JOEL 2:3 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Τὰ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πῦρ ἀναλίσκον, καὶ τὰ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἀναπτομένη φλόξ· ὡς παράδεισος τρυφῆς ἡ γῆ πρὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ πεδίον ἀφανισμοῦ, καὶ ἀνασωζόμενος οὐκ ἔσται αὐτῷ.
(Ta emprosthen autou pur analiskon, kai ta opisō autou anaptomenaʸ flox; hōs paradeisos trufaʸs haʸ gaʸ pro prosōpou autou, kai ta opisthen autou pedion afanismou, kai anasōzomenos ouk estai autōi. )

BrTr Before [fn]them is a consuming fire, and behind them is a flame kindled: the land before them is as a paradise of delight, and behind them a desolate plain: and there shall none [fn]of them escape.

2:3 Gr. it, sc. the people.

2:3 Lit. to him, sc. the people.

ULT A fire is consuming everything in front of it,
⇔ and behind it a flame is burning.
⇔ The land is like the garden of Eden in front of it,
⇔ but behind it there is a ruined wilderness.
⇔ Indeed, nothing will escape from it.

UST It is as though they bring flames of fire
⇔ from which no one can escape.
⇔ In front of them, the land was as beautiful as the garden of Eden,
⇔ but behind them the land is like a desert,
⇔ and nothing survives.

BSB ⇔ Before them a fire devours,
⇔ and behind them a flame scorches.
⇔ The land before them is like the Garden of Eden,
⇔ but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland—
⇔ surely nothing will escape them.

OEB ⇔ Before them the fire devours,
⇔ and behind them a flame burns;
⇔ like the garden of Eden is the land before them,
⇔ and after them it is a desolate desert,
⇔ nothing escapes them.

CSB A fire devours in front of them, and behind them a flame blazes. The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland; there is no escape from them.

NLT Fire burns in front of them, and flames follow after them. Ahead of them the land lies as beautiful as the Garden of Eden. Behind them is nothing but desolation; not one thing escapes.

NIV Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste— nothing escapes them.

CEV Fiery flames surround them; no one escapes. Before they invaded, the land was like Eden; now only a desert remains.

ESV Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them.

NASB A fire consumes before them And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them But a desolate wilderness behind them, And nothing at all escapes them.

LSB A fire consumes before them, And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them But a desolate wilderness behind them, And nothing at all escapes them.

WEBBE A fire devours before them,
⇔ and behind them, a flame burns.
⇔ The land is as the garden of Eden before them,
⇔ and behind them, a desolate wilderness.
⇔ Yes, and no one has escaped them.

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG ^(1-3)Blow the ram’s horn trumpet in Zion!
  Trumpet the alarm on my holy mountain!
Shake the country up!
  God’s Judgment’s on its way—the Day’s almost here!
A black day! A Doomsday!
  Clouds with no silver lining!
Like dawn light moving over the mountains,
  a huge army is coming.
There’s never been anything like it
  and never will be again.
Wildfire burns everything before this army
  and fire licks up everything in its wake.
Before it arrives, the country is like the Garden of Eden.
  When it leaves, it is Death Valley.
  Nothing escapes unscathed.

NET Like fire they devour everything in their path;
⇔ a flame blazes behind them.
⇔ The land looks like the Garden of Eden before them,
⇔ but behind them there is only a desolate wilderness –
⇔ for nothing escapes them!

LSV Before it fire has consumed,
And after it a flame burns,
As the Garden of Eden [is] the land before it,
And after it a wilderness—a desolation! And also there has not been to it an escape,

FBV Fire blazes in front of them, behind them flames are burning. In front of them the land looks like the Garden of Eden, behind them is a desert of total desolation: not a single survivor remains.

T4T It is as though the locusts bring flames of fire
⇔ from which no one can escape.
⇔ In front of them, the land was beautiful like [SIM] the garden of Eden,
⇔ but behind them the land is like a desert
⇔ and nothing survives.

LEB • [fn] a fire devours, and behind them a flame burns. • Like the garden of Eden is the land[fn] • and after them it is like a desolate desert, • and nothing can escape them.

2:1 Literally “before the presence of it”

NRSV Fire devours in front of them, and behind them a flame burns. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, but after them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them.

NKJV A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them.

NAB Before it, fire devours, behind it flame scorches. The land before it is like the garden of Eden, and behind it, a desolate wilderness; from it nothing escapes.

BBE Before them fire sends destruction, and after them flame is burning: the land is like the garden of Eden before them, and after them an unpeopled waste; truly, nothing has been kept safe from them.

Moff No Moff JOEL book available

JPS A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame blazeth; the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing escapeth them.

ASV A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and none hath escaped them.

DRA Before the face thereof a devouring fire, and behind it a burning flame: the land is like a garden of pleasure before it, and behind it a desolate wilderness, neither is there any one that can escape it.

YLT Before it consumed hath fire, And after it burn doth a flame, As the garden of Eden [is] the land before it, And after it a wilderness — a desolation! And also an escape there hath not been to it,

Drby A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame burneth; the land is as a garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness: yea, and nothing escapeth them.

RV A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and none hath escaped them.

Wbstr A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; and nothing shall escape them.

KJB-1769 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

KJB-1611 A fire deuoureth before them, and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wildernes, yea and nothing shall escape them.

Bshps Before him is a deuouryng fire, and behynde him a burnyng flambe: the lande is as a pleasaunt garden before him, and behinde him a waste desert, yea and nothyng shall escape him.
(Before him is a deuouryng fire, and behind him a burnyng flambe: the land is as a pleasant garden before him, and behind him a waste desert, yea and nothing shall escape him.)

Gnva A fire deuoureth before him, and behinde him a flame burneth vp: the land is as the garden of Eden before him, and behinde him a desolate wildernesse, so that nothing shall escape him.
(A fire deuoureth before him, and behind him a flame burneth up: the land is as the garden of Eden before him, and behind him a desolate wilderness, so that nothing shall escape him. )

Cvdl Before him shal be a consumynge fyre, & behynde him a burnynge flame. The londe shal be as a garden of pleasure before him, but behinde him shal it be a very waist wildernesse, & there is no man, that shal escape him.
(Before him shall be a consumynge fire, and behind him a burnynge flame. The land shall be as a garden of pleasure before him, but behind him shall it be a very waist wilderness, and there is no man, that shall escape him.)

Wycl Bifore the face therof schal be fier deuourynge, and after it schal be brennynge flawme; as a gardyn of liking the lond schal be bifor him, and wildirnesse of desert schal be after him, and noon is that schal ascape him.
(Bifore the face thereof shall be fire deuourynge, and after it shall be brennynge flawme; as a gardyn of liking the land shall be before him, and wilderness of desert shall be after him, and noon is that shall ascape him.)

Luth Vor ihm her gehet ein verzehrend Feuer und nach ihm eine brennende Flamme. Das Land ist vor ihm wie ein Lustgarten, aber nach ihm wie eine wüste Einöde; und niemand wird ihm entgehen.
(Vor him her gehet a verzehrend fire and after him one brennende Flamme. The Land is before/in_front_of him like a Lustgarten, but after him like one wüste Einöde; and no_one becomes him entgehen.)

ClVg Ante faciem ejus ignis vorans, et post eum exurens flamma. Quasi hortus voluptatis terra coram eo, et post eum solitudo deserti, neque est qui effugiat eum.
(Ante face his ignis vorans, and after him exurens flamma. Quasi hortus voluptatis earth/land before eo, and after him solitudo deserti, nor it_is who effugiat him. )

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

לְ⁠פָנָי⁠ו֙ אָ֣כְלָה אֵ֔שׁ וְ⁠אַחֲרָ֖י⁠ו תְּלַהֵ֣ט לֶֽהָבָ֑ה כְּ⁠גַן עֵ֨דֶן הָ⁠אָ֜רֶץ לְ⁠פָנָ֗י⁠ו וְ⁠אַֽחֲרָי⁠ו֙ מִדְבַּ֣ר שְׁמָמָ֔ה וְ⁠גַם פְּלֵיטָ֖ה לֹא הָ֥יְתָה לּֽ⁠וֹ

in,front,them eating fire and,behind,them burns flame like,garden ˊĒden the=earth/land in,front,them and,behind,them wilderness desolate and=also escapes not she/it_was for=him/it

The pronouns its and it refer to the locust swarm, described in the previous verse as a “people,” that is, an “army.” It may be more natural in your language to use plural pronouns. Alternate translation: “A fire is devouring in front of them, and behind them a flame is burning. In front of them the land is like the garden of Eden, but behind them is a wilderness of desolation, and indeed there is no escape from them”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

לְ⁠פָנָי⁠ו֙ אָ֣כְלָה אֵ֔שׁ וְ⁠אַחֲרָ֖י⁠ו תְּלַהֵ֣ט לֶֽהָבָ֑ה

in,front,them eating fire and,behind,them burns flame

Joel is speaking of the locusts’ destruction as if it were literally a fire consuming everything in front of it and leaving burning land behind. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “The locusts eat up the vegetation in front of them as if they were a fire consuming it, and after they have passed, the land looks as if a flame has burned it”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

לְ⁠פָנָי⁠ו֙ אָ֣כְלָה אֵ֔שׁ

in,front,them eating fire

See the discussion in the General Notes to this chapter of how several phrases with the word face mean “in front of.” Alternate translation: “A fire is devouring in front of it”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

כְּ⁠גַן עֵ֨דֶן הָ⁠אָ֜רֶץ לְ⁠פָנָ֗י⁠ו

like,garden ˊĒden the=earth/land in,front,them

The point of this comparison is that just as the garden of Eden was very lush, so the land of Israel ahead of the locust invasion is lush. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: “To its face the land is lush, like the garden of Eden”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

מִדְבַּ֣ר שְׁמָמָ֔ה

wilderness desolate

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of desolation, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “is a desolate wilderness”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

וְ⁠גַם פְּלֵיטָ֖ה לֹא הָ֥יְתָה לּֽ⁠וֹ

and=also escapes not she/it_was for=him/it

Joel is making an overstatement for emphasis. If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the emphasis in a different way. Alternate translation: “and indeed, it is extremely difficult to escape from it”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

פְּלֵיטָ֖ה לֹא הָ֥יְתָה לּֽ⁠וֹ

escapes not she/it_was for=him/it

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of escape, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “no one can escape from it” or “no one can get away from it”

Parallel JOEL 2:3