Jowèl 1
1 Pawòl SENYÈ a te vin kote Joël, fis a Pethuel la.
[I am] Joel, the son of Pethuel. [This is] a message that Yahweh gave to me.
2 Koute sa ansyen nou yo, koute sa, tout abitan peyi a! Èske yon bagay konsa konn rive nan jou nou yo, oswa nan jou a papa zansèt nou yo?
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 Pale pitit nou yo bagay sa a, e kite pitit nou pale pitit pa yo ak pitit a yon lòt jenerasyon.
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 ke ti krikèt la te kite, gwo krikèt la fin manje. Sa ke gwo krikèt la te kite, ti cheni an te manje. Sa ke ti cheni an te kite, gwo cheni an te manje.
[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 Moun sou yo, leve pou nou ka kriye! Rele fò, nou tout k ap bwè diven an, akoz diven dous lan, paske li deja retire pou l kite bouch nou.
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 Paske yon nasyon deja anvayi peyi mwen an, ak gwo pwisans, fòs kantite moun depase kontwòl. Dan l se dan a yon lyon; gwo dan l yo se tankou dan a yon manman 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 Li te fè chan rezen mwen an vin yon kote gate. Li te rache pye fig mwen an. Li fin rache li nèt nèt, e jete li. Branch yo te vin blanch.
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 Rele fò tankou yon vyèj ki abiye ak twal sak pou fiyanse jenès li ki mouri.
Cry like [SIM] a young woman cries when the young man to whom she was (engaged/promised to marry) has died.
9 Ofrann sereyal ak ofrann bwason an vin kou pe soti lakay SENYÈ a. Prèt yo, sèvitè a SENYÈ a, ap lamante.
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 Chan an vin gate nèt. Peyi a ap fè dèy. Paske tout sereyal la fin gate nèt. Diven nèf la fin seche, lwil fre a vin sispann.
[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 Se pou nou pa konprann anyèn, O kiltivatè yo! Rele anmwey, O nou menm k ap okipe pye rezen yo! Ble ak lòj la te peri nèt; rekòlt chan an fin detwi.
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 an vin sèch, e pye fig la vin pa donnen. Pye grenad la, pye palmis lan ak pye pòm nan; menm tout pyebwa nan chan an fin cheche. Anverite Lajwa a vin seche soti pami fis a lòm yo.
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 Mare senti nou ak twal sak e kriye fò, O prèt yo, Rele anmwey! O sèvitè a lotèl yo, Vin pase nwit lan ak twal sak, chèf sèvitè a Bondye mwen yo. Paske ofrann sereyal la ak ofrann bwason an p ap antre lakay 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 Vin konsakre jèn nan! Pwoklame asanble solanèl lan! Rasanble tout ansyen yo ak tout moun ki rete nan peyi a, pou yo vini lakay SENYÈ a, Bondye nou an, pou kriye fò anvè SENYÈ 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 Elas pou jou a! Paske jou SENYÈ a vin pwòch. Li va vini tankou destriksyon ki soti nan Toupwisan an.
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 Èske manje a pa t retire soti devan zye nou? Lajwa ak kè kontan soti lakay Bondye nou an?
Our crops are already gone, and no [one is] rejoicing at all [DOU] at the temple of our God.
17 Jèm yo vin pouri anba bòl tè yo. Depo yo vin abandone. Kay depo yo fin demoli nèt, paske sereyal la vin sispann nèt.
[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 Ala plenyen bèt yo plenyen nan gòj! Twoupo bèf yo ap gaye toupatou, paske pa gen patiraj pou yo. Menm bann mouton yo ap soufri.
Our cattle groan, searching for a pasture with some grass to eat, and the sheep bleat because they are suffering.
19 A Ou menm, O SENYÈ, Mwen kriye; paske dife fin devore patiraj nan savann yo, e flanm dife fin brile tout pyebwa nan chan yo.
Yahweh, I cry [out] to you, because our pastures and our forests have dried up in the hot sunshine [MET].
20 Menm bèt chan yo rele vè Ou menm; paske sous dlo yo fin seche e dife a te devore tout patiraj 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.
