The Locusts as a Warning of the Day of the Lord
1 Blow the trumpet; sound the alarm
on Zion, God's sacred hill.
Tremble, people of Judah!
The day of the Lord is coming soon.
2 It will be a dark and gloomy day,
a black and cloudy day.
The great army of locusts advances
like darkness spreading over the mountains.
There has never been anything like it,
and there never will be again.
3 Like fire they eat up the plants.
In front of them the land is like the Garden of Eden,
but behind them it is a barren desert.
Nothing escapes them.
4 They look like horses;
they run like war-horses.
5 As they leap on the tops of the mountains,
they rattle like chariots;
they crackle like dry grass on fire.
They are lined up like a great army ready for battle.
6 As they approach, everyone is terrified;
every face turns pale.
7 They attack like warriors;
they climb the walls like soldiers.
They all keep marching straight ahead
and do not change direction
8 or get in each other's way.
They swarm through defenses,
and nothing can stop them.
9 They rush against the city;
they run over the walls;
they climb up the houses
and go in through the windows like thieves.
10 The earth shakes as they advance;
the sky trembles.
The sun and the moon grow dark,
and the stars no longer shine.
11 The Lord thunders commands to his army.
The troops that obey him
are many and mighty.
How terrible is the day of the Lord!
Who will survive it?
A Call to Repentance
12 “But even now,” says the Lord,
“repent sincerely and return to me
with fasting and weeping and mourning.
13 Let your broken heart show your sorrow;
tearing your clothes is not enough.”
Come back to the Lord your God.
He is kind and full of mercy;
he is patient and keeps his promise;
he is always ready to forgive and not punish.
14 Perhaps the Lord your God will change his mind
and bless you with abundant crops.
Then you can offer him grain and wine.
15 Blow the trumpet on Mount Zion;
give orders for a fast and call an assembly!
16 Gather the people together;
prepare them for a sacred meeting;
bring the old people;
gather the children
and the babies too.
Even newly married couples
must leave their homes and come.
17 The priests, serving the Lord
between the altar and the entrance of the Temple,
must weep and pray:
“Have pity on your people, Lord.
Do not let other nations despise us and mock us
by saying, ‘Where is your God?’”
God Restores Fertility to the Land
18 Then the Lord showed concern for his land;
he had mercy on his people.
19 He answered them:
“Now I am going to give you
grain and wine and olive oil,
and you will be satisfied.
Other nations will no longer despise you.
20 I will remove the locust army that came from the north
and will drive some of them into the desert.
Their front ranks will be driven into the Dead Sea,
their rear ranks into the Mediterranean.
Their dead bodies will stink.
I will destroy them because of all they have done to you.
21 “Fields, don't be afraid,
but be joyful and glad
because of all the Lord has done for you.
22 Animals, don't be afraid.
The pastures are green;
the trees bear their fruit,
and there are plenty of figs and grapes.
23 “Be glad, people of Zion,
rejoice at what the Lord your God has done for you.
He has given you the right amount of autumn rain;
he has poured down the winter rain for you
and the spring rain as before.
24 The threshing places will be full of grain;
the pits beside the presses will overflow with wine and olive oil.
25 I will give you back what you lost
in the years when swarms of locusts ate your crops.
It was I who sent this army against you.
26 Now you will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied.
You will praise the Lord your God,
who has done wonderful things for you.
My people will never be despised again.
27 Then, Israel, you will know that I am among you
and that I, the Lord, am your God
and there is no other.
My people will never be despised again.
The Day of the Lord
28 “Afterward I will pour out my Spirit on everyone:
your sons and daughters will proclaim my message;
your old people will have dreams,
and your young people will see visions.
29 At that time I will pour out my Spirit
even on servants, both men and women.
30 “I will give warnings of that day
in the sky and on the earth;
there will be bloodshed, fire, and clouds of smoke.
31 The sun will be darkened,
and the moon will turn red as blood
before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
32 But all who ask the Lord for help will be saved.
As the Lord has said,
‘Some in Jerusalem will escape;
those whom I choose will survive.’”
Ozombahu otja omaronga kEyuva ra Muhona
1 Toneye ohiva kOsion,
kondundu yandje ondjapuke!
Ovature vehi avehe ngave zezere,
orondu Eyuva ra Muhona ri ri pokuya.
2 Oro mari rire eyuva ronḓorera noromuzororema,
eyuva rovizorokamba ovizeu.
Otjimbumba otjinene notjinamasa tjozombahu
matji ya otja onḓorera kombanda yondundu.
Kapa ri otjimbumba otja ihi rutenga
nu kamaatji kakara po rukwao.
3 Notja omuriro omusesete
ozombahu nḓa otji maze ri ovihape.
Okuti ku ku ri komurungu watjo
kwa sana notjikunino tja Eden,
nu kombunda yatjo, tjiri, okuti onguza porwako;
nu kape notjiṋa tji matji sora okutaura.
4 Otjo matji munika otja oukambe
nu matji tupuka otja oukambe wovita.
5 Otja tji ma tji tukatuka kozondomba zozondundu,
ma tji pose otja omaporokotero womatemba wovita,
notja tji ma tji pumbura ehozu
otjo ma tji pose tjimuna omutetemo
womuriro mbu mau seseta omahozu.
Otjo tja kurama moruteto tjimuna otjimbumba
otjinene tjovita tji tje rirongerera ovita.
6 Notja tji matji ryama popezu,
oviwaṋa avihe tjandje mavi tira,
nomirungu avihe mavi tjituka.
7 Matji ru ovita otja omapenda;
nu matji rondo komakuma
worumbo otja ovarwe wovita,
auhe ama twara ondjira ye osemba
uriri nokuhinokuyepa.
8 Kape na ngu ma ṋee omukwao;
auhe ma i kombii ye omuini,
nu mave tuurunga mokati
kovirwise nokuhinotjitjaere.
9 Owo mave sekamene otjihuro,
mave rondo orumbo motjikara,
mave hiti mozondjuwo
nave tuurungire motuiho otja omarunga.
10 Ehi mari posisa omungunda komurungu wawo,
neyuru mari nyinganyinga;
eyuva nomueze mavi zorere,
nondjerera yozonyose mai ṱumbu.
11 Muhona ma yere eraka re kotjimbumba tje tjovita,
otjimbumba tji tji nonḓuviro ku ye,
otjinene notjinamasa.
Eyuva ra Muhona enene netirise!
Owaṋi ngu ma hupu mu ro?
Omaisaneno kokuritanaura
12 Muhona ma tja nai:
“Ritanaureye ku ami nomitima vyeṋu avihe,
amamu ritjaere kovikurya
namamu riri nu amwa ṱoruhoze.
13 Omitima vyeṋu mbya nyaika ngavi ningise ondjenda;
okutaura ozombanda zeṋu kapukwo.”
Ritanaureye ku Muhona, Ndjambi weṋu.
Eye omunatjari nomunaunyaṋutima,
u nomuretima nouwa ounene;
eye aruhe u nombango okuisira,
nokuhina ku vera ovandu aruhe.
14 Muhona, Ndjambi weṋu ngahino
ma vingurura omerizemburukiro we,
ne mu sere ondaya mokumupa omakondero omengi
kutja mu yenene okumupunguhira ovikokotwa nomavinu.
15 Toneneye ohiva kondundu Sion,
zikamiseye eyuva romeritjaerero kovikurya,
nu mu raere kutja ngape tjitwe eyuva rongumbiro!
16 Woronganiseye otjiwaṋa mu yapure ombongo;
woronganiseye ovakurundu
novanatje novanyame wina;
ovandu, mba kupasana nambano,
ngave pite mondjuwo yawo yondjova nu ve ye.
17 Ovapristeri mbe karera Muhona mondjuwo ye
ngave ririre pokati komahitiro wayo notjipunguhiro,
nu ve kumbe nai:
“Muhona, yama otjiwaṋa tjoye,
nu o tji ṱisa ohoṋi kutja ovanavisenginina
ave he ketjinyekerera amave tja:
‘Ndjambi weṋu u ri pi?’ ”
Ndjambi ma yarura ehi romakunino koupe
18 Muhona we rikendera ehi re,
notja tjariparera otjiwaṋa tje.
19 Eye we tji zira a tja:
“Nambano ami me mu pe ovikokotwa
nomavinu nomaze womiṋinga
kutja vi mu kutise.
Imba mbe he ri Ovajuda kamaave
kemunyekerera rukwao.
20 Ami me isa mo otjimbumba tjozombahu
mokati keṋu tji tja zire keyuva kokunene
e tji rambere mokuti onguza.
Inḓa zokomurungu me ze rambere
mOmuronga wOmongwa,
nu inḓa zokombunda me ze rambere
mOmuronga Mediterania.
Otutu twazo matu tjiti omboru,
ndji mai ṋuka navi.
Me ze nyono motjimbe tja imbi mbi za tjita.
21 “Hi romakunino, o tira,
nungwari nyanda u yoroke,
orondu Muhona me ku
tjitire oviṋa ovinene!
22 Vipuka vyokuti, amu tira!
Omaryo mokuti maye nyomoka rukwao;
omiti mavi eta ovihape,
nomikuyu nomivite mavi
twako ovikurya ovingi.
23 “Nyandeye vanatje va Sion,
yorokereye imbi Muhona,
Ndjambi weṋu mbye mu tjitira!
Eye we mu pa ombura yondjoura,
nu we mu rokisire ombura ondemune
notjiseseta tjimuna indu rukuru.
24 Ovitondero mavi ura novikokotwa,
novikameno mavi tikatika nomavinu
nomaze womiṋinga.
25 Ami me mu kotorere omakondero
wovihape nga nyonenwe mozombura
nḓa kapita i ozombahu,
ihi otjimbumba tjandje tjovita otjinene
tji mba hindire ku eṋe.
26 Nambano eṋe mamu kara novingi
okurya nga tji mwe kuta.
Neṋe mamu tanga ena ra Muhona,
Ndjambi weṋu ngwe mu tjitira ovihimise.
Otjiwaṋa tjandje kamaatji nyekererwa
rukwao nga aruhe.
27 Neṋe otji mamu tjiwa kutja ami
mbi ri mokati kOvaisrael,
nokutja ami owami Muhona,
Ndjambi weṋu,
nu kape na warwe.
Otjiwaṋa tjandje kamaatji nyekererwa
rukwao nga aruhe.”
Omatiririro wOmbepo ya Muhona
28 “Kombunda yanao ami me tirire Ombepo
yandje kombanda yovandu avehe;
ovazandu novakazona veṋu mave
zuvarisa ombuze yandje,
ovakururume veṋu mave roto oturoto,
nomitanda vyeṋu mavi munu ovirimunikise.
29 Moruveze tjingero ndo ami me
tirire Ombepo yandje kombanda
yovakarere ovarumendu novakazendu.”
Eyuva ra Muhona
30 “Nu me twako oviraisiro ovihimise
keyuru na kombanda yehi:
Ombinḓu nomuriro novikamba vyomuise.
31 Eyuva mari zorerisiwa,
nomueze mau seraere,
Eyuva ra Muhona indi enene
netirise ngunda ari hiye ya.
32 Nu auhe ngu ma isana ena ra Muhona ma hupisiwa.
Otja Muhona pa hungirire kutja:
‘Tjiva mave taurire mOjerusalem,
nu imba Muhona mba toorora mave hupisiwa.’ ”
