< Joeli 1 >

1 Ĩno nĩyo ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova, ĩrĩa yakinyĩrĩire Joeli mũrũ wa Pethueli.
The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel.
2 Ta iguai ũhoro, inyuĩ athuuri; o na inyuĩ inyuothe arĩa mũtũũraga bũrũri ũyũ thikĩrĩriai. Kũrĩ gwekĩka ũndũ ta ũyũ matukũ-inĩ manyu, o na kana matukũ-inĩ ma maithe manyu ma tene?
Listen to this, elders, and pay close attention, all inhabitants of the land. Did this ever happen in your days or in the days of your fathers?
3 Heei ciana cianyu ũhoro ũcio, na mũreke ciana cianyu ciĩre ciana ciacio, nacio ciana ciacio ikeera rũciaro rũrĩa rũkaarũmĩrĩra.
Talk this over with your sons, and your sons with their sons, and their sons with another generation.
4 Kĩndũ kĩrĩa gĩtigĩtio nĩ mũrumbĩ wa ngigĩ-rĩ, nĩkĩrĩtwo nĩ ngigĩ iria nene; kĩrĩa gĩtigĩtio nĩ ngigĩ iria nene-rĩ, nĩkĩrĩtwo nĩ itono; kĩrĩa itono icio itigĩtie-rĩ, nĩkĩrĩtwo nĩ ngigĩ ingĩ.
The locust has eaten what the caterpillar has left, and the beetle has eaten what the locust has left, and the mildew has eaten what the beetle has left.
5 Arahũkai, inyuĩ arĩĩu aya mũrĩre! Girĩkai, inyuothe anyui a ndibei; girĩkai nĩ ũndũ wa ndibei ya mũhihano, nĩgũkorwo nĩĩhurĩtio kuuma tũnua-inĩ twanyu.
Rouse yourselves, you drunkards, and weep and wail, all you who delight in drinking wine; for it has been cut off from your mouth.
6 Harĩ rũrĩrĩ rũtharĩkĩire bũrũri wakwa, rũrĩrĩ rũrĩ hinya na rũtangĩtarĩka; rũrĩ na magego mahaana ta ma mũrũũthi, magego manene ta ma mũrũũthi wa mũgoma.
For a nation has ascended over my land: strong and without number. His teeth are like the teeth of a lion, and his molars are like that of a lion’s young.
7 Nĩ rwanangĩte mĩthabibũ yakwa, na rũgathũkia mĩkũyũ yakwa. Nĩrũmĩũnũrĩte makoni rũkamate, rũgatiga honge ciayo irĩ nyũnũre.
He has put my vineyard into desolation, and he has pulled off the bark of my fig tree. He has stripped it bare and cast it away; its branches have become white.
8 Cakayai ta mũirĩtu gathirange ehumbĩte nguo ya ikũnia, akĩrĩrĩra mũthuuriwe wa wĩthĩ wake.
Lament like a betrothed virgin, wrapped in sackcloth at the loss of the husband of her youth.
9 Maruta ma ngano, o na maruta ma kũnyuuo nĩmatigĩte kũrehwo nyũmba-inĩ ya Jehova. Athĩnjĩri-Ngai nĩmaracakaya, o acio matungatagĩra Jehova.
Sacrifice and libation have perished from the house of the Lord; the priests who are ministers of the Lord have mourned.
10 Mĩgũnda nĩmĩthũkie, nayo thĩ ĩkooma; ngano nĩnyanange, ndibei ya mũhihano nĩĩniarĩte, o namo maguta magathira.
The region has been depopulated, the soil has mourned. For the wheat has been devastated, the wine has been disfigured, the oil has languished.
11 Ũrwoi nĩ hinya, inyuĩ arĩmi, na mũgirĩke, inyuĩ arĩa mũkũragia mĩthabibũ; mwĩthikĩrei nĩ ũndũ wa ngano na cairi, tondũ magetha ma mĩgũnda nĩmanangĩtwo.
The farmers have been confounded, the vineyard workers have wailed over the crop and the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.
12 Mĩthabibũ nĩyũmĩte, nayo mĩkũyũ ĩkahooha; mĩkomamanga, na mĩtende, na mĩcungwa: ĩĩ, mĩtĩ yothe ya mũgũnda nĩyũmĩte. Ti-itherũ gĩkeno kĩa andũ a thĩ nĩgĩthirĩte.
The vineyard is in ruin, and the fig tree has languished. The pomegranate tree, and the palm tree, and the fruit tree, and all the trees of the field have withered. For joy has been thrown into disorder before the sons of men.
13 Mwĩhumbei nguo cia makũnia, inyuĩ athĩnjĩri-Ngai, na mũcakae; girĩkai, inyuĩ mũtungataga kĩgongona-inĩ. Ũkai, mũraare mwĩhumbĩte nguo cia makũnia, inyuĩ mũtungatagĩra Ngai wakwa; nĩgũkorwo maruta ma ngano, na maruta ma kũnyuuo-rĩ, nĩmagĩte gũtwarwo nyũmba-inĩ ya Ngai wanyu.
Priests, gird yourselves and lament. Ministers of the altars, wail. Enter, ministers of my God, lie in sackcloth. For sacrifice and libation have passed away from the house of your God.
14 Anĩrĩrai gĩathĩ kĩamũre gĩa kwĩhinga kũrĩa irio; ĩtanai kĩũngano gĩtheru. Tũmanĩrai athuuri na andũ arĩa othe matũũraga bũrũri ũyũ moke nyũmba ya Jehova Ngai wanyu, nĩguo mũkaĩre Jehova.
Sanctify a fast, call an assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of your God. And cry out to the Lord:
15 Wũi, kaĩ mũthenya ũcio ũrĩ na haaro-ĩ! Nĩgũkorwo mũthenya wa Jehova ũrĩ hakuhĩ; mũthenya ũcio ũgooka ta mwanangĩko uumĩte kũrĩ Mwene-Hinya-Wothe.
“Ah, ah, ah, the day!” For the day of the Lord is near, and it will arrive, like a devastation, before the powerful.
16 Githĩ irio itithirĩte o tũkĩĩonagĩra na maitho maitũ: gĩkeno na gũcanjamũka igathira kuuma kũu nyũmba ya Ngai witũ?
Has not your nourishment perished from before your eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17 Mbeũ nĩkũbutha irabuthĩra tĩĩri-inĩ kũrĩa ihaandĩtwo. Nyũmba cia kũigwo indo nĩnyanange, namo makũmbĩ ma irio makamomorwo, nĩgũkorwo ngano nĩyũmĩte.
The mules have rotted in their own manure, the barns have been demolished, the wine cellars have been destroyed, because the grain has been ruined.
18 Kaĩ ngʼombe nĩicaaĩte-ĩ. Ndũũru cia ngʼombe iroorũũra o ũguo, tondũ itirĩ na gwa kũrĩithio; o nacio ndũũru cia ngʼondu nĩirathĩĩnĩka.
Why have the animals groaned, the herds of cattle bellowed? because there is no pasture for them. Yes, and even the flocks of sheep have been lost.
19 Wee Jehova, nĩwe ndĩrakaĩra, nĩgũkorwo mwaki nĩũniinĩte ũrĩithio wa werũ-inĩ, nacio nĩnĩmbĩ igacina mĩtĩ yothe ya gĩthaka.
To you, O Lord, I will cry out, because fire has devoured the beauty of the wilderness, and the flame has burned all the trees of the countryside.
20 O na nyamũ cia gĩthaka nĩirakwanĩria; tũrũũĩ nĩtũhwĩte, naguo mwaki nĩũniinĩte ũrĩithio wa werũ-inĩ.
Yes, and even the beasts of the field have gazed up at you, like the dry ground thirsting for rain, because the fountains of waters have dried up, and fire has devoured the beauty of the wilderness.

< Joeli 1 >