1 I am Joel the son of Pethuel.
And this is the message
the Lord gave to me.
Locusts Cover the Land
2 Listen, you leaders
and everyone else
in the land.
Has anything like this
ever happened before?
3 Tell our children!
Let it be told
to our grandchildren
and their children too.
4 Swarm after swarm of locusts
has attacked our crops,
eating everything in sight.
5 Sober up, you drunkards!
Cry long and loud;
your wine supply is gone.
6 A powerful nation
with countless troops
has invaded our land.
They have the teeth and jaws
of powerful lions.
7 Our grapevines and fig trees
are stripped bare;
only naked branches remain.
8 Grieve like a young woman
mourning for the man
she was to marry.
9 Offerings of grain and wine
are no longer brought
to the Lord's temple.
His servants, the priests,
are deep in sorrow.
10 Barren fields mourn;
grain, grapes, and olives
are scorched and shriveled.
11 Mourn for our farms
and our vineyards!
There's no wheat or barley
growing in our fields.
12 Grapevines have dried up
and so has every tree—
figs and pomegranates,
date palms and apples.
All happiness has faded away.
Return to God
13 Mourn, you priests who serve
at the altar of my God.
Spend your days and nights
wearing sackcloth.
Offerings of grain and wine
are no longer brought
to the Lord's temple.
14 Tell the leaders and people
to come together
at the temple.
Order them to go without eating
and to pray sincerely.
15 We are in for trouble!
Soon the Lord All-Powerful
will bring disaster.
16 Our food is already gone;
there's no more celebrating
at the temple of our God.
17 Seeds dry up in the ground;
no harvest is possible.
Our barns are in bad shape,
with no grain
to store in them.
18 Our cattle wander aimlessly,
moaning for lack of pasture,
and sheep are suffering.
19 I cry out to you, Lord.
Grasslands and forests are eaten
by the scorching heat.
20 Wild animals have no water
because of you;
rivers and streams are dry,
and pastures are parched.
1 Ono orivoya lazo se OPI kezobe Yoele ŋgwa Patuele ro ri owo.
Lidri ka Liyi ta Ruenji Ŋgaluru rota.
2 Nyèri tase ono, ami lidri se odeodero ono;
nyèri ta ono, ami se cini nyàbe ori Yuda ya ono.
Inye'do ŋga oso nonye ono a'do gindi
tu amiro si kode tu täpii amiro rosi ya?
3 Nyìti tana ŋgwai amiro ri;
ago mi'ba ànya kitiyi tana ŋgwai ànyaro ri,
se itinayi tana gwo kovole'bai se kabe eso kai ri.
4 Lowa tombi ro 'dete ŋgaluru dri azivo azivo;
ŋgase lowa na käti ke'bebe 'do,
lowa se kesobe 'do nyate kpeye.
5 Mìpi mi ago nyìliyi, ami se wa umvu'bai ono;
mì'be kuku ami se cini vino umvu'bai ono;
tana doŋgo kono ro se vino to'di oyeza 'do enjite.
6 Lowa kyila'bai tombi ro gota wari amaro te;
ànya orivoya mbara amba be ago otiako;
si ànyaro orivoya oso si ibi ro ronye.
Ago si kyaṛa ànyaro oso si kyaṛa ibi toko ro ronye.
7 Ànya enjiyi doŋgo kono ro amaro te
ago nyayi ice kyi'du ro amaro te kpeye.
Ànya tupiyi koto'bo na te, ago lovoyite vuru
ago gwoṛi nai a'dote onjero.
8 Nyìliyi, oso ŋguti kodroŋwa se aza kabe liyi
ta odra mano to'di se kolebe anya ogyene 'do ro ta 'do ronye.
9 Inya ndi vino be te i'do ozone ŋgapäṛi ro Yekalu ya;
kohanii kayite liyi, ruindu'bai OPI ro kayite liyi.
10 Ya ämvui rote awi;
gyini te tusuro
tana enji inya te,
doŋgo kono ro wite,
ago ice ice ido ro ro lunyite.
11 Nyà'do ri tusuro, ami ämvuoso'bai;
nyìliyi, ami se nyàbe vo ämvu kono ro ro ondrena iyi,
ta kyifo, ndi kaaza robe ta,
tana ŋgaluru cini ämvu ya enjirute.
12 Ice kono ro wite ago ice kyi'du ro lunyite;
ice gäṛä'bu ro, itu ro ago ice doŋgo ro o'bwate,
ice doŋgo cini ro drate;
ago riyä lidri ro kyete.
13 Mìso boŋgo guniya ro, ago nyiliyi, ami kohanii
ami se nyàbe ruindu vo tori oloro ya ono mìbe kuku!
Mici Yekalu ya ago nyiliyi ŋgäkyi raa,
ami ruindu'bai Lu amaro ro! Tana inya ndi vino be te i'do ozone ŋgapäṛi ro Lu amiro ri.
14 Nyozo ota akpa ro,
mizi läzi kalakoto ro!
Mimbikala dri'bai ro
ndi lidri cini Yuda robe
Yekalu OPI Lu amiro roya
ago nyàyodri ndäri.
15 Tu te orivoya lototi;
tuse OPI Mbaraekye ka oyebe ŋga cini perene sina,
te orivoya lototi!
16 Enji ŋgaluro amaro te
mile amaro yasi.
Riyä aza te i'do Yekalu Lu amaro roya.
17 Kwari drate gyini forokoti ya.
Inya te i'do osone kyiro ya,
ago ya kyiro ro te awi,
ta'dota kyiro se ya awi iyi lo'dete.
18 Tii kate ozwo ani si,
ànya te wiriwiriro,
tana lowo te i'do ànyari;
ago lowa timele ro kate rueza.
19 OPI, ma driayo miri,
tana asi je lowo te kpeye,
ago asilele za ice cini te.
20 Ca koronyai vocowa ro kayi driayo miri
tana gyi goloŋwai ro sete gbe,
ago asi je lowo te.