Revised Literal Translation

Joel 1

1The wordדְּבַר־de.var-H1697of Yhwhיְהוָה֙Yah.wehH3068that came to Joelיוֹאֵ֖לyo.'ElH3100the sonבֶּן־ben-H1121of Pethuelפְּתוּאֵֽל׃pe.tu.'ElH6602.

2Hearשִׁמְעוּ־shim.'u-H8085this, ye old menהַזְּקֵנִ֔יםha.ze.ke.NimH2205,and give earוְהַֽאֲזִ֔ינוּve.ha.'a.Zi.nuH238,all ye inhabitantsיוֹשְׁבֵ֣יyo.she.VeiH3427of the landהָאָ֑רֶץha.'A.retzH776.Hath this been in your daysבִּֽימֵיכֶ֔םbi.mei.KhemH3117,or evenוְאִ֖םve.'ImH518in the daysבִּימֵ֥יbi.MeiH3117of your fathersאֲבֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃'a.Vo.tei.KhemH1?

3Tellסַפֵּ֑רוּsa.Pe.ruH5608ye your childrenלִבְנֵיכֶ֣םliv.nei.KhemH1121of it, and letyour childrenוּבְנֵיכֶם֙u.ve.nei.KhemH1121telltheir childrenלִבְנֵיהֶ֔םliv.nei.HemH1121,and their childrenוּבְנֵיהֶ֖םu.ve.nei.HemH1121anotherאַחֵֽר׃'a.CherH312generationלְד֥וֹרle.DorH1755.

4That which the palmerwormהַגָּזָם֙ha.ga.ZamH1501hath leftיֶ֤תֶרYe.terH3499hath the locustהָֽאַרְבֶּ֔הha.'ar.BehH697eatenאָכַ֣ל'a.KhalH398;and that which the locustהָאַרְבֶּ֖הha.'ar.BehH697hath leftוְיֶ֥תֶרve.Ye.terH3499hath the cankerwormהַיָּ֑לֶקhai.Ya.lekH3218eatenאָכַ֣ל'a.KhalH398;and that which the cankerwormהַיֶּ֔לֶקhai.Ye.lekH3218hath leftוְיֶ֣תֶרve.Ye.terH3499hath the caterpillerהֶחָסִֽיל׃he.cha.SilH2625eatenאָכַ֖ל'a.KhalH398.

5Awakeהָקִ֤יצוּha.Ki.tzuH6974,ye drunkardsשִׁכּוֹרִים֙shi.ko.RimH7910,and weepוּבְכ֔וּu.ve.KhuH1058;and howlוְהֵילִ֖לוּve.hei.Li.luH3213,all ye drinkersשֹׁ֣תֵיSho.teiH8354of wineיָ֑יִןYa.yinH3196,because of the new wineעָסִ֕יס'a.SisH6071;for it is cut offנִכְרַ֖תnikh.RatH3772from your mouthמִפִּיכֶֽם׃mi.pi.KhemH6310.

6For a nationגוֹי֙goyH1471is come upעָלָ֣ה'a.LahH5927upon my landאַרְצִ֔י'ar.TziH776,strongעָצ֖וּם'a.TzumH6099,and without numberמִסְפָּ֑רmis.ParH4557,whose teethשִׁנָּיו֙shi.NavH8127arethe teethשִׁנֵּ֣יshi.NeiH8127of a lionאַרְיֵ֔ה'ar.YehH738,and he hath the cheek teethוּֽמְתַלְּע֥וֹתu.me.ta.le.'otH4973of a great lionלָבִ֖יאla.Vi'H3833.

7He hath laidשָׂ֤םsamH7760my vineגַּפְנִי֙gaf.NiH1612wasteלְשַׁמָּ֔הle.sha.MahH8047,and barkedלִקְצָפָ֑הlik.tza.FahH7111my fig treeוּתְאֵנָתִ֖יu.te.'e.na.TiH8384:he hath made it cleanחָשֹׂ֤ףcha.SofH2834bareחֲשָׂפָהּ֙cha.sa.FahH2834, and cast itawayוְהִשְׁלִ֔יךְve.hish.LikhH7993;the branchesשָׂרִיגֶֽיהָ׃sa.ri.Gei.haH8299thereof are made whiteהִלְבִּ֖ינוּhil.Bi.nuH3835.

