Jeremiah 21

1 Zedekiah siangpahrang mah Malkiah capa Pashur hoi Maaseiah ih capa qaima Zephaniah to Jeremiah khaeah patoeh naah, Angraeng ih lok Jeremiah khaeah angzoh. Nihnik mah,

This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur, son of Malchijah, and the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah to talk with him. They said,

2 Babylon siangpahrang Nebuchadnezzar loe kaicae tuk hanah amsak boeh pongah, misanawk hnukbang ah angnawn o thai han hoi kaicae kheah Angraeng mah dawnrai hmuen to sak hanah na hni paeh, tiah a naa hoi.

“Please speak with Lord on our behalf because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will do some miracle for us like all those miracles he used to do, so that Nebuchadnezzar will retreat from us.”

3 Toe Jeremaih mah nihnik khaeah, Zedekiah khaeah thui pae hoih,

But Jeremiah replied, “Tell Zedekiah this:

4 Israel Angraeng Sithaw mah, Khenah, sipae tasa bangah nangcae takui khoep, Babylon siangpahrang hoi Khaldian kaminawk tukhaih, na ban ih maiphaw maicanawk to nangmacae nuiah kam laemsak let han, nihcae to hae vangpui thungah ka pakhueng han.

This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I'm going to turn the weapons you're holding against you, the weapons you're using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonian army outside the wall besieging you. I'm going to bring them right into the center of this city.

5 Kai mah roe mah, palungphuihaih hoiah ban ka phok han, thui laek ai palungphuihaih hoi ka ban thacakhaih hoiah nang to kang tuk han.

I myself will fight against you with all my power and might, with the full force of my furious anger.

6 Hae vangpui thungah kaom kaminawk, kami hoi moinawk boih ka thuitaek han; nihcae loe zit kaom kasae nathaih hoiah dueh o boih tih.

I will kill those living in this city, human beings and animals. They will die from a terrible plague.

7 To pacoengah Judah siangpahrang Zedekiah, anih ih tamnanawk, anih ih kaminawk hoi hae vangpui ih kasae nathaih thung hoiah maw, sumsen hoiah maw, khokhahaih thung hoiah maw anghmat kaminawk loe, Babylon siangpahrang Nebuchadnezzar ih ban hoi nihcae hinghaih pakrong a misanawk ban ah ka paek han; anih mah loe paquem mak ai, tahmenhaih tawn mak ai, palungnathaih tawn ai ah sumsen hoiah hum tih, tiah thuih, tiah a naa.

After that, declares the Lord, I'm going to hand you over, Zedekiah king of Judah, as well as your officers and the people who are left in this city after the plague and war and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to your enemies who want you dead. He will attack you; he won't spare you or show you any pity or mercy.

8 To pacoengah kaminawk khaeah, Angraeng mah, Khenah, nangcae hmaa ah hinghaih loklam hoi duekhaih loklam to ka suek.

Tell the people this as well: This is what the Lord says: Look, I'm placing before you the path of life and the path of death.

9 Hae vangpui thungah kaom mi kawbaktih doeh sumsen, khokhahaih, kasae nathaih hoiah dueh o tih; toe nangcae takui khoep khaldian kaminawk khaeah kacawn kami loe hing tih; lomh ih hmuen baktiah a hinghaih to loih tih.

If you stay in this city you'll die either by sword and famine and plague, but if you leave and surrender to the Babylonians who are besieging you, you will live. In fact it will be like gaining your life as plunder from a war.

10 Hae vangpui nuiah hoihaih sah ai, sethaih sak han ih ni ka poek boeh, tiah Angraeng mah thuih; nihcae to Babylon siangpahrang ban ah ka paek han, anih mah hmai hoiah qoeng tih, tiah thuih, tiah a naa.

For I am determined to bring disaster on this city, and not blessings, declares the Lord. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, who will destroy it with fire.

11 To pacoengah, Judah siangpahrang imthung takoh khaeah, Angraeng ih lok hae tahngai oh, tiah thui paeh;

In addition tell the royal family of the king of Judah to listen to the Lord's message:

12 Aw David imthung takoh, Angraeng mah, Akhawnbang kruek katoeng hmuen to sah oh, naeh ih kami to pacaekthlaek kaminawk ih ban thung hoiah pahlong oh, to tih ai nahaeloe na sak o ih zaehaih pongah, palung ka phuihaih hmai baktiah amngaeh ueloe, mi mah doeh paduek thai ai ah kangh moeng tih.

Descendants of David, this is what the Lord says: Make sure you judge fairly every day. Protect those who are being unjustly treated from those corrupt people, otherwise because of their evil actions my anger will blaze out like fire that can't be put out.

13 Khenah, Aw azawn ah kaom kaminawk, azawn ah kaom thlung, nang to misa ah kang suek boeh, tiah Angraeng mah thuih; nangcae mah, Mi mah maw kaicae hae tuh tih? Mi mah maw kaicae ohhaih ahmuen thungah akun tih, tiah na thuih o.

Watch out, because I'm going to fight against you people who live above the valley on top of a flat rock, declares the Lord. You say, ‘Who can attack us? Who can break down our defenses?’

14 Na sakhaih hoi katingah kang thuitaek han, tiah Angraeng mah thuih; nangcae ih taw to hmai ka thlaek han, na taengah kaom hmuennawk to hmai mah kang boih tih, tiah thuih, tiah a naa.

I'm going to punish you as you deserve for what you've done, declares the Lord. I will set your forest on fire and it will burn up everything around you.”