Joeli 1
1 Neno la Bwana ambalo lilimjia Yoeli mwana wa Pethueli.
The Lord’s message that came to Joel, son of Pethuel.
2 Sikilizeni hili, enyi wazee; sikilizeni, ninyi nyote mnaoishi katika nchi. Je, jambo kama hili lilishawahi kutokea katika siku zenu au katika siku za babu zenu?
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 Waelezeni watoto wenu, na watoto wenu wawaambie watoto wao, na watoto wao kwa kizazi kitakachofuata.
Recount it to your children; let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the generation that follows.
4 Kilichosazwa na kundi la tunutu nzige wakubwa wamekula, kilichosazwa na nzige wakubwa parare wamekula, kilichosazwa na parare madumadu wamekula.
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 Amkeni, enyi walevi, mlie! Pigeni yowe enyi wanywaji wote wa mvinyo, pigeni yowe kwa sababu ya mvinyo mpya, kwa kuwa mmenyangʼanywa kutoka midomoni mwenu.
Awake, drunkards, and weep, and wail, all drinkers of wine; the new wine is cut off from your mouth.
6 Taifa limevamia nchi yangu, lenye nguvu tena lisilo na idadi; lina meno ya simba, magego ya simba jike.
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 Limeharibu mizabibu yangu na kuangamiza mitini yangu. Limebambua magome yake na kuyatupilia mbali, likayaacha matawi yake yakiwa meupe.
It has laid waste my vines, and barked my fig tree; it has peeled and cast it away, bleached are the branches.
8 Omboleza kama bikira aliyevaa nguo ya gunia anayehuzunika kwa ajili ya mume wa ujana wake.
Wail as a bride, clad in sack-cloth, for the husband of her youth.
9 Sadaka za nafaka na sadaka za kinywaji zimekatiliwa mbali kutoka nyumba ya Bwana. Makuhani wanaomboleza, wale wanaohudumu mbele za Bwana.
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 Mashamba yameharibiwa, ardhi imekauka; nafaka imeharibiwa, mvinyo mpya umekauka, mafuta yamekoma.
The fields are blasted, the land is in mourning, for ruined is the grain, the new wine fails and the oil is dried up.
11 Kateni tamaa, enyi wakulima, lieni, enyi mlimao mizabibu; huzunikeni kwa ajili ya ngano na shayiri, kwa sababu mavuno ya shambani yameharibiwa.
Be dismayed, farmers; wail, vine-dressers. For the wheat and the barley; for the harvest is lost from the fields.
12 Mzabibu umekauka na mtini umenyauka; mkomamanga, mtende na mtofaa, miti yote shambani, imekauka. Hakika furaha yote ya mwanadamu imeondoka.
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 Vaeni nguo ya gunia, enyi makuhani, muomboleze; pigeni yowe, enyi mnaohudumu madhabahuni. Njooni, vaeni nguo ya gunia usiku kucha, enyi mnaohudumu mbele za Mungu wangu; kwa kuwa sadaka za nafaka na sadaka za kinywaji zimezuiliwa kufika katika nyumba ya Mungu wenu.
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 Tangazeni saumu takatifu; liiteni kusanyiko takatifu. Iteni wazee na wote waishio katika nchi waende katika nyumba ya Bwana Mungu wenu, wakamlilie Bwana.
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 Ole kwa siku hiyo! Kwa kuwa siku ya Bwana iko karibu; itakuja kama uharibifu kutoka kwa Mwenyezi.
Alas for the day! Near at hand is the day of the Lord, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.
16 Je, chakula hakikukatiliwa mbali mbele ya macho yetu: furaha na shangwe kutoka nyumba ya Mungu wetu?
Is not food cut off from before us, gladness and joy from the house of our God?
17 Mbegu zinakauka chini ya mabonge ya udongo. Ghala zimeachwa katika uharibifu, ghala za nafaka zimebomolewa, kwa maana hakuna nafaka.
The grains shrivel under their hoes, the storehouses are desolate, the barns broken down, for the grain is withered.
18 Jinsi gani ngʼombe wanavyolia! Makundi ya mifugo yanahangaika kwa sababu hawana malisho; hata makundi ya kondoo yanateseka.
How the herds of cattle bellow in distress, for they have no pasture! The flocks of sheep are forlorn.
19 Kwako, Ee Bwana, naita, kwa kuwa moto umeteketeza malisho ya mbugani na miali ya moto imeunguza miti yote shambani.
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 Hata wanyama wa porini wanakuonea shauku; vijito vya maji vimekauka, na moto umeteketeza malisho yote ya mbugani.
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.
