Yoweeri 1
1 Buno bwe bubaka bwa Mukama obwajjira Yoweeri mutabani wa Pesweri.
[I am] Joel, the son of Pethuel. [This is] a message that Yahweh gave to me.
2 Muwulirize mmwe abakadde ba Isirayiri, buli ali mu nsi naye awulirize. Kino kyali kibaddewo mu biseera byammwe, oba mu biseera bya bakitammwe?
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 Mukibuulire abaana bammwe, nabo balikibuulira abaana baabwe, nabo balikibuulira ab’emirembe egiriddawo.
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 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!
[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 Muzuukuke, mmwe abatamiivu, mwekaabire amaziga; mukube ebiwoobe mmwe mwenna abanywi b’omwenge, mukube ebiwoobe kubanga akamwa kammwe katuuse okwerabira omwenge omusu.
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 Eggwanga lirumbye ensi yange, ery’amaanyi ennyo era ery’abantu abatabalika. Amannyo gaalyo gali ng’ag’empologoma, n’amasongezo gaalyo ng’ag’empologoma enkazi.
[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 Eggwanga eryo lizikirizza emizabbibu gyange, ne limalawo emitiini gyange. Lisusumbudde ebikuta byagyo, byonna biri ku ttaka, amatabi gaagyo gasigadde gatukuuliridde.
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 Mukungubage nga nnamwandu omuto afiiriddwa bba, ng’ayambadde ebibukutu olw’ennaku.
Cry like [SIM] a young woman cries when the young man to whom she was (engaged/promised to marry) has died.
9 Ebiweebwayo eby’emmere ey’empeke n’ebiweebwayo eby’okunywa tewakyali kirabikako mu nnyumba ya Mukama. Bakabona abaweerereza mu maaso ga Katonda bakungubaga.
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 Ennimiro ziweddemu ebirime; ettaka likaze, Emmere ey’empeke eweddewo, omwenge omusu n’amafuta g’emizeeyituuni ne bibulira ddala.
[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 Mmwe abalimi mukwatibwe entiisa, mmwe abalima emizabbibu mukaabe. Mukaabire eŋŋaano ne sayiri, kubanga ebyandikunguddwa byonna biweddewo.
You farmers, grieve! You who take care of grapevines, wail, because the grain has been destroyed; there is no wheat or barley growing.
12 Omuzabbibu gukaze n’omutiini guyongobedde. Omukomamawanga, n’olukindu ne apo n’emiti gyonna egy’omu nnimiro giwotose. Abantu tebakyalina ssanyu.
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 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.
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 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.
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 Zitusanze olw’olunaku luli! Kubanga olunaku lwa Mukama olw’entiisa lusembedde. Lulijja, ng’okuzikiriza okuva eri Ayinzabyonna.
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 Emmere tetuweddeeko nga tulaba? Essanyu n’okujaguza mu nnyumba ya Katonda waffe tebikomye?
Our crops are already gone, and no [one is] rejoicing at all [DOU] at the temple of our God.
17 Ensigo ziwotokedde mu ttaka, amawanika makalu n’ebyagi by’emmere bikaze, kubanga emmere ey’empeke eweddewo.
[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 Ensolo nga zisinda! Amagana gabuliddwa amagezi; kubanga tewali muddo, n’endiga nazo zidooba.
Our cattle groan, searching for a pasture with some grass to eat, and the sheep bleat because they are suffering.
19 Ayi Mukama, Ggwe gwe nkaabirira, kubanga omuddo gwonna gumaliddwawo empiira, n’emiti gyonna egy’omu nnimiro nagyo giyidde.
Yahweh, I cry [out] to you, because our pastures and our forests have dried up in the hot sunshine [MET].
20 Ensolo ez’omu nsiko nazo zikukaabira okuziyamba, emigga gikalidde, ne gye ziriira, omuddo gwonna guyidde.
[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.
