OET interlinear JOEL 2:17

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / merism

בֵּ֤ין הָ⁠אוּלָם֙ וְ⁠לַ⁠מִּזְבֵּ֔חַ

(Some words not found in UHB: between the,porch and,the,altar weep the,priests ministers_of YHWH and,let_them_say have,compassion YHWH on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in people_of,your and,do_not make inheritance_of,your into,a_reproach to,mock on,them nations to/for=what say among,peoples where God_of,[is]_their )

Joel is speaking of these two things that are at the far extremes of the courtyard of the temple in order to refer to them and to everything in between them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [throughout the entire court of the priests]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

וְ⁠אַל־תִּתֵּ֨ן נַחֲלָתְ⁠ךָ֤ לְ⁠חֶרְפָּה֙

and,do_not (Some words not found in UHB: between the,porch and,the,altar weep the,priests ministers_of YHWH and,let_them_say have,compassion YHWH on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in people_of,your and,do_not make inheritance_of,your into,a_reproach to,mock on,them nations to/for=what say among,peoples where God_of,[is]_their )

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of reproach, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [and do not let other nations reproach your inheritance]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

נַחֲלָתְ⁠ךָ֤

inheritance_of,your

Joel is speaking of the Israelites as if they were literally something that Yahweh had inherited. Joel means that the Israelites are the people whom Yahweh has chosen. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the people whom you have chosen]

Note 4 topic: translate-textvariants

לִ⁠מְשָׁל־בָּ֣⁠ם גּוֹיִ֔ם

(Some words not found in UHB: between the,porch and,the,altar weep the,priests ministers_of YHWH and,let_them_say have,compassion YHWH on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in people_of,your and,do_not make inheritance_of,your into,a_reproach to,mock on,them nations to/for=what say among,peoples where God_of,[is]_their )

See the discussion in the introduction to this chapter of an alternate reading for this phrase. Alternate translation: [for the nations to use a proverb against them] or [for them to become a byword to the nations]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

לָ֚⁠מָּה יֹאמְר֣וּ בָֽ⁠עַמִּ֔ים אַיֵּ֖ה אֱלֹהֵי⁠הֶֽם

(Some words not found in UHB: between the,porch and,the,altar weep the,priests ministers_of YHWH and,let_them_say have,compassion YHWH on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in people_of,your and,do_not make inheritance_of,your into,a_reproach to,mock on,them nations to/for=what say among,peoples where God_of,[is]_their )

If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: [Why should the peoples ask where our God is?]

Note 6 topic: writing-pronouns

לָ֚⁠מָּה יֹאמְר֣וּ

(Some words not found in UHB: between the,porch and,the,altar weep the,priests ministers_of YHWH and,let_them_say have,compassion YHWH on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in people_of,your and,do_not make inheritance_of,your into,a_reproach to,mock on,them nations to/for=what say among,peoples where God_of,[is]_their )

Here, they is an indefinite pronoun that refers to people in general. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this with a different expression that does not use an indefinite pronoun. Alternate translation: [Why should it be said]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

לָ֚⁠מָּה יֹאמְר֣וּ בָֽ⁠עַמִּ֔ים

(Some words not found in UHB: between the,porch and,the,altar weep the,priests ministers_of YHWH and,let_them_say have,compassion YHWH on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in people_of,your and,do_not make inheritance_of,your into,a_reproach to,mock on,them nations to/for=what say among,peoples where God_of,[is]_their )

Joel is using the question form for emphasis. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: [Do not allow the peoples to say]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

אַיֵּ֖ה אֱלֹהֵי⁠הֶֽם

(Some words not found in UHB: between the,porch and,the,altar weep the,priests ministers_of YHWH and,let_them_say have,compassion YHWH on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in people_of,your and,do_not make inheritance_of,your into,a_reproach to,mock on,them nations to/for=what say among,peoples where God_of,[is]_their )

This example of mockery is also using the question form for emphasis. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: [Their God does not care about them] or [Their God must be far away!]