Core Glossary
Core Glossary: Joel
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing theological term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, across all three chapters of Joel, with translation risk ratings for the Phase 2 Bengali translation pipeline. Terms already present in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json / bible_term_registry.json are marked [REUSED] and their baseline rendering is repeated here unchanged, per the hard rule that established renderings must be reused exactly. New terms introduced by this curriculum are marked [NEW] and are candidates for addition to translation memory in Phase 2.
Critical Risk Terms
| Term | Original (Hebrew) | Transliteration | Bengali Rendering | Bengali Transliteration | Doctrine | Status | Notes / Alternatives Rejected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Spirit (poured out) | רוּחִי / πνεῦμά μου | ruchi / pneuma mou | পবিত্র আত্মা | Pobitro Attha | The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit | [REUSED] from baseline holy_spirit | Never ব্রহ্ম or পরমাত্মা. Joel’s bare “my Spirit” must still be rendered পবিত্র আত্মা for doctrinal continuity with Acts 2/Romans 8. |
| LORD (YHWH, divine covenant name) | יְהוָה | YHWH | সদাপ্রভু | Sadaprabhu | The Day of the Lord; foundational to all doctrines | [NEW — extends baseline] | Established Bengali OT convention for the Tetragrammaton, distinct from baseline’s প্রভু (used for NT κύριος/generic “Lord”). Must not be collapsed into generic প্রভু in Joel, nor into ভগবান/আল্লাহ (both already rejected in baseline for “god”). |
| Day of the LORD | יוֹם יְהוָה | yom YHWH | সদাপ্রভুর দিন | Sadaprabhur din | The Day of the Lord | [NEW] | Central doctrinal term of the whole book (1:15; 2:1, 2, 11, 31; 3:14). Must render identically at every occurrence. Not a generic “day of judgment” — a specific, decisive divine act tied to God’s own covenant name. |
| Pour out (the Spirit) | אֶשְׁפּוֹךְ / ἐκχεῶ | eshpokh / ekcheō | ঢেলে দেব | dhele deb | The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit | [NEW] | Risk: collision with Hindu puja libation imagery (ঢালা for offerings to an idol). Direction of the action (God→people, not devotee→deity) must remain unambiguous. Recommend translator note on first occurrence (2:28). |
| Calls on the name of the LORD (human invocation) | קָרָא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה | qara be-shem YHWH | সদাপ্রভুর নামে ডাকা | Sadaprabhur name daka | Salvation / The Day of the Lord | [NEW — must not conflate with baseline called/calling] | Directly quoted in Romans 10:13 and Acts 2:21. MUST use ডাকা (human calling out to God), never আহুত/আহ্বান (reserved in baseline exclusively for God’s summons to humans). Rendering of this clause in Joel 2:32 must match the Romans 10:13 Bengali rendering exactly. |
| Shall be saved | יִמָּלֵט / σωθήσεται | yimmalet / sōthēsetai | পরিত্রাণ পাবে | poritran pabe | Salvation | [REUSED — built on baseline salvation] | Built directly on baseline critical term পরিত্রাণ (never মুক্তি/মোক্ষ/নাজাত). Joel 2:32 is quoted verbatim in Romans 10:13; Bengali rendering must be word-for-word consistent across both curricula. |
High Risk Terms
| Term | Original (Hebrew) | Transliteration | Bengali Rendering | Bengali Transliteration | Doctrine | Status | Notes / Alternatives Rejected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locust (four terms) | אַרְבֶּה / יֶלֶק / חָסִיל / גָּזָם | arbeh / yeleq / chasil / gazam | পঙ্গপাল (with descriptive qualifiers) | pongopal | The Locust Plague as Divine Judgment | [NEW] | Bengali lacks four distinct lexical equivalents; use qualifiers to preserve the escalating four-wave devastation image (1:4). Must be framed as divine judgment instrument, not mere natural disaster — text explicitly calls the locusts “his [YHWH’s] army” (2:11). |
| All flesh | כָּל־בָּשָׂר | kol-basar | সমস্ত মানুষের উপর | somosto manusher upor | The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit; Universal Scope | [NEW, echoes baseline universality caution] | Preserve full universality (age, gender, social status per v. 28-29); do not narrow to any particular caste/class/religious-community group. |
| Vision (prophetic) | חֶזְיֹנוֹת | chezyonot | দর্শন | dorshon | The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit | [NEW] | Collision risk: দর্শন (darshan) is theologically loaded in Bengali Hindu devotional culture (seeing/being seen by a deity’s image or guru). Translator note recommended on first occurrence (2:28) clarifying this is Spirit-given prophetic disclosure, not devotional darshan. |
| Return (repentance) | שׁוּב | shuv | ফিরে আসা | fire asha | Repentance and Return to God | [NEW] | Never Islamic তওবা (tawbah) or Hindu প্রায়শ্চিত্ত (prayashchitta, ritual expiation/penance). Must be framed relationally (returning to a covenant Person), not transactionally (earning removed guilt). |
| Rend your hearts, not your garments | קִרְעוּ לְבַבְכֶם וְאַל־בִּגְדֵיכֶם | qir’u levavkhem ve-al bigdeikhem | হৃদয় বিদীর্ণ কর, বস্ত্র নয় | hridoy bidirno koro, bostro noy | Repentance and Return to God | [NEW] | Preserves the inward/outward contrast; must not be softened to imply visible ritual mourning alone suffices. |
| Steadfast covenant love (chesed) | חֶסֶד | chesed | দয়া (নিয়মের বিশ্বস্ত প্রেম) | doya (niyomer bishwasto prem) | Repentance and Return to God | [NEW] | Part of the Exodus 34:6 divine-character formula (2:13). Must retain covenant-loyalty force, not read as generic pity/mood. Not yet in baseline; recommend formal addition to translation memory given its likely recurrence across OT curricula. |
| Divine jealousy | קַנֵּא | qanna | গভীর অনুরাগ / উদ্যোগী হলেন | gobhir anurag / uddyogi holen | Restoration and Blessing after Repentance | [NEW] | Avoid ঈর্ষা (irsha), which denotes sinful envy in ordinary Bengali usage. Must be framed as protective covenant zeal, not petty jealousy. |
| Prophesy (verb) | נִבְּאוּ | nibbe’u | ভাববাণী করবে | bhabbani korbe | The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit | [REUSED] verb form of baseline noun | Reuses baseline root ভাববাণী exactly; do not confuse with জ্যোতিষী (astrologer), per baseline caution. |
| Signs/wonders | אוֹתוֹת | otot | অলৌকিক চিহ্ন | ôloukik chihno | The Day of the Lord | [NEW] | Distinguish from গণনা (astrological omen-reading, already rejected class in baseline for “prophecy”). These are purposeful divine signals, not omens to be divined. |
| Great and awesome day | הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא | ha-gadol ve-ha-nora | মহৎ ও ভয়ংকর | mohot o bhoyongkor | The Day of the Lord | [NEW] | Qualifier phrase attached to সদাপ্রভুর দিন; render consistently at every occurrence (1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14). |
| Survivors whom the LORD calls | שְׂרִידִים אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה קֹרֵא | seridim asher YHWH qore | যাদের সদাপ্রভু আহ্বান করেন | jader Sadaprabhu ahban koren | The Day of the Lord; Effectual Calling | [REUSED — correct direction] uses baseline আহ্বান | This is God calling humans (correct direction for baseline’s আহ্বান vocabulary), unlike the human-to-God “calls on the name” phrase in the same verse — the two must be kept lexically distinct within v. 32. |
Medium Risk Terms
| Term | Original (Hebrew) | Transliteration | Bengali Rendering | Bengali Transliteration | Doctrine | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consecrate a fast | קַדְּשׁוּ־צוֹם | qaddeshu-tzom | উপবাস পবিত্ররূপে ঘোষণা কর | upobash pobitrorupe ghoshona koro | Repentance and Return to God | [NEW, reuses baseline পবিত্র root] | Distinguish from Islamic রোজা and Hindu votive ব্রত/উপবাস (bargaining fast for a boon). |
| Solemn assembly | עֲצָרָה | atzarah | পবিত্র সভা | pobitro shobha | Repentance and Return to God | [NEW] | Distinguish from purely social/communal “para” gatherings (per baseline fellowship caution). |
| Male/female servants | עֲבָדִים / שְׁפָחוֹת | avadim / shephachot | দাস-দাসী | das-dashi | The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit | [NEW] | Preserve deliberate social-lowliness contrast; do not soften to কর্মচারী (employee). |
| God relents from disaster | נִחָם | nicham | ফিরে দয়া করেন | fire doya koren | Restoration and Blessing after Repentance | [NEW] | Frame as gracious covenant responsiveness, not divine instability/caprice. |
| Grain, new wine, oil | דָּגָן, תִּירוֹשׁ, יִצְהָר | dagan, tirosh, yitzhar | শস্য, নতুন দ্রাক্ষারস, তেল | shoshyo, notun drakkharos, tel | Restoration and Blessing after Repentance | [NEW] | Keep as a fixed triad for consistency; standard covenant-blessing formula. |
| Never again put to shame | לֹא־יֵבֹשׁוּ | lo-yevoshu | আর লজ্জিত হবে না | ar lojjito hobe na | Restoration and Blessing after Repentance | [NEW] | Render as removal of covenantal/communal disgrace, resonant with honor/shame sensitivities flagged in baseline. |
| Nations / Gentiles | גּוֹיִם | goyim | পরজাতি / জাতিগণ | porojati / jatigon | The Day of the Lord (judgment on nations) | [REUSED, context-dependent] | Reuse baseline পরজাতি where sense is “humanity outside Israel”; জাতিগণ acceptable where sense is “nations as political entities” — flag per-occurrence for native speaker judgment. |
| Valley of Jehoshaphat / Valley of Decision | עֵמֶק יְהוֹשָׁפָט / עֵמֶק הֶחָרוּץ | Emeq Yehoshaphat / Emeq he-Charutz | যিহোশাফটের উপত্যকা / সিদ্ধান্তের উপত্যকা | Jihoshaphoter upontyoka / Shiddhanter upontyoka | The Day of the Lord | [NEW] | Proper names encoding “YHWH judges” — footnote recommended on the wordplay, invisible in transliteration. |
| Harvest / sickle / winepress (judgment) | קָצִיר / מַגָּל / גַּת | qatzir / maggal / gat | শস্য পরিপক্ব / কাস্তে / দ্রাক্ষাকুন্ড | shoshyo poripokko / kaste / drakkhakundo | The Day of the Lord | [NEW] | Flag for consistency with future Revelation curriculum (14:14-20; 19:15 share this image). |
| The LORD dwells in Zion | שָׁכַן | shakhan | বসবাস করবেন / নিবাস করবেন | boshobash korben / nibash korben | Restoration and Blessing after Repentance | [NEW] | Related to but distinct from baseline’s incarnation caution (দেহধারণ); do not conflate covenantal dwelling-presence with the incarnation itself. |
| Fountain / restoration abundance | (3:18 imagery) | — | ঝর্ণা প্রবাহিত হবে | jhorna probahito hobe | Restoration and Blessing after Repentance | [NEW] | Flag for future consistency with Ezekiel 47 / Revelation 22 river-of-life imagery. |
| Innocent blood | נָקִיא דָּם | naqi dam | নির্দোষ রক্ত | nirdosh rokto | The Day of the Lord (judgment on nations) | [NEW] | Grounds judgment in real moral accountability, resonant with baseline’s Universal Human Accountability doctrine. |
| Avenge | נָקָם | naqam | প্রতিশোধ নেব | protishodh neb | The Day of the Lord | [NEW] | Flag for theologian review re: underlying Hebrew textual variant (avenge vs. cleanse/acquit). |
| Afterward (eschatological marker) | אַחֲרֵי־כֵן | acharei-khen | পরে / তখন তার পরে | pore / tokhon tar pore | The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit | [NEW] | Must permit, not foreclose, the “last days” reading given in Acts 2:17. |
| Sun to darkness, moon to blood | (2:31 imagery) | — | সূর্য অন্ধকার হয়ে যাবে, চন্দ্র রক্তবর্ণ হয়ে যাবে | shurjo ondhokar hoye jabe, chondro roktoborno hoye jabe | The Day of the Lord | [NEW] | Flag for cross-curriculum consistency with future Acts/Revelation apocalyptic imagery. |
Low Risk Terms
| Term | Original (Hebrew) | Transliteration | Bengali Rendering | Doctrine | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mourning/lament | אֵבֶל | evel | বিলাপ/শোক করা | Repentance and Return to God | [NEW] | Standard vocabulary; ensure directed toward God, not fatalistic grief alone. |
| Trumpet/ram’s horn | שׁוֹפָר | shofar | শিঙা/তূরী | The Day of the Lord | [NEW] | Established Bengali Bible term; no significant collision. |
| Dream | חֲלֹמוֹת | chalomot | স্বপ্ন | The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit | [NEW] | Common shared vocabulary; mark as God-given where doctrinally load-bearing. |
| Blood, fire, columns of smoke | דָּם וָאֵשׁ וְתִימְרוֹת עָשָׁן | dam va’esh ve-timrot ashan | রক্ত, আগুন, ধূমস্তম্ভ | The Day of the Lord | [NEW] | Concrete apocalyptic imagery; keep vivid, undomesticated. |
| Judge (verb) | שָׁפַט | shaphat | বিচার করা | The Day of the Lord | [NEW] | Standard term. |
| The LORD roars | שָׁאַג | sha’ag | গর্জন করবেন | The Day of the Lord / Restoration | [NEW] | Vivid verb; ensure the following refuge/comfort clause (3:16b) is not lost. |
Reused Baseline Terms Cited from Romans (No Change)
| Term | Baseline Bengali Rendering | Confirmed Occurrence in Joel |
|---|---|---|
| God | ঈশ্বর | Throughout (implicit divine references, e.g., 2:13-14 divine character formula) |
| Holy Spirit | পবিত্র আত্মা | 2:28-29 (core passage) |
| Holy | পবিত্র | 1:14 (consecrate a fast); 2:1 (my holy mountain, if rendered) |
| Prophet / Prophecy | ভাববাদী / ভাববাণী | 2:28 (prophesy) |
| Gentiles (Nations) | পরজাতি | Joel 3 (context-dependent; see Medium table above) |
| Salvation | পরিত্রাণ | 2:32 (core passage — Critical) |
| Called / Calling | আহুত / আহ্বান | 2:32b only (“survivors whom the LORD calls”) — NOT for 2:32a’s human-to-God “calls on the name,” which uses ডাকা instead (see Critical table) |
Glossary Coverage Confirmation
This glossary cites load-bearing terms from every chapter of Joel (1, 2, 3), including the core passage (2:28-32) treated with full verse-by-verse granularity. No chapter was omitted. Terms already fixed by the baseline Romans Language Package (গ, পবিত্র আত্মা, পরিত্রাণ, ভাববাদী/ভাববাণী, পরজাতি, আহুত/আহ্বান) are reused exactly as recorded, with explicit disambiguation notes wherever Joel’s usage could tempt a translator to blur a baseline distinction (notably the two-directional “calling” in Joel 2:32).