8Lamentאֱלִ֕י'e.LiH421like a virginכִּבְתוּלָ֥הkiv.tu.LahH1330girdedחֲגֻֽרַת־cha.gu.rat-H2296with sackclothשַׂ֖קsakH8242for the husbandבַּ֥עַלBa.'alH1167of her youthנְעוּרֶֽיהָ׃ne.'u.Rei.haH5271.

9The grain offeringמִנְחָ֛הmin.ChahH4503and the drink offeringוָנֶ֖סֶךְva.Ne.sekhH5262is cut offהָכְרַ֥תha.khe.RatH3772from the houseמִבֵּ֣יתmi.BeitH1004of Yhwhיְהוָ֑הYah.wehH3068;the priestsהַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔יםha.Ko.ha.NimH3548,Yhwh'sיְהוָֽה׃Yah.wehH3068ministersמְשָׁרְתֵ֖יme.sha.re.TeiH8334,mournאָֽבְלוּ֙'a.ve.LuH56.

10The fieldשָׂדֶ֔הsa.DehH7704is wastedשֻׁדַּ֣דshu.DadH7703,the landאֲדָמָ֑ה'a.da.MahH127mournethאָבְלָ֖ה'a.ve.LahH56;for the grainדָּגָ֔ןda.GanH1715is wastedשֻׁדַּ֣דshu.DadH7703:the new wineתִּיר֖וֹשׁti.Ro.oshH8492is dried upהוֹבִ֥ישׁho.VishH3001,the oilיִצְהָֽר׃yitz.HarH3323languishethאֻמְלַ֥ל'um.LalH535.

11Be ye ashamedH3001,O ye husbandmenאִכָּרִ֗ים'i.ka.RimH406;howlהֵילִ֙ילוּ֙hei.Li.luH3213,O ye vinedressersכֹּֽרְמִ֔יםko.re.MimH3755,for the wheatחִטָּ֖הchi.TahH2406and for the barleyשְׂעֹרָ֑הse.'o.RahH8184;because the harvestקְצִ֥ירke.TzirH7105of the fieldשָׂדֶֽה׃sa.DehH7704is perishedאָבַ֖ד'a.VadH6.

12The vineהַגֶּ֣פֶןha.Ge.fenH1612is dried upH3001,and the fig treeוְהַתְּאֵנָ֖הve.ha.te.'e.NahH8384languishethאֻמְלָ֑לָה'um.La.lahH535;the pomegranateרִמּ֞וֹןri.MonH7416tree, the palm treeתָּמָ֣רta.MarH8558also, and the apple treeוְתַפּ֗וּחַve.ta.Pu.achH8598, evenall the treesעֲצֵ֤י'a.TzeiH6086of the fieldהַשָּׂדֶה֙ha.sa.DehH7704,are witheredH3001:because joyשָׂשׂ֖וֹןsa.SonH8342is withered awayH3001from the sonsבְּנֵ֥יbe.NeiH1121of menאָדָֽם׃ ס'a.DamH120.

13Girdחִגְר֨וּchig.RuH2296yourselves, and lamentוְסִפְד֜וּve.sif.DuH5594,ye priestsהַכֹּהֲנִ֗יםha.ko.ha.NimH3548:howlהֵילִ֙ילוּ֙hei.Li.luH3213,ye ministersמְשָׁרְתֵ֣יme.sha.re.TeiH8334of the altarמִזְבֵּ֔חַmiz.Be.achH4196:comeבֹּ֚אוּBo.'uH935,lie all nightלִ֣ינוּLi.nuH3885in sackclothבַשַּׂקִּ֔יםva.sa.KimH8242,ye ministersמְשָׁרְתֵ֖יme.sha.re.TeiH8334of my Godאֱלֹהָ֑י'e.lo.HaiH430:for the grain offeringמִנְחָ֥הmin.ChahH4503and the drink offeringוָנָֽסֶךְ׃va.Na.sekhH5262is withholdenנִמְנַ֛עnim.Na'H4513from the houseמִבֵּ֥יתmi.BeitH1004of your Godאֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם'e.lo.hei.KhemH430.

