Joeli 1
1 Tala liloba oyo Yawe alobaki na nzela ya Joeli, mwana mobali ya Petueli:
A word of Jehovah that hath been unto Joel, son of Pethuel:
2 — Bino bakambi ya bato, boyoka liloba oyo; bino nyonso, bavandi ya mokili, botia matoyi mpe boyoka! Boni, likambo ya boye esila kosalema na tango na bino to mpe na tango ya bakoko na bino?
Hear this, ye aged ones, And give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land, Hath this been in your days? Or in the days of your fathers?
3 Boyebisa yango epai ya bana na bino, mpe tika ete bana na bino bayebisa yango epai ya bana na bango; mpe bana na bango, na milongo ya bato oyo bakoya na sima.
Concerning it to your sons talk ye, And your sons to their sons, And their sons to another generation.
4 Matiti oyo mampinga ya mabanki etiki, mabanki minene elie yango; oyo mabanki minene etiki, mabanki mike elie yango; oyo mabanki mike etiki, mabanki mosusu elie yango.
What is left of the palmer-worm, eaten hath the locust, And what is left of the locust, Eaten hath the cankerworm, And what is left of the cankerworm, Eaten hath the caterpillar.
5 Bino balangwi masanga, bolamuka mpe bolela; bolela, bino nyonso bameli vino. Pamba te babotoli bino vino ya sika na bibebu.
Awake, ye drunkards, and weep, And howl all drinking wine, because of the juice, For it hath been cut off from your mouth.
6 Ekolo moko ya bapaya ebundisi mokili na Ngai, ezali na nguya makasi mpe bakokoka te kotanga motango ya bato na yango. Minu na yango ezali lokola minu ya nkosi ya mobali, mpe mbanga na yango, lokola mbanga ya nkosi ya mwasi.
For a nation hath come up on my land, Strong, and there is no number, Its teeth [are] the teeth of a lion, And it hath the jaw-teeth of a lioness.
7 Ekolo yango ekomisi elanga na Ngai ya vino lokola esobe mpe ekati-kati banzete na Ngai ya figi, elongoli banzete na Ngai nyonso baposo, ebwaki yango mpe etiki bitape na yango pembe.
It hath made my vine become a desolation, And my fig-tree become a chip, It hath made it thoroughly bare, and hath cast down, Made white have been its branches.
8 Bosala matanga lokola elenge mwasi oyo alati pili mpo na kolela mobandami na ye.
Wail, as a virgin girdeth with sackcloth, For the husband of her youth.
9 Makabo ya bambuma mpe ya masanga ezali kopesama lisusu te na Tempelo ya Yawe. Banganga-Nzambe, basali ya Nkolo, bazali na matanga.
Cut off hath been present and libation from the house of Jehovah, Mourned have the priests, ministrants of Jehovah.
10 Bilanga ebebisami, mabele ekawuki, mbuma ya ble ezali lisusu te, vino esili mpe mafuta ezali lisusu te.
Spoiled is the field, mourned hath the ground, For spoiled is the corn, Dried up hath been new wine, languish doth oil.
11 Bino basali bilanga, bozala na soni; bino baloni vino, bolela mpo na mbuma ya ble mpe ya orje, pamba te milona ebebisami.
Be ashamed, ye husbandmen, Howl, vine-dressers, for wheat and for barley, For perished hath the harvest of the field.
12 Bilanga ya vino ekawuki, banzete ya figi elembi-lembi, banzete ya grenade, ya mbila mpe ya pome, banzete nyonso ya bilanga esili kokawuka. Solo, esengo ya bato esili.
The vine hath been dried up, And the fig-tree doth languish, Pomegranate, also palm, and apple-tree, All trees of the field have withered, For dried up hath been joy from the sons of men.
13 Oh bino Banganga-Nzambe, bolata basaki mpe bolela. Bino bato oyo bosalaka na etumbelo, bolela. Bino basali ya Nzambe na ngai, boya, bolata basaki butu mobimba. Pamba te makabo ya bambuma mpe ya masanga ezali kopesama lisusu te na Ndako ya Nzambe na bino.
Gird, and lament, ye priests, Howl, ye ministrants of the altar, Come in, lodge in sackcloth, ministrants of my God, For withheld from the house of your God hath been present and libation.
14 Bopanza sango ya kokila bilei, bobengisa bato na mayangani ya bule, bobengisa bakambi mpe bavandi nyonso ya mokili ete baya na Ndako ya Nzambe na bino mpe bolela epai na Yawe.
Sanctify a fast, proclaim a restraint, Gather the elders — all the inhabitants of the land, [Into] the house of Jehovah your God,
15 Mawa na mokolo wana! Pamba te mokolo ya Yawe ekomi pene; ekoya lokola libebi oyo ewuti epai na Nkolo-Na-Nguya-Nyonso.
And cry unto Jehovah, 'Alas for the day! For near [is] a day of Jehovah, And as destruction from the mighty it cometh.
16 Boni, wuta na Ndako ya Nzambe mpe na miso na biso, balongoli te bilei, esengo mpe kosepela?
Is not before our eyes food cut off? From the house of our God joy and rejoicing?
17 Bankona ekawuki na se ya mabele, bibombelo etikali lisusu na eloko te, bibombelo ya bambuma ebukani mpo ete ble ezali lisusu te.
Rotted have scattered things under their clods, Desolated have been storehouses, Broken down have been granaries, For withered hath the corn.
18 Tika ete ngombe elela! Bibwele ekomi kotelengana, pamba te matiti ya kolia etikali lisusu te; ezala bameme to bantaba ekomi na pasi.
How have cattle sighed! Perplexed have been droves of oxen, For there is no pasture for them, Also droves of sheep have been desolated.
19 Oh Yawe, Yo nde nazali kobelela, pamba te moto ezikisi matiti mpe banzete nyonso ya bilanga.
Unto Thee, O Jehovah, I do call, For fire hath consumed comely places of a wilderness, And a flame hath set on fire all trees of the field.
20 Ezala banyama ya zamba ezali kotalela Yo, pamba te miluka ekawuki mpe moto ezikisi bilanga.
Also the cattle of the field long for Thee, For dried up have been streams of water, And fire hath consumed comely places of a wilderness!'
