Jowèl 1
1 Men mesaj Seyè a te bay Joèl, pitit gason Petwèl la.
[I am] Joel, the son of Pethuel. [This is] a message that Yahweh gave to me.
2 Nou menm vye granmoun yo, koute byen! Nou menm ki rete nan peyi Jida a, louvri zòrèy nou! Eske nan tan pa nou, osinon nan tan zansèt nou yo bagay konsa te janm rive?
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.
3 N'a rakonte pitit nou yo sa. Yo menm, y'a rakonte pitit pa yo sa. Lèfini, pitit yo menm va rakonte l' bay moun k'ap vin apre yo.
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.
4 Sa jenn ti krikèt yo kite, gwo krikèt devore sa. Sa gwo krikèt yo kite, ti chini devore sa. Sa ti chini yo kite, gwo chini devore sa.
[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].
5 Leve non, bann gwògè! Kriye non! Nou menm ki renmen bweson, pete rele! Paske pa gen rezen pou fè diven nivo pou nou ankò.
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]!
6 Yon lame krikèt atake peyi nou an. Yo gwonèg, moun pa ka konte yo. Dan yo tankou dan lyon, kwòk dan yo tankou dan femèl lyon.
[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]!
7 Yo fini ak jaden rezen nou yo. Yo manje tout pye fig frans nou yo. Yo wete tout kòs pye fig frans yo voye jete atè. Branch pye rezen yo rete kanpe tou blan.
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)].
8 Nou menm pèp la, nou mèt plenn, tankou yon jenn fi, rad sak li sou li, k'ap plenn lanmò fiyanse l'.
Cry like [SIM] a young woman cries when the young man to whom she was (engaged/promised to marry) has died.
9 Pa gen grenn jaden, ni diven pou fè ofrann nan tanp Seyè a. Prèt yo, sèvitè Seyè a, nan lapenn.
There is no grain or wine for us to offer [as sacrifices] at the temple, [so] the priests who serve Yahweh are mourning/weeping.
10 Tout jaden yo blanch. Tè a nan lapenn. Tout pye ble yo fin mouri. Pye rezen yo cheche. Pye oliv yo rabougri.
[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.
11 Kiltivatè yo pa konn sa pou yo fè. Moun k'ap okipe jaden rezen yo ap plenn paske pa gen ble, pa gen lòj. Tout rekòt yo pèdi nèt.
You farmers, grieve! You who take care of grapevines, wail, because the grain has been destroyed; there is no wheat or barley growing.
12 Pye rezen yo ap cheche, pye fig frans yo ap mouri. Pye grenad, pye palmis, pye ponm, tout pye fwi nan jaden fin fennen. Pa gen moun ki gen kè kontan ankò.
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.
13 Nou menm prèt yo, mete rad sak sou nou! Pete rele! Nou menm k'ap sèvi devan lotèl la, mare ren nou. Ale nan tanp lan, pase nwit lan ak rad sak sou nou. Nou menm k'ap fè sèvis pou Bondye m' lan, nou nan lapenn. Pa gen grenn jaden, pa gen diven pou fè ofrann nan kay Bondye nou an.
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.
14 Bay lòd pou yo fè jèn! Rele tout moun vini! Sanble tout chèf yo ansanm ak tout moun ki rete nan peyi a, nan kay Seyè a, Bondye nou an. Rele nan pye Seyè a.
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].
15 Ala yon gwo jou papa! Jou Seyè a pa lwen rive. Se jou Bondye ki gen tout pouvwa a ap vini kraze brize. Jou sa a ap bay gwo lapenn.
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.
16 N'ap gade konsa, rekòt nou yo ap disparèt devan je nou san nou pa ka fè anyen! Pa gen kè kontan, pa gen fèt nan kay Bondye nou an!
Our crops are already gone, and no [one is] rejoicing at all [DOU] at the temple of our God.
17 Grenn yo plante yo rete anba tè. Kay depo yo fin kraze. Galata yo vid. Pa gen rekòt pou mete ladan yo.
[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].
18 Zannimo yo ap plenn, bann bèf yo pa konn kote pou yo ale. Yo pa jwenn anyen pou yo manje nan savann. Ata mouton yo ap soufri grangou.
Our cattle groan, searching for a pasture with some grass to eat, and the sheep bleat because they are suffering.
19 Seyè, m'ap rele nan pye ou! paske chechrès la fini ak jaden zèb yo. Ou ta di se dife ki boule tout pyebwa yo!
Yahweh, I cry [out] to you, because our pastures and our forests have dried up in the hot sunshine [MET].
20 Ata zannimo nan savann yo ap rele nan pye ou, paske tout larivyè yo chèch nèt. Dife boule tout zèb nan savann yo.
[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.