14Sanctifyקַדְּשׁוּ־ka.de.shu-H6942ye a fastצוֹם֙tzOmH6685,callקִרְא֣וּkir.'UH7121a solemn assemblyעֲצָרָ֔ה'a.tza.RahH6116,gatherאִסְפ֣וּ'is.FuH622the eldersזְקֵנִ֗יםze.ke.NimH2205andall the inhabitantsיֹשְׁבֵ֣יyo.she.VeiH3427of the landהָאָ֔רֶץha.'A.retzH776intothe houseבֵּ֖יתbeitH1004of Yhwhיְהוָ֣הYah.wehH3068your Godאֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם'e.lo.hei.KhemH430,and cryוְזַעֲק֖וּve.za.'a.KuH2199unto Yhwhיְהוָֽה׃Yah.wehH3068,

15Alasאֲהָ֖הּ'a.HahH162for the dayלַיּ֑וֹםlai.YomH3117!for the dayי֣וֹםYomH3117of Yhwhיְהוָ֔הYah.wehH3068isat handקָרוֹב֙ka.rOvH7138,and as a destructionוּכְשֹׁ֖דu.khe.ShodH7701from the Almightyמִשַׁדַּ֥יmi.sha.DaiH7706shall it comeיָבֽוֹא׃ya.Vo'H935.

16Is not the meatאֹ֣כֶל'O.khelH400cut offנִכְרָ֑תnikh.RatH3772before our eyesעֵינֵ֖ינוּ'ei.Nei.nuH5869, yea,joyשִׂמְחָ֥הsim.ChahH8057and gladnessוָגִֽיל׃va.GilH1524from the houseמִבֵּ֥יתmi.BeitH1004of our Godאֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ'e.lo.Hei.nuH430?

17The seedפְרֻד֗וֹתfe.ru.DotH6507is rottenעָבְשׁ֣וּ'a.ve.ShuH5685under their clodsמֶגְרְפֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔םmeg.re.Fo.tei.HemH4053,the garnersאֹֽצָר֔וֹת'o.tza.RotH214are laid desolateנָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙na.Sha.muH8074,the barnsמַמְּגֻר֑וֹתma.me.gu.RotH4460are broken downנֶהֶרְס֖וּne.her.SuH2040;for the grainדָּגָֽן׃da.GanH1715is witheredהֹבִ֖ישׁho.VishH3001.

18How do the beastsבְהֵמָ֗הve.he.MahH929groanנֶּאֶנְחָ֣הne.'en.ChahH584!the herdsעֶדְרֵ֣י'ed.ReiH5739of cattleבָקָ֔רva.KarH1241are perplexedנָבֹ֙כוּ֙na.Vo.khuH943,because they have no pastureמִרְעֶ֖הmir.'EhH4829;yea, the flocksעֶדְרֵ֥י'ed.ReiH5739of sheepהַצֹּ֖אןha.TzonH6629are made desolateנֶאְשָֽׁמוּ׃ne'.Sha.muH816.

19O Yhwhיְהוָ֖הYah.wehH3068,to thee will I cryאֶקְרָ֑א'ek.Ra'H7121:for the fireאֵ֗שׁ'EshH784hath devouredאָֽכְלָה֙'a.khe.LahH398the pasturesנְא֣וֹתne.'otH4999of the wildernessמִדְבָּ֔רmid.BarH4057,and the flameוְלֶ֣הָבָ֔הve.Le.ha.VahH3852hath burnedלִהֲטָ֖הli.ha.TahH3857all the treesעֲצֵ֥י'a.TzeiH6086of the fieldהַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ha.sa.DehH7704.

20The beastsבַּהֲמ֥וֹתba.ha.MotH929of the fieldשָׂדֶ֖הsa.DehH7704cryתַּעֲר֣וֹגta.'a.RogH6165also unto thee: for the riversאֲפִ֣יקֵי'a.Fi.keiH650of watersמָ֔יִםMa.yimH4325are dried upיָֽבְשׁוּ֙ya.ve.ShuH3001,and the fireוְאֵ֕שׁve.'EshH784hath devouredאָכְלָ֖ה'a.khe.LahH398the pasturesנְא֥וֹתne.'otH4999of the wildernessהַמִּדְבָּֽר׃ פha.mid.BarH4057.

Commentaries on Joel 1