SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2020 – Page 2

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2:27

2:27a Then you will know that I am present in Israel

Then you (plur.) will know that I am among you (plur.) in Israel
-or-
At that time, you (plur.) will know that I am there with you (plur.), ⌊my people⌋ Israel.

2:27b and that I am the LORD your God,

and that I am Yahweh your (plur.) God.
-or-

⌊You (plur.) will know⌋ that I am your God, Yahweh,

2:27c and there is no other.

⌊You (plur.) will know⌋ that there is no other ⌊god⌋ .
-or-
I and I alone!

2:27d My people will never again be put to shame.

⌊You (plur.) ⌋ , my people, will not be humiliated ever again.
-or-
Never again will ⌊I allow anyone⌋ to shame/humiliate my people ⌊Israel⌋ .”

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2:6

2:6a Nations writhe in horror before them;

When the peoples/people see this army, they tremble/panic,
-or-
Everyone is terrified at the sight,

2:6b every face turns pale.

and every face shows fear.
-or-
and all their faces change color with terror.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 3:6

3:6a You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks,

You (plur.) sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greek people,
-or-
You (plur.) ⌊have captured/taken⌋ the people of Judah and Jerusalem ⌊city⌋ and sold them to the Greeks ⌊as slaves⌋.

3:6b to send them far from their homeland.

so that you (plur.) might ⌊remove/take them⌋ from their own land/territory and send them to distant places.
-or-
In this way you have forced them to leave their own place/land and live in distant ⌊places/lands⌋ .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 1:5

1:5a Wake up, you drunkards, and weep;

You (plur.) drunkards, rise from your sleep and cry!
-or-
Get up (plur.) off your beds and start crying, you who are always getting drunk!

1:5b wail, all you drinkers of wine,

Wail (plur.), all of you wine drinkers!
-or-
Lament/Mourn (plur.), you who ⌊love to⌋ drink wine/alcohol!

1:5c because of the sweet wine,

Mourn (plur.) for your wine!
-or-
Weep (plur.) profusely, because your (plur.) wine

1:5d for it has been cut off from your mouth.

There is none left for you (plur.) to drink/enjoy.
-or-
has been taken away from you (plur.).

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2:17

2:17a Let the priests who minister before the LORD

The priests, who work ⌊in the service of⌋ Yahweh,
-or-
You priests who serve in Yahweh’s house/temple,

2:17b weep between the portico and the altar,

should/must cry/wail ⌊as you stand in the temple⌋ between the porch and the altar.
-or-

⌊stand (plur.) ⌋ between the entrance ⌊to his house/temple⌋ and the altar/place for the sacrifice, and there lament/mourn (plur.).

2:17c saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD,

They should/must say, “Have (sing.) pity on your (sing.) people, Yahweh.
-or-
Pray (plur.) in this way: “Yahweh, be (sing.) merciful to ⌊us (excl.) ⌋ ! ⌊We (excl.) ⌋ are your (sing.) people!

2:17d and do not make Your heritage a reproach,

Do not allow (sing.) the nation that you own/possess to become a target for insults
-or-
Stop/Keep (sing.) ⌊foreign people⌋ from scorning/despising ⌊us (excl.),⌋ the people who belong to you (sing.) !

2:17e an object of scorn among the nations.

and/or a disgrace in front of people everywhere.
-or-
Prevent/Keep (sing.) them from mocking/ridiculing us (excl.) !

2:17d–e (combined)

Do not allow (sing.) foreign nations/peoples to scorn/ridicule us (excl.) , for we (excl.) belong to you (sing.) !

2:17f Why should they say among the peoples,

Why should those Gentiles/foreigners be able to say,
-or-
You (sing.) should not let them say to one another that

2:17g ‘Where is their God?’”

‘Where is the God of those people?’”
-or-
our (excl.) God is not present/here ⌊with us (excl.) ⌋ .”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 3:17

3:17a Then you will know that I am the LORD your God,

⌊Yahweh said,⌋ “Then you (plur.) will know that I, Yahweh your God,
-or-
⌊Yahweh says,⌋ “Then you (plur.), ⌊my people,⌋ will know that I am Yahweh your God,

3:17b who dwells in Zion, My holy mountain.

dwell/live in my holy hill Zion.
-or-
and I am present ⌊there with you (plur.) ⌋ on Mount Zion, which is set apart for me.

3:17c Jerusalem will be holy,

⌊The city of⌋ Jerusalem will be holy.
-or-
Jerusalem will be my holy ⌊city⌋ ,

3:17d never again to be overrun by foreigners.

No more will foreign ⌊warriors⌋ pass/march through her ⌊streets⌋ .
-or-
and no enemy ⌊army⌋ will ever again enter her.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 1:16

1:16a Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes—

Is it true/possible that our (incl.) food has been taken away while we were watching? ⌊Yes, it is true/possible.⌋
-or-
We (incl.) look on ⌊helpless⌋ as our crops are destroyed.
-or-
The food ⌊that we (incl.) were growing⌋ has completely gone/disappeared from right in front of us.

1:16b joy and gladness from the house of our God?

And is it true/possible that we (incl.) are no longer happy and joyful when we go to God’s house? ⌊Yes.⌋
-or-
Our (incl.) joy and happiness is gone, even ⌊when we are worshiping⌋ in the house of our God.
-or-
So there is no joy or gladness to be found in the temple of our (incl.) God.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2:28

Section 2:28–32

Yahweh promised to pour out his Spirit

2:28a And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people.

“After these events, I will pour out my Spirit on all ⌊the/my⌋ people.
-or-
Then Yahweh said, “After those days, I will generously/freely give my Spirit to all ⌊kinds of⌋ people.

2:28b Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

Your (plur.) sons and your daughters will prophesy.
-or-
Your (plur.) sons will speak/tell my word/message, and your (plur.) daughters also.

2:28c your old men will dream dreams,

The elderly among you will have/see ⌊wonderful⌋ dreams,
-or-

⌊I will give⌋ dreams to the/your (plur.) old men,

2:28d your young men will see visions.

the youths/young among you will have/receive visions.
-or-
and ⌊I will give⌋ visions to the/your (plur.) young men.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2020