SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2020 – Page 4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2:3

2:3a Before them a fire devours,

A fire consumes/destroys everything in front of it,
-or-
Before that army/horde a fire is burning,
-or-
Fire burns everything before the soldiers/warriors ⌊arrive⌋

2:3b and behind them a flame scorches.

and flames follow it.
-or-
and after it there is/are ⌊more⌋ fire/flames.
-or-
and blazes behind them ⌊after they are gone⌋ .

2:3c The land before them is like the Garden of Eden,

The land in front of the army is like the garden of Eden,
-or-
When/Before they arrive, the land is as ⌊beautiful⌋ as the garden in Eden was.

2:3d but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland—

but after ⌊the army has passed through⌋ it is an empty/ruined wasteland.
-or-
But when they leave, ⌊nothing remains except⌋ a desert.

2:3e surely nothing will escape them.

Nothing can live through it/this.
-or-
No living thing can survive their ⌊coming/passing⌋ .
-or-
Everything is dead.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 3:3

3:3a They cast lots for My people;

They gambled to see ⌊who would buy/own⌋ my people ⌊as slaves⌋.
-or-
They threw/played dice to decide what would happen to my ⌊captive⌋ people.

3:3b they bartered a boy for a prostitute

They gave/sold boys in exchange for prostitutes,
-or-
They sold the boys ⌊as slaves⌋ ⌊to hire/obtain⌋ immoral women.

3:3c and sold a girl for wine to drink.

and they sold girls so that they could drink wine.
-or-
They sold the girls ⌊as slaves⌋ in order to ⌊buy⌋ wine to drink.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 1:2

1:2a Hear this, O elders;

Pay attention, you leaders of the people!
-or-
You elders/leaders, hear ⌊God’s⌋ word!
-or-
Old ones/men, leaders of the people, you must listen to this message!

1:2b and give ear, all who dwell in the land.

Hear (plur.) ⌊God’s word⌋ , all you who live in the land!
-or-
Give (plur.) me your attention, all you people who live in this land!
-or-

⌊Yes,⌋ everyone in the nation/country ⌊of Judah⌋ must listen to what ⌊God says⌋ !

1:2c Has anything like this ever happened in your days

Has anything like this ever occurred before, either in your (plur.) time/lifetime
-or-
Has there been another ⌊disaster⌋ like this in your (plur.) whole life,
-or-
You (plur.) have never seen anything ⌊as terrible⌋ as this,

1:2d or in the days of your fathers?

or in the times/lifetimes of your (plur.) forefathers?
-or-
or even in the lives of your (plur.) grandparents or great grandparents? ⌊Never⌋ !
-or-
and neither did any of your (plur.) ancestors.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2:14

2:14a Who knows?

Who can say/tell?
-or-
It is possible that
-or-
No one knows.

2:14b He may turn and relent

Yahweh may change ⌊his mind/decision⌋ , and turn away ⌊from punishing you (plur.) ⌋ ,
-or-
Yahweh may decide not to punish ⌊you (plur.) ⌋
-or-
Perhaps Yahweh will forgive/pardon ⌊us (incl.) ⌋

2:14c and leave a blessing behind Him—

and even leave a blessing behind him ⌊as he turns away⌋ :
-or-
and ⌊instead⌋ may send/give ⌊you (plur.) ⌋ a blessing,
-or-
and bless ⌊us (incl.) ⌋ with

2:14d grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.

grain and of wine for you to offer to Yahweh, your (plur.) God.
-or-
food and drink/wine that ⌊you (plur.) ⌋ can sacrifice to your (plur.) God, Yahweh.
-or-
enough grain and wine to bring as an offering to Yahweh our (incl.) God.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 3:14

3:14a Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!

Crowds and crowds ⌊of people⌋ are in ⌊that⌋ valley of verdict/judgment!
-or-
Huge numbers/masses of people ⌊enter⌋ that valley where ⌊God will declare/announce⌋ ⌊his⌋ verdict/judgment!

3:14b For the Day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

For the day of Yahweh will soon come to that valley, the valley where he will declare/announce his verdict/judgment.
-or-
For the day/time is near when Yahweh ⌊will judge them⌋ in that valley.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 1:13

Section 1:13–20

God’s people must turn to him for help

1:13a Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests;

You (plur.) priests, wear your funeral clothes and mourn.
-or-
You (plur.) who work/sacrifice in the temple, you should dress in your mourning clothes. It is time to grieve!
-or-
Religious leaders, put (plur.) on black/gloomy clothes and weep.

1:13b wail, O ministers of the altar.

Cry (plur.) aloud, you who serve at the altar.
-or-
You (plur.) who offer sacrifices on the altar, start weeping loudly!
-or-
Cry (plur.) out loud, you who offer sacrifices ⌊to God⌋ .

1:13c Come, spend the night in sackcloth,

Come (plur.) ! Pass the night dressed in sackcloth/mourning,
-or-
Come/Go (plur.) ⌊to the temple⌋ , and lie there all night wearing clothes that show grief/mourning,
-or-
Enter (plur.) ⌊his house/temple⌋ and stay there all night, grieving,

1:13d O ministers of my God,

you (plur.) who serve my God,
-or-
you (plur.) servants of my God,
-or-
you ⌊priests/sacrificers⌋ who work in ⌊the house/temple⌋ of the God I worship.

1:13e because the grain and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.

because the temple of your (plur.) God is no longer receiving offerings of grain or offerings of wine.
-or-
because grain and wine are no longer being offered to your (plur.) God in his house.
-or-
People are no longer bringing offerings of food or wine to the house of your (plur.) God.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2:25

2:25a I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—

“I, ⌊Yahweh,⌋ will compensate you (plur.) for all the years when the locusts ate ⌊your (plur.) crops/food⌋ ,
-or-
⌊Yahweh also said/says,⌋ “I will give back to you ⌊all that you (plur.) lost in⌋ the years when the locusts ate the harvests,

2:25b the swarming locust, the young locust,

the first locust swarm and the second swarm,
-or-

⌊when⌋ the first multitude/cloud of locusts ⌊destroyed/consumed the crops⌋ , and then the second multitude/cloud,

2:25c the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—

then the third swarm and the fourth—
-or-
also the third multitude/cloud of locusts and the last/final multitude/cloud.

2:25d My great army that I sent against you.

my great army that I sent into your (plur.) land.
-or-

⌊For⌋ I caused them like a great army to invade the land where you (plur.) live.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2:4

2:4a Their appearance is like that of horses,

The soldiers ⌊in that army⌋ look like horses,
-or-
The members ⌊of that army⌋ resemble war-horses,

2:4b and they gallop like swift steeds.

and they rush/run forward like men/warriors riding horses.
-or-
and they dash/charge forward like men on horseback ⌊attacking the enemy⌋ .

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 2020