Critical Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: ঈশ্বর
Transliteration: Ishshor
Doctrine: The Day of the Lord
Rejected alternatives: ভগবান, আল্লাহ
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. In Joel, used for generic references to God’s nature/person apart from the covenant name itself; the covenant name YHWH is rendered separately as সদাপ্রভু (see yhwh entry) and must never be collapsed into this generic term or vice versa.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: পবিত্র আত্মা
Transliteration: Pobitro Attha
Doctrine: The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Rejected alternatives: ব্রহ্ম, পরমাত্মা
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. Governs the general baseline entry for the Holy Spirit; see also holy_spirit_in_joel below for the Joel-specific consideration that the bare Hebrew of 2:28-29 lacks the adjective ‘holy’ yet must still be rendered পবিত্র আত্মা for doctrinal continuity with Acts 2 and Romans 8.
Salvation
Approved rendering: পরিত্রাণ
Transliteration: poritran
Doctrine: Salvation through Calling on the Name of the Lord
Rejected alternatives: মুক্তি, মোক্ষ, নাজাত
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. Joel 2:32a (‘shall be saved’) builds directly on this noun — see shall_be_saved below. This is the direct textual bridge to Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13; the Bengali rendering of Joel 2:32 must be word-for-word identical to the Romans Language Package’s rendering of Romans 10:13.
Lord
Approved rendering: প্রভু
Transliteration: provu
Doctrine: The Day of the Lord
Rejected alternatives: মালিক, ঈশ্বর
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged; reserved for generic/NT κύριος address. CRITICAL FOR THIS CURRICULUM: must be kept strictly distinct from সদাপ্রভু (see yhwh below), the covenant-name rendering used throughout Joel for YHWH. A translator habitually reaching for প্রভু out of Romans-curriculum habit when YHWH is the referent is the single most likely cross-curriculum error risk identified in 06_linguistic_gap_analysis.md.
Yhwh
Approved rendering: সদাপ্রভু
Transliteration: Sadaprabhu
Doctrine: The Day of the Lord
Rejected alternatives: ভগবান, আল্লাহ, প্রভু (generic), যিহোভা (raw transliteration)
Original: יְהוָה
Category: God
NEW — extends baseline. Established Bengali Old Testament convention for the Tetragrammaton, distinct from baseline’s প্রভু (reserved for NT κύριος). Occurs at nearly every verse of Joel and anchors the book’s central doctrine. Must never be collapsed into generic প্রভু, nor into ভগবান/আল্লাহ (both already rejected in baseline for ‘god’).
Day Of The Lord
Approved rendering: সদাপ্রভুর দিন
Transliteration: Sadaprabhur din
Doctrine: The Day of the Lord
Rejected alternatives: বিচারের দিন, কিয়ামতের দিন, যুগান্ত, মহাপ্রলয়
Original: יוֹם יְהוָה
Category: Eschatology
NEW. Central recurring doctrinal term (1:15; 2:1, 2, 11, 31; 3:14); must be rendered identically at every occurrence. বিচারের দিন loses the covenant-name anchor; কিয়ামতের দিন imports the Islamic Last-Day apparatus; যুগান্ত/মহাপ্রলয় import Hindu cyclical cosmic-age vocabulary. None are acceptable substitutes.
Pour Out Spirit
Approved rendering: ঢেলে দেব
Transliteration: dhele deb
Doctrine: The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Rejected alternatives: অর্ঘ্য ঢালা, সেচন করা
Original: אֶשְׁפּוֹךְ (שָׁפַךְ) / ἐκχεῶ
Category: Pneumatology
NEW. Doctrinal anchor of the core passage (2:28-29). CRITICAL COLLISION: অর্ঘ্য ঢালা is the specific Bengali term for pouring a puja libation onto a Hindu deity’s image; সেচন করা suggests agricultural irrigation, losing personal/relational force. Direction of the action (God pouring Spirit ONTO people, never a devotee pouring an offering ONTO an idol) must remain unambiguous. Mandatory translator note required at first occurrence (2:28) and repeated at 2:29.
Holy Spirit In Joel
Approved rendering: পবিত্র আত্মা
Transliteration: Pobitro Attha
Doctrine: The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Rejected alternatives: আমার আত্মা (bare literal rendering), ব্রহ্ম, পরমাত্মা
Original: רוּחִי / πνεῦμά μου
Category: God
NEW — Joel-specific application of the baseline holy_spirit entry. Although the Hebrew of 2:28-29 literally reads only ‘my Spirit’ (רוּחִי) without the adjective ‘holy,’ this curriculum REQUIRES পবিত্র আত্মা rather than the more literal আমার আত্মা, to preserve doctrinal continuity with Acts 2:17-18 and Romans 8, which quote/echo this verse and name this Spirit explicitly as holy and personal.
Calls On Name Of Lord
Approved rendering: সদাপ্রভুর নামে ডাকা
Transliteration: Sadaprabhur name daka
Doctrine: Salvation through Calling on the Name of the Lord
Rejected alternatives: আহ্বান করা, আহুত (root reuse)
Original: קָרָא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה / ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου
Category: Salvation
NEW — critical direct link to baseline. 2:32a; quoted verbatim in Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13. MUST use ডাকা (human calling out TO God). Never আহুত/আহ্বান vocabulary, which the baseline reserves exclusively for GOD’S sovereign summons TO humans (Romans 1:1, 1:7, 8:28-30) — the reverse direction. The full clause যে কেউ সদাপ্রভুর নামে ডাকবে, সে পরিত্রাণ পাবে must be word-for-word identical to the Romans Language Package’s rendering of Romans 10:13.
Shall Be Saved
Approved rendering: পরিত্রাণ পাবে
Transliteration: poritran pabe
Doctrine: Salvation through Calling on the Name of the Lord
Rejected alternatives: মুক্তি পাবে, মোক্ষ পাবে, নাজাত পাবে
Original: יִמָּלֵט (מָלַט) / σωθήσεται
Category: Salvation
NEW — built directly on baseline critical term পরিত্রাণ (never মুক্তি/মোক্ষ/নাজাত). 2:32a; quoted in Romans 10:13. Not a discretionary stylistic choice: this rendering must be word-for-word identical to however Romans 10:13 is rendered in the Romans Language Package.
High Risk Terms
Holy
Approved rendering: পবিত্র
Transliteration: pobitro
Doctrine: Corporate Repentance and the Solemn Assembly
Rejected alternatives: শুচি, নির্মল
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. Reused as the root for Joel’s ‘consecrate a fast’ (কদ্দেশু-tzom, קדש root) and ‘solemn assembly’ vocabulary — see consecrate_fast and solemn_assembly below.
Called
Approved rendering: আহুত
Transliteration: ahuto
Doctrine: The Remnant Doctrine
Rejected alternatives: আমন্ত্রিত, নিমন্ত্রিত
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. In Joel, this root is CORRECTLY used only for the God-to-human calling direction in 2:32b (‘survivors whom the LORD calls’) — see survivors_whom_lord_calls below. Must NEVER be used for the human-to-God ‘calls on the name of the LORD’ in 2:32a, which uses ডাকা instead (see calls_on_name_of_lord).
Calling
Approved rendering: আহ্বান
Transliteration: ahban
Doctrine: The Remnant Doctrine
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. Noun/verb form used in survivors_whom_lord_calls (2:32b, সদাপ্রভু আহ্বান করেন). Reserved exclusively for God’s sovereign summons to humans; never for the reverse human-to-God direction anywhere in Joel.
Sin
Approved rendering: পাপ
Transliteration: pap
Doctrine: Repentance and Return to God
Rejected alternatives: অধর্ম, অশুচিতা
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. Presupposed throughout Joel’s call to repentance (2:12-13) even though the Hebrew text of the core call does not use a dedicated noun for ‘sin’ at every point; retained here for consistency wherever explanatory/teaching material built around Joel names the condition being repented of.
Covenant
Approved rendering: নিয়ম
Transliteration: niyom
Doctrine: The Covenant Character of God (Grace, Mercy, and Chesed)
Rejected alternatives: চুক্তি, অঙ্গীকার
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. Underlies Joel’s covenant-character formula (2:13, echoing Exodus 34:6) and the covenant relationship presupposed by ‘return to me’ (2:12) and חֶסֶד (see chesed_covenant_love below).
Great And Awesome Day
Approved rendering: মহৎ ও ভয়ংকর
Transliteration: mohot o bhoyongkor
Doctrine: The Day of the Lord
Original: הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא
Category: Eschatology
NEW. Fixed qualifier phrase always attached to সদাপ্রভুর দিন (1:15 implied; 2:11; 2:31; cf. Acts 2:20). Must render identically at every occurrence so the reader recognizes a single recurring theme, not separate unrelated events.
All Flesh
Approved rendering: সমস্ত মানুষের উপর
Transliteration: somosto manusher upor
Doctrine: Universal Scope of the Spirit’s Outpouring
Rejected alternatives: সমস্ত মাংসের উপর (overly literal)
Original: כָּל־בָּשָׂר
Category: Pneumatology
NEW. Preserves full universality across age, gender, and social status (2:28-29); must not be narrowed implicitly to a particular caste, class, or religious-community group. A literal ‘all flesh/meat’ rendering reads oddly in Bengali and risks a physical-meat misreading.
Vision Revelatory
Approved rendering: দর্শন
Transliteration: dorshon
Doctrine: Prophetic Revelation through Dreams and Visions
Rejected alternatives: দৃষ্টি (too weak/generic), প্রত্যাদেশ (accurate but non-standard for this term)
Original: חֶזְיֹנוֹת (יִרְאוּ)
Category: Pneumatology
NEW. 2:28. HIGH RISK: দর্শন (darshan) is theologically loaded in Bengali Hindu devotional culture — the auspicious act of seeing/being seen by a deity’s image or a living guru. Mandatory translator note at first occurrence clarifying this is Spirit-given prophetic disclosure from the one true God, not devotional darshan.
Remnant Escape
Approved rendering: রক্ষাপ্রাপ্ত জন
Transliteration: rokkhaprapto jon
Doctrine: The Remnant Doctrine
Rejected alternatives: উদ্ধারপ্রাপ্ত দল (acceptable variant, not preferred as primary)
Original: פְלֵיטָה
Category: Salvation
NEW. 2:32b. Must remain lexically distinct from পরিত্রাণ (the ‘saved by calling on YHWH’s name’ clause earlier in the same verse) to preserve Joel’s own internal distinction between the salvation confession and the geographically-located escaped remnant in Zion.
Survivors Whom Lord Calls
Approved rendering: সদাপ্রভু আহ্বান করেন
Transliteration: Sadaprabhu ahban koren
Doctrine: The Remnant Doctrine
Rejected alternatives: সদাপ্রভুর নামে ডাকা (wrong direction — would erase the reversal)
Original: שְׂרִידִים אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה קֹרֵא
Category: Salvation
NEW. 2:32b. Because this is explicitly GOD calling (not humans calling on God), it is correct here to reuse the baseline’s আহ্বান vocabulary. Must be kept lexically distinct from সদাপ্রভুর নামে ডাকা earlier in the same verse — two different Hebrew calling-directions in one verse require two different Bengali verbs.
Locust
Approved rendering: পঙ্গপাল
Transliteration: pongopal
Doctrine: The Locust Plague as Divine Judgment
Original: אַרְבֶּה / יֶלֶק / חָסִיל / גָּזָם
Category: Judgment
NEW. 1:4 and throughout ch. 1; Bengali lacks four lexically distinct terms for the Hebrew’s four locust words/stages (אַרְבֶּה/יֶלֶק/חָסִיל/גָּזָם). Use with descriptive qualifiers (যে পঙ্গপাল কাটে, বাড়ন্ত পঙ্গপাল) to preserve the escalating four-wave devastation image; translator note recommended at 1:4. Must never be softened into a merely natural-disaster description — the text explicitly frames the locusts as YHWH’s own army (তাঁর সৈন্যদল, 2:11).
Return Repentance
Approved rendering: আমার কাছে ফিরে আসো
Transliteration: amar kachhe fire asho
Doctrine: Repentance and Return to God
Rejected alternatives: তওবা, প্রায়শ্চিত্ত, মন পরিবর্তন (too privately-cognitive alone)
Original: שׁוּבוּ עָדַי (שׁוּב)
Category: Repentance
NEW. 2:12. Must not use Islamic তওবা (submission-framework turning back to Allah) or Hindu প্রায়শ্চিত্ত (ritual penance/expiation removing accumulated guilt through prescribed austerity). Must be framed relationally — returning to a covenant Person — not transactionally.
Rend Hearts Not Garments
Approved rendering: তোমাদের হৃদয় বিদীর্ণ কর, বস্ত্র নয়
Transliteration: tomader hridoy bidirno koro, bostro noy
Doctrine: Repentance and Return to God
Original: קִרְעוּ לְבַבְכֶם וְאַל־בִּגְדֵיכֶם
Category: Repentance
NEW. 2:13. Preserves the inward/outward contrast; must not be softened to imply visible ritual mourning alone suffices — a live risk given the high social salience of visible mourning/fasting practices in both Hindu and Muslim Bengali contexts.
Chesed Covenant Love
Approved rendering: দয়া (নিয়মের বিশ্বস্ত প্রেম)
Transliteration: doya (niyomer bishwasto prem)
Doctrine: The Covenant Character of God (Grace, Mercy, and Chesed)
Rejected alternatives: দয়া (bare, unqualified)
Original: חֶסֶד (רַב־חֶסֶד)
Category: God
NEW. 2:13; echoes Exodus 34:6. Not yet in baseline translation memory; recommended for formal promotion to cross-curriculum translation memory given likely recurrence across future OT curricula (Ruth, Hosea, Psalms). Must retain covenant-loyalty force, never read as generic pity or arbitrary divine mood.
Divine Jealousy Zeal
Approved rendering: গভীর অনুরাগ
Transliteration: gobhir anurag
Doctrine: God’s Jealousy as Protective Covenant Zeal
Rejected alternatives: ঈর্ষা
Original: קַנֵּא / קַנָּא
Category: God
NEW. 2:18. Must never use ঈর্ষা, which denotes sinful envy/covetousness in ordinary Bengali usage and is morally disqualifying if applied to God’s character. উদ্যোগী হলেন is an acceptable secondary variant. This forbidden-substitution rule extends beyond Joel to any future curriculum describing God’s jealousy.
Medium Risk Terms
Gentiles
Approved rendering: পরজাতি
Transliteration: porojati
Doctrine: Judgment on the Nations
Rejected alternatives: বিদেশী
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. In Joel 3, גּוֹיִם (the nations) is used in a judicial/judgment register rather than Romans’ missional-inclusion register; পরজাতি remains appropriate where the sense is ‘humanity outside Israel,’ but জাতিগণ (see nations_gentiles_in_joel below) is also permitted per-occurrence for the political-entities-under-judgment sense.
Servants Male Female
Approved rendering: দাস-দাসী
Transliteration: das-dashi
Doctrine: Universal Scope of the Spirit’s Outpouring
Rejected alternatives: কর্মচারী
Original: עֲבָדִים / שְׁפָחוֹת
Category: Pneumatology
NEW. 2:29. Must not be softened to কর্মচারী (employee), which erases the deliberate social-lowliness contrast Joel makes — the Spirit reaches even those with no social standing at all.
Signs Wonders
Approved rendering: অলৌকিক চিহ্ন
Transliteration: oloukik chihno
Doctrine: Cosmic Signs Preceding the Day of the Lord
Rejected alternatives: গণনা
Original: אוֹתוֹת / τέρατα
Category: Eschatology
NEW. 2:30. Must not use গণনা (astrological calculation/omen-reading). These are purposeful divine communications to be received, not omens divined by human technique.
Sun Moon Cosmic Signs
Approved rendering: সূর্য অন্ধকার হয়ে যাবে, চন্দ্র রক্তবর্ণ হয়ে যাবে
Transliteration: shurjo ondhokar hoye jabe, chondro roktoborno hoye jabe
Doctrine: Cosmic Signs Preceding the Day of the Lord
Original: הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ יֵהָפֵךְ לְחֹשֶׁךְ וְהַיָּרֵחַ לְדָם
Category: Eschatology
NEW. 2:31; quoted in Acts 2:20. Flag for cross-curriculum consistency with any future Acts/Revelation curriculum sharing this apocalyptic imagery.
Consecrate Fast
Approved rendering: উপবাস পবিত্ররূপে ঘোষণা কর
Transliteration: upobash pobitrorupe ghoshona koro
Doctrine: Corporate Repentance and the Solemn Assembly
Rejected alternatives: রোজা, ব্রত
Original: קַדְּשׁוּ־צוֹם
Category: Repentance
NEW, reuses baseline root পবিত্র. 1:14; 2:15. Must not use Islamic রোজা (Ramadan fasting within a submission-merit framework) or Hindu votive ব্রত/উপবাস (a bargaining fast for a deity’s boon).
Solemn Assembly
Approved rendering: পবিত্র সভা
Transliteration: pobitro shobha
Doctrine: Corporate Repentance and the Solemn Assembly
Original: עֲצָרָה
Category: Repentance
NEW. 1:14; 2:15-16. Distinguish from a purely social/communal ‘para’-style neighborhood gathering; this is a divinely-summoned sacred assembly.
Divine Relenting
Approved rendering: ফিরে দয়া করেন
Transliteration: fire doya koren
Doctrine: God’s Relenting Compassion
Original: נִחָם
Category: God
NEW. 2:13-14. Frame explicitly as gracious covenant responsiveness flowing from God’s declared character (2:13), never as divine instability or a deity requiring ritual appeasement.
Never Put To Shame
Approved rendering: আর লজ্জিত হবে না
Transliteration: ar lojjito hobe na
Doctrine: Removal of Covenant Shame
Original: לֹא־יֵבֹשׁוּ
Category: Restoration
NEW. 2:26-27. Must be read as removal of covenantal/communal disgrace before God and community, not merely private emotional embarrassment — significant given honor/shame dynamics in Bengali Hindu and Muslim social contexts.
Afterward Eschatological Marker
Approved rendering: তখন তার পরে
Transliteration: tokhon tar pore
Doctrine: The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Rejected alternatives: পরে (bare, too weak)
Original: אַחֲרֵי־כֵן
Category: Eschatology
NEW. 2:28. Must permit, not foreclose, the ‘last days’ reading Acts 2:17 gives this phrase; avoid a rendering stripped of prophetic-fulfillment weight.
Nations Gentiles In Joel
Approved rendering: পরজাতি / জাতিগণ
Transliteration: porojati / jatigon
Doctrine: Judgment on the Nations
Original: הַגּוֹיִם
Category: Judgment
NEW, context-dependent extension of baseline পরজাতি. Joel 3:2, 9-12. Reuse baseline পরজাতি where sense is ‘humanity outside Israel’; জাতিগণ acceptable where sense is ‘nations as political entities under judgment.’ Flag each Joel 3 occurrence for native-speaker judgment on which nuance fits.
Valley Of Jehoshaphat Decision
Approved rendering: যিহোশাফটের উপত্যকা / সিদ্ধান্তের উপত্যকা
Transliteration: Jihoshaphoter upontyoka / Shiddhanter upontyoka
Doctrine: Judgment on the Nations
Original: עֵמֶק יְהוֹשָׁפָט / עֵמֶק הֶחָרוּץ
Category: Judgment
NEW. 3:2, 12, 14. Proper names encoding ‘YHWH judges’ and ‘decision’ — footnote required on the wordplay, invisible in straight transliteration.
Harvest Sickle Winepress
Approved rendering: শস্য পরিপক্ব / কাস্তে / দ্রাক্ষাকুন্ড
Transliteration: shoshyo poripokko / kaste / drakkhakundo
Doctrine: Judgment on the Nations
Original: קָצִיר / מַגָּל / גַּת
Category: Judgment
NEW. 3:13. Keep the wrath association explicit and undomesticated; flag for cross-curriculum consistency with any future Revelation curriculum (14:14-20; 19:15).
Lord Dwells In Zion
Approved rendering: বসবাস করবেন
Transliteration: boshobash korben
Doctrine: God’s Abiding Presence in Zion
Rejected alternatives: দেহধারণ (must never be used — a distinct doctrine, incarnation)
Original: שָׁכַן
Category: Restoration
NEW. 3:17, 21. Related to but distinct from the baseline’s incarnation caution (দেহধারণ); do not conflate covenantal dwelling-presence with the incarnation itself.
Avenge
Approved rendering: প্রতিশোধ নেব
Transliteration: protishodh neb
Doctrine: Judgment on the Nations
Original: נָקָם
Category: Judgment
NEW. 3:21. Flag for theologian review given the underlying Hebrew textual variant tradition (avenge vs. cleanse/acquit); confirm which textual tradition the chosen Bengali source text follows before finalizing.
Fountain Restoration Abundance
Approved rendering: ঝর্ণা প্রবাহিত হবে
Transliteration: jhorna probahito hobe
Doctrine: Restoration and Blessing after Repentance
Original: (3:18 imagery — מַעְיָן)
Category: Restoration
NEW. 3:18. Flag for future cross-curriculum consistency with Ezekiel 47 / Revelation 22 river-of-life imagery.
Low Risk Terms
Prophet
Approved rendering: ভাববাদী
Transliteration: bhabbadi
Doctrine: Prophetic Revelation through Dreams and Visions
Rejected alternatives: জ্যোতিষী
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. Joel is itself the words of a prophet (ভাববাদী যোয়েল), and 2:28’s promise that ‘your sons and daughters shall prophesy’ democratizes this office — see prophesy_verb below.
Prophecy
Approved rendering: ভাববাণী
Transliteration: bhabbani
Doctrine: Prophetic Revelation through Dreams and Visions
Rejected alternatives: গণনা
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. Root of the verb ভাববাণী করবে (2:28) — see prophesy_verb below. Never confused with গণনা (astrological calculation/omen-reading), also relevant to signs_wonders below.
Prophesy Verb
Approved rendering: ভাববাণী করবে
Transliteration: bhabbani korbe
Doctrine: Prophetic Revelation through Dreams and Visions
Original: נִבְּאוּ (נָבָא) / προφητεύσουσιν
Category: Pneumatology
NEW (verb form of baseline noun ভাববাণী, reused exactly). 2:28. Must not be confused with জ্যোতিষী (astrologer/fortune-teller).
Dream Revelatory
Approved rendering: স্বপ্ন দেখবে
Transliteration: shopno dekhbe
Doctrine: Prophetic Revelation through Dreams and Visions
Original: חֲלֹמוֹת (יִחְלָמוּן)
Category: Pneumatology
NEW. 2:28. Standard shared vocabulary across Bengali religious traditions; mark explicitly as ঈশ্বরদত্ত স্বপ্ন (God-given dream) where doctrinally load-bearing.
Blood Fire Smoke
Approved rendering: রক্ত, আগুন, ধূমস্তম্ভ
Transliteration: rokto, agun, dhumostombho
Doctrine: Cosmic Signs Preceding the Day of the Lord
Original: דָּם וָאֵשׁ וְתִימְרוֹת עָשָׁן
Category: Eschatology
NEW. 2:30. Concrete apocalyptic imagery; keep vivid and undomesticated.
Mourning Lament
Approved rendering: বিলাপ/শোক করা
Transliteration: bilap/shok kora
Doctrine: Repentance and Return to God
Original: אֵבֶל
Category: Repentance
NEW. Standard vocabulary; ensure context frames mourning as directed toward God in repentance, not fatalistic grief alone.
Shofar Trumpet
Approved rendering: শিঙা
Transliteration: shinga
Doctrine: The Day of the Lord
Rejected alternatives: শোফার (raw transliteration)
Original: שׁוֹפָר
Category: Eschatology
NEW. 2:1. Established Bengali Bible term for the shofar/ram’s-horn trumpet.
Grain Wine Oil Triad
Approved rendering: শস্য, নতুন দ্রাক্ষারস, তেল
Transliteration: shoshyo, notun drakkharos, tel
Doctrine: Restoration and Blessing after Repentance
Original: דָּגָן, תִּירוֹשׁ, יִצְהָר
Category: Restoration
NEW. 2:19, 2:24. Standard covenant-blessing triad; keep the three terms together as a fixed formula across occurrences.
Judge Verb
Approved rendering: বিচার করা
Transliteration: bichar kora
Doctrine: Judgment on the Nations
Original: שָׁפַט
Category: Judgment
NEW. 3:2, 12. Standard term; corporate rather than individual accountability register here.
Lord Roars
Approved rendering: গর্জন করবেন
Transliteration: gorjon korben
Doctrine: God’s Abiding Presence in Zion
Original: שָׁאַג
Category: God
NEW. 3:16. Ensure the immediately following refuge/comfort clause (3:16b) is not lost in translation flow.
Innocent Blood
Approved rendering: নির্দোষ রক্ত
Transliteration: nirdosh rokto
Doctrine: Judgment on the Nations
Original: נָקִיא דָּם
Category: Judgment
NEW. 3:19. Standard moral-accountability vocabulary grounding judgment in real moral wrongdoing.
Zion Proper Name
Approved rendering: সিয়োন
Transliteration: Shiyon
Doctrine: The Remnant Doctrine
Original: צִיּוֹן
Category: Covenant
NEW. Established Bengali Bible proper-name form; 2:32; 3:16-17, 21.
Jerusalem Proper Name
Approved rendering: যিরূশালেম
Transliteration: Jirushalem
Doctrine: The Remnant Doctrine
Original: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם
Category: Covenant
NEW. Established Bengali Bible proper-name form; 2:32; 3:1, 17, 20.
Egypt Edom Judged Nations
Approved rendering: মিসর / ইদোম
Transliteration: Mishor / Idom
Doctrine: Judgment on the Nations
Original: מִצְרַיִם / אֱדוֹם
Category: Judgment
NEW. 3:19. Established Bengali Bible proper-name forms; supports the innocent-blood judgment doctrine with concrete historical referents.
Referenced passages