Yoweeri 1
1 Buno bwe bubaka bwa Mukama obwajjira Yoweeri mutabani wa Pesweri.
The Lord’s message that came to Joel, son of Pethuel.
2 Muwulirize mmwe abakadde ba Isirayiri, buli ali mu nsi naye awulirize. Kino kyali kibaddewo mu biseera byammwe, oba mu biseera bya bakitammwe?
Hear this, elders, pay attention, all inhabitants of the land. Has anything like this happened in your days, or in the days of your ancestors?
3 Mukibuulire abaana bammwe, nabo balikibuulira abaana baabwe, nabo balikibuulira ab’emirembe egiriddawo.
Recount it to your children; let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the generation that follows.
4 Ebibinja by’enzige ebisooka bye zitalidde, enzige eziddirira zibirumbye, ate ezo bye zireseewo, enzige ento bye ziridde, ate zino bye zireseewo, enzige endala ne zibizikiririza ddala byonna!
That which the cutting locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten, that which the swarming locust has left, the hopping locust has eaten, and that which the hopping locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.
5 Muzuukuke, mmwe abatamiivu, mwekaabire amaziga; mukube ebiwoobe mmwe mwenna abanywi b’omwenge, mukube ebiwoobe kubanga akamwa kammwe katuuse okwerabira omwenge omusu.
Awake, drunkards, and weep, and wail, all drinkers of wine; the new wine is cut off from your mouth.
6 Eggwanga lirumbye ensi yange, ery’amaanyi ennyo era ery’abantu abatabalika. Amannyo gaalyo gali ng’ag’empologoma, n’amasongezo gaalyo ng’ag’empologoma enkazi.
For a nation has come up on my land, powerful, and numberless; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and its jaw-teeth are like those of a lioness.
7 Eggwanga eryo lizikirizza emizabbibu gyange, ne limalawo emitiini gyange. Lisusumbudde ebikuta byagyo, byonna biri ku ttaka, amatabi gaagyo gasigadde gatukuuliridde.
It has laid waste my vines, and barked my fig tree; it has peeled and cast it away, bleached are the branches.
8 Mukungubage nga nnamwandu omuto afiiriddwa bba, ng’ayambadde ebibukutu olw’ennaku.
Wail as a bride, clad in sack-cloth, for the husband of her youth.
9 Ebiweebwayo eby’emmere ey’empeke n’ebiweebwayo eby’okunywa tewakyali kirabikako mu nnyumba ya Mukama. Bakabona abaweerereza mu maaso ga Katonda bakungubaga.
Cut off are the cereal and drink-offerings from the house of the Lord; in mourning are the priests, who minister at the Lord’s altar.
10 Ennimiro ziweddemu ebirime; ettaka likaze, Emmere ey’empeke eweddewo, omwenge omusu n’amafuta g’emizeeyituuni ne bibulira ddala.
The fields are blasted, the land is in mourning, for ruined is the corn, the new wine fails and the oil is dried up.
11 Mmwe abalimi mukwatibwe entiisa, mmwe abalima emizabbibu mukaabe. Mukaabire eŋŋaano ne sayiri, kubanga ebyandikunguddwa byonna biweddewo.
Be dismayed, farmers; wail, vine-dressers. For the wheat and the barley; for the harvest is lost from the fields.
12 Omuzabbibu gukaze n’omutiini guyongobedde. Omukomamawanga, n’olukindu ne apo n’emiti gyonna egy’omu nnimiro giwotose. Abantu tebakyalina ssanyu.
The vine fails to bear fruit, and the fig tree is drooping; the pomegranate, palm, and apple, all the trees of the field are dried up. The people’s joy withers.
13 Mmwe bakabona, mwesibe mwambale ebibukutu mukungubage. Mmwe abaweereza ba Katonda wange ab’oku kyoto, mweyale wansi awali ekyoto, musule awo ekiro kyonna nga mukuba ebiwoobe, kubanga mu nnyumba ya Katonda wammwe temukyali kiweebwayo kyonna, eky’emmere ey’empeke oba eky’envinnyo.
Put on sackcloth, and beat your breasts, priests; wail, ministers of the altar; come, lie all night in sack-cloth, ministers of God; for cereal-offering and drink-offering are cut off from the house of your God.
14 Mulangirire okusiiba okutukuvu n’okukuŋŋaana mu maaso ga Katonda. Muyite abakulu abakulembeze n’abantu bonna ababeera mu nsi, bajje mu nnyumba ya Mukama Katonda waabwe bamukaabirire.
Sanctify a fast, summon an assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, cry to the Lord:
15 Zitusanze olw’olunaku luli! Kubanga olunaku lwa Mukama olw’entiisa lusembedde. Lulijja, ng’okuzikiriza okuva eri Ayinzabyonna.
Alas for the day! Near at hand is the day of the Lord, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.
16 Emmere tetuweddeeko nga tulaba? Essanyu n’okujaguza mu nnyumba ya Katonda waffe tebikomye?
Is not food cut off from before us, gladness and joy from the house of our God?
17 Ensigo ziwotokedde mu ttaka, amawanika makalu n’ebyagi by’emmere bikaze, kubanga emmere ey’empeke eweddewo.
The grains shrivel under their hoes, the storehouses are desolate, the barns broken down, for the corn is withered.
18 Ensolo nga zisinda! Amagana gabuliddwa amagezi; kubanga tewali muddo, n’endiga nazo zidooba.
How the herds of cattle bellow in distress, for they have no pasture! The flocks of sheep are forlorn.
19 Ayi Mukama, Ggwe gwe nkaabirira, kubanga omuddo gwonna gumaliddwawo empiira, n’emiti gyonna egy’omu nnimiro nagyo giyidde.
To you, the Lord, I cry. For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and flame has scorched all the trees of the field.
20 Ensolo ez’omu nsiko nazo zikukaabira okuziyamba, emigga gikalidde, ne gye ziriira, omuddo gwonna guyidde.
The wild animals also look up to you longingly, for the water-courses are dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
