblẽ nye waingble dome. Wogblẽ nye gbotiwo, wokuko tsro le atilɔwo ŋuti ƒiaƒiaƒia eye wofu ɣie.
He hath turned my vine to a waste, and my fig-tree to splinters, —he hath, barked it clean, and cast it down, bleached are its branches.
8 Mifa konyi abe ale si ɖetugbi si ƒe ŋugbetɔsrɔ̃ ku la wɔnɛ ene.
Wail thou, like a virgin girded with sackcloth, for the owner of her youth.
9 Nuɖuvɔsa kple nunovɔsa le Yehowa ƒe gbedoxɔ me nu tso; ale dɔwuame to na nunɔlaawo kple ame siwo subɔna le Yehowa ƒe aƒe me eye wole konyi fam.
Cut off are the meal-offering and the drink-offering, from the house of Yahweh, —In grief are the priests, the attendants on Yahweh: —
10 Agblewo ɖi gbɔlo, anyigba ƒu kplakplakpla, bliwo dome gblẽ, wain yeye megali o, eye ami hã nu tso.
Laid waste is the field, in grief is the soil, —for laid waste is the corn, abashed is the new wine, languisheth the oil.
11 Azɔ mi agbledelawo, dzika netso mia ƒo, eye mialulũ, mi waingbledelawo, mifa avi sesĩe. Mifa avi ɖe lu kple ƒo hã ta elabena nuŋeŋe nu tso le agble me.
Turn pale, ye husbandmen, howl, ye vinedressers, over the wheat, and over the barley, —for perished is the harvest of the field.
12 Wainkawo ku, gboti yrɔ, yevuboɖatiwo ƒu, detiwo kple atɔtɔŋutiwo kple agblemetiwo katã kura hã ku. Amegbetɔ ƒe dzidzɔ ɖe sia ɖe nu tso.
The vine, is abashed, and, the fig-tree, languisheth, —pomegranate, palm also, and apple—all the trees of the field, have withered, Yea abashed is gladness, away from the sons of men.
13 O mi nunɔlawo, mita akpanya eye mixa nu. Mifa avi, mi ame siwo subɔna le vɔsamlekpui la ŋgɔ, mitsi ŋu dɔ miafa avi zã blibo la katã, mi ame siwo subɔna le nye Mawu ŋkume. Elabena womagatsɔ nuɖuvɔsa kple nunovɔsa va miaƒe Mawu la ƒe aƒe me o.
Gird yourselves and beat the breast—ye priests, howl, ye attendants of the altar, go in and wrap yourselves for the night in sackcloth, ye attendants on my God, —for, withholden from the house of your God, are the meal-offering and the drink- offering.
14 Miɖo nutsitsidɔ kɔkɔe eye miyɔ takpekpe tɔxɛ. Miyɔ ame tsitsiwo kple anyigbadzinɔlawo katã yi ɖe Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu la ƒe gbedoxɔ me eye miafa avi le afi ma na Yehowa.
Hallow ye a fast, Call a solemn assembly, Gather, O elders, all the inhabitants of the land, unto the house of Yahweh your God, —and make ye outcry unto Yahweh.
15 O ŋkeke ma! Elabena Yehowa ƒe ŋkeke la tu aƒe. Ava abe gbegblẽ ene tso Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la gbɔ.
Alas for the day! For near is the day of Yahweh, and, as a veritable Destruction from the Destroyer, shall it come.
16 Ɖe nuɖuɖuwo mevɔ le mia ŋkume eye dzidzɔ kple aseyetsotso le miaƒe Mawu la ƒe gbedoxɔ me mawu enu oa?
Is it not, before our eyes, that, food, hath been cut off? From the house of our God, rejoicing and exultation.
17 Nukuwo ƒaƒã ɖe woƒe gowo me, blivawo kple texɔwo tsi ƒuƒlu eye bli matsimatsiwo ku, heƒu ɖe bo dzi.
Rotted hath the seed, under their clods, Laid waste are their stores, Thrown down are the garners, —Yea abashed is the corn.
18 Nyiwo le ŋeŋem, nyihawo le nu kpɔm nublanuitɔe, elabena nuɖuɖu meli na wo o, eye alẽhawo le fu kpem.
How do the beasts groan! Perplexed are the herds of oxen, because there is no pasture for them, —even, the flocks of sheep, are destroyed!
19 Yehowa, xɔ na mí! Elabena dzo bi gbe damawo, eye dzo ƒe aɖe fia atiwo katã le gbedzi.
Unto thee, O Yahweh, will I cry, —for, a fire, hath consumed the pastures of the wilderness, and, a flame, hath set ablaze all the trees of the field.
20 Gbemelãwo gɔ̃ hã le ɣli dom be nàxɔ na yewo, elabena tsi mie le tɔʋuwo me, dzo bi gbe siwo le lãnyiƒewo keŋ.
Even the beasts of the field, moan unto thee, —because dried up are the channels of water, and, a fire, hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

< Yoel 1 >