UJoweli 1
1 Ilizwi leNkosi elafika kuJoweli indodana kaPethuweli.
The word of Jehovah that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
2 Zwanini lokhu, badala, libeke indlebe, lonke bahlali belizwe. Kwake kwenzeka lokhu yini ensukwini zenu, kumbe lensukwini zaboyihlo?
Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?
3 Landiselani abantwana benu ngakho, labantwana benu abantwana babo, labantwana babo esinye isizukulwana.
Tell your children of it, and [let] your children [tell] their children, and their children another generation:
4 Okutshiywe zintothoviyane isikhonyane sikudlile; lokutshiywe yisikhonyane iqhwagi likudlile; lokutshiywe liqhwagi inswabanda ikudlile.
that which the palmer-worm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.
5 Phaphamani, zidakwa, likhale inyembezi, liqhinqe isililo, lonke banathi bewayini, ngenxa yewayini elitsha, ngoba liqunyiwe lasuka emlonyeni wenu.
Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine: for it is cut off from your mouth.
6 Ngoba isizwe senyukele elizweni lami, esilamandla, esingelanani; amazinyo aso angamazinyo esilwane, silamazinyo emihlathi esilwane esisikazi.
For a nation is come up upon my land, strong and without number: his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a lioness.
7 Senze ivini lami laba yincithakalo, lesihlahla sami somkhiwa saba zimvava; sakwebula lokukwebula, sakuphosela phansi, ingatsha zakho zaba mhlophe.
He hath made my vine a desolation, and barked my fig-tree; he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away: its branches are made white.
8 Qhinqani isililo njengentombi emsulwa ebhinciswe isaka ngenxa yomyeni wobutsha bayo.
Wail like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.
9 Umnikelo wokudla lomnikelo wokunathwayo uqunyiwe wasuka endlini yeNkosi. Abapristi, izikhonzi zeNkosi, bayalila.
The oblation and the drink-offering are cut off from the house of Jehovah; the priests, Jehovah's ministers, mourn.
10 Insimu ichithiwe, umhlabathi uyalila; ngoba amabele achithiwe, iwayini elitsha lomile, amafutha aphela amandla.
The field is laid waste, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted, the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.
11 Banini lenhloni, balimi, qhinqani isililo, baphathizivini, ngenxa yengqoloyi langenxa yebhali; ngoba isivuno sensimu sichithekile.
Be ashamed, ye husbandmen; howl, ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley: because the harvest of the field hath perished.
12 Ivini libunile, lomkhiwa uphele amandla; ipomegranati, lesihlahla selala, lesihlahla se-aphula, zonke izihlahla zeganga zomile, ngoba intokozo ibunile yasuka ebantwaneni babantu.
The vine is dried up, and the fig-tree languisheth; the pomegranate-tree, the palm also and the apple-tree; all the trees of the field are withered, yea, joy is withered away from the children of men.
13 Bhincani, lilile, bapristi, qhinqani isililo, zikhonzi zelathi. Wozani, lilale ebusuku emasakeni, zikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu wami; ngoba umnikelo wokudla lomnikelo wokunathwayo kugodliwe endlini kaNkulunkulu wenu.
Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests; howl, ministers of the altar; come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the oblation and the drink-offering are withholden from the house of your God.
14 Yehlukanisani ukuzila ukudla, libize umhlangano onzulu, libuthanise abadala, labo bonke abahlali belizwe, endlini yeNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu, likhale eNkosini.
Hallow a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, gather the elders, [and] all the inhabitants of the land to the house of Jehovah your God, and cry unto Jehovah.
15 Maye ngalolosuku! Ngoba usuku lweNkosi luseduze, luzafika njengencithakalo evela kuSomandla.
Alas for the day! for the day of Jehovah is at hand, and as destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
16 Ukudla kakuqunywanga yini phambi kwamehlo ethu, ukuthaba lentokozo kusuka endlini kaNkulunkulu wethu?
Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17 Inhlanyelo iyabola ngaphansi kwamagade ayo; izibuya zingamanxiwa, iziphala zidilizelwe phansi, ngoba amabele abunile.
The seeds are rotten under their clods, the granaries are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.
18 Yeka ukububula kwezifuyo! Imihlambi yenkomo ididekile, ngoba kayilalo idlelo; lemihlambi yezimvu iyahlupheka.
How do the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are bewildered, for they have no pasture; the flocks of sheep also are in suffering.
19 Ngiyakhala kuwe, Nkosi, ngoba umlilo uqedile amadlelo enkangala, lelangabi lilumathise zonke izihlahla zeganga.
To thee, Jehovah, do I cry; for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned up all the trees of the field.
20 Lenyamazana zeganga ziyakhala kuwe, ngoba izifudlana zamanzi zitshile, lomlilo uqede amadlelo enkangala.
The beasts of the field also cry unto thee; for the water-courses are dried, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
