¹The Word of Yahweh “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel.

¹ Rabbi sanno kaŋ kaa Yowel Petuwel izo do neeya:

²Hear this, you elders, And listen, all you inhabitants of the land. Has this ever happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers?

² Ya arkusey, wa maa woone, Ya araŋ kulu laabo ra gorokoy, wa hanga jeeri mo: D'a ta day, woone dumi te araŋ jirbey ra, Wala mo araŋ kaayey jirbey ra?

³Tell your children about it, and have your children tell their children, and their children, another generation.

³ Wa baaru wo ci araŋ izey se, Araŋ izey mo m'a ci ngey izey se, I izey mo hala zamana kaŋ ga kaa se:

⁴What the swarming locust has left, the great locust has eaten. What the great locust has left, the grasshopper has eaten. What the grasshopper has left, the caterpillar has eaten.

⁴ Haŋ kaŋ do bi cindi, do cira n'a ŋwa. Haŋ kaŋ do cira cindi, maram-fanda n'a ŋwa. Haŋ kaŋ maram-fanda cindi, kaanayze n'a ŋwa.

⁵Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.

⁵ Ya araŋ, baji hankoy, wa tun jirbi gaa ka hẽ! Ya araŋ kulu, duvan* hankoy, wa kaati! Duvaŋo kaŋ ga kaan sabbay se, Zama i n'a kosu ka kaa araŋ meyey gaa.

⁶For a nation has come up on my land, strong, and without number. His teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he has the fangs of a lioness.

⁶ Zama dumi fo kaaru ka kaa ay laabo ra, Gaabikooni no, i baayaŋ sinda me, I hinjey mo, muusu beeri hinjeyaŋ no, I workondey mo, muusu way workonduyaŋ no.

⁷He has laid my vine waste, and stripped my fig tree. He has stripped its bark, and thrown it away. Its branches are made white.

⁷ A n'ay reyzin* tiksa halaci, A n'ay jeejay* nya dumbu ka te dubi, A n'a foobu k'a furu, a kambey kwaaray.

⁸ Araŋ ma baray danga wandiyo kaŋ bangum da bufu zaara a kurnye sintina buuyaŋo sabbay se.

⁹The meal offering and the drink offering are cut off from Yahweh’s house. The priests, Yahweh’s ministers, mourn.

⁹ Zama ŋwaari sargay da haŋyaŋ sargay ban Rabbi windo ra, Alfagey, Rabbi goy-teerey goono ga baray mo.

¹⁰The field is laid waste. The land mourns, for the grain is destroyed, The new wine has dried up, and the oil languishes.

¹⁰ Faro hasara, laabo go ga baray, Zama ntaaso halaci, reyzin hari koogu, Jiyo mo go ga gaze.

¹¹Be confounded, you farmers! Wail, you vineyard keepers; for the wheat and for the barley; for the harvest of the field has perished.

¹¹ Ya araŋ, alfarey, haawi ma araŋ di, Ya araŋ, reyzin kali goy-izey, wa kaati alkama nda sayir* sabbay se, Zama fari albarka sara.

¹²The vine has dried up, and the fig tree withered; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all of the trees of the field are withered; for joy has withered away from the sons of men.

¹² Reyzin nya suugu, jeejay nya mo jaŋ hari, Garenad* nya da dabiina nya da pom* nya, I kulu koogu danga kali ra tuuri nyaŋey kulu cine. Daahir no bine kaani ban Adam-izey biney ra.

¹³Put on sackcloth and mourn, you priests! Wail, you ministers of the altar. Come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “Elohim.” , for the meal offering and the drink offering are withheld from your God’s house.

¹³ Ya araŋ, alfagey, wa guddu nda bufu zaara ka hẽ! Ya araŋ, sargay feema goy-teerey, araŋ ma kaati! Ya ay Irikoyo goy-teerey, Araŋ ma kaa ka kani cino me-a-me bufu zaarayaŋ ra! Zama ŋwaari sargay da haŋyaŋ wane, I n'i ganji araŋ Irikoyo windo ra.

¹⁴Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders, and all the inhabitants of the land, to the house of Yahweh, your God, and cry to Yahweh.

¹⁴ Araŋ ma mehaw jirbiyaŋ fe, Araŋ ma marga jama margu, sududuyaŋ wane. Wa arkusey da laabo gorokoy kulu margu i ma kaa Rabbi araŋ Irikoyo windo ra, I ma soobay ka hẽ Rabbi gaa.

¹⁵Alas for the day! For the day of Yahweh is at hand, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

¹⁵ Kaari zaaro! zama Rabbi zaaro tooyaŋ maan. A ga zumbu ka fun Hina-Kulu-Koyo do danga halaciyaŋ cine.

¹⁶Isn’t the food cut off before our eyes; joy and gladness from the house of our God?

¹⁶ Manti i na ŋwaari kosu no ka kaa iri jine? Oho, bine kaani da farhã iri Irikoyo windo ra, Manti i ban bo?

¹⁷The seeds rot under their clods. The granaries are laid desolate. The barns are broken down, for the grain has withered.

¹⁷ Dumar'izey go ga suugu bunga ra, Barmay go koonu, buwey mo, i n'i bagu-bagu, Zama ntaaso si no.

¹⁸How the animals groan! The herds of livestock are perplexed, because they have no pasture. Yes, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

¹⁸ Ma maa day almaney durayyaŋo, Haw kurey mo go ga toray-toray zama subu si no. Oho, feeji kurey mo go ga taabi haŋ.

¹⁹Yahweh, I cry to you, For the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame has burned all the trees of the field.

¹⁹ Ya Rabbi, ni gaa no ay g'ay jinda sambu, Zama danji na kuray nangey ŋwa saajo ra. Danji beela mo na saajo tuurey kulu ton.

²⁰Yes, the animals of the field pant to you, for the water brooks have dried up, And the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

²⁰ Oho, baa ganji hamey go ga zuka ni gaa, Zama hari zurey koogu, Danji mo na saajo ra kuray nangey ŋwa.