SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2020

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 1:18

1:18a How the cattle groan!

The herds of cattle groan loudly
-or-
Listen to how the cattle low/groan!
-or-
The cows are bellowing in distress,

1:18b The herds wander in confusion

and wander about ⌊confused⌋,
-or-
They have been wandering about ⌊aimlessly⌋ ,
-or-
as they walk/move back and forth.

1:18c because they have no pasture.

because there is no grazing/pasture land for them.
-or-
because there is nowhere for them to graze/eat grass.
-or-
They have no grass to graze/feed on.

1:18d Even the flocks of sheep are suffering.

Even the flocks of sheep suffer.
-or-
The flock of sheep are also suffering ⌊from hunger⌋ .
-or-
The sheep also ⌊bleat⌋ in misery.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2:30

2:30a I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth,

I will put/place signs in the skies and on the earth,
-or-
I will amaze ⌊people⌋ by what I cause to appear/happen in the sky/heaven and on the earth,
-or-
I will show/display miraculous signs/warnings in the sky/heaven and on the earth.

2:30b blood and fire and columns of smoke.

blood, fire, and thick columns of smoke.
-or-
There will be blood and also fire with/and very thick smoke.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2:9

2:9a They storm the city;

They attack/invade the city,
-or-
They descend/fall on the city,

2:9b they run along the wall;

they run/speed along the top of the city wall.
-or-
and they climb/swarm upon its walls.

2:9c they climb into houses,

They climb up and into the houses,
-or-
They enter the houses ⌊of the city⌋ ,

2:9d entering through windows like thieves.

entering ⌊the houses/buildings⌋ through the windows like robbers.
-or-
getting/going in through the windows like burglers do.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 3:9

3:9a Proclaim this among the nations:

Announce (plur.) this to the nations:
-or-
Shout (plur.) to the people of the ⌊foreign⌋ nations:

3:9b “Prepare for war;

“Prepare (plur.) ⌊yourselves⌋ for ⌊holy⌋ war!
-or-
“Get ready (plur.) to fight ⌊for your gods⌋ !

3:9c rouse the mighty men;

Summon/Call (plur.) ⌊your⌋ warriors!
-or-
Assemble/Muster (plur.) ⌊all⌋ ⌊your⌋ soldiers!

3:9d let all the men of war advance and attack!

Order (plur.) all your troops/fighters to prepare for battle! Give (plur.) the command to attack!
-or-
Soldiers/Men, advance! March (plur.) forward!

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 1:8

1:8a Wail like a virgin dressed in sackcloth,

Grieve (plur.) like a virgin who dresses in sackcloth/mourning
-or-
Mourn (plur.) ⌊loudly/bitterly⌋ like a maiden dressed in mourning/funeral clothes
-or-
Wail (plur.), just as a girl wears mourning/black clothes

1:8b grieving for the husband of her youth.

and weeps because the man to whom she was engaged has died.
-or-
who weeps ⌊loudly/bitterly⌋ over the loss/death of her fiancé.
-or-
and cries/wails when the man whom she was marrying dies.

1:8a–b (reordered)

Shed tears like a girl/maiden whose fiancé dies, ⌊a girl/maiden⌋ who shows her grief by putting on dark/black clothing.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2:20

2:20a The northern army I will drive away from you,

“I will send/push the northern army/multitude far away from you (plur.),
-or-
“I will cause/force the invaders from the north to go/flee far from you (plur.).

2:20b banishing it to a barren and desolate land,

driving/chasing it into a very dry land where nothing grows.
-or-
I will force them away into a dry and empty desert.

2:20c its front ranks into the Eastern Sea,

Its front/head will die/perish in the Dead Sea,
-or-
The ones in the front I will push to their deaths in the eastern sea.
-or-
I will cause those in front to be driven away to the eastern sea

2:20d and its rear guard into the Western Sea.

and its back/rear ⌊will die/perish⌋ in the Mediterranean Sea.
-or-
The ones in the rear ⌊I will push⌋ into the western sea ⌊where they will drown⌋ .
-or-
and those in the back, to the western sea.

2:20e And its stench will rise; its foul odor will ascend.

⌊Their dead bodies⌋ will stink very badly. That smell will spread ⌊over the land⌋ .”
-or-

⌊Everyone/You (plur.) ⌋ will smell the terrible stink ⌊of their rotting corpses⌋ .”

2:20f For He has done great things.

Great are the deeds ⌊of Yahweh⌋ !
-or-
⌊Yahweh⌋ has done amazing/wonderful things!

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 3:20

3:20a But Judah will be inhabited forever,

“Judah will always have inhabitants,
-or-
“There will always be people living in ⌊the land/country⌋ of Judah.

3:20b and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

and Jerusalem ⌊will always have residents⌋ , generation after generation.
-or-

⌊People will live/dwell⌋ in ⌊the city of⌋ Jerusalem for all future times.

3:20a–b (combined)

⌊But⌋ people will live in Judah and Jerusalem for all time to come.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 1:19

1:19a To You, O LORD, I call,

I pray to you (sing.), Yahweh, ⌊for help⌋ !
-or-
Yahweh, it is to you (sing.) that I appeal/cry!
-or-
O Yahweh, I call out to you (sing.) ⌊in distress⌋

1:19b for fire has consumed the open pastures

For a fire has consumed the meadows/pasture throughout the countryside.
-or-
Fire has destroyed the grasslands
-or-
because fire has burned all the grass in the bush

1:19c and flames have scorched all the trees of the field.

Its flames have burnt up all the trees.
-or-
and all the wooded areas.
-or-
and all the trees in the woods/forests.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2020