< Joel 2 >

1 Zion ah mongkah to ueng oh, kai ih kaciim mae ah acoehaih atuen to paek oh: prae thung kaom kaminawk boih tasoeh o nasoe; Angraeng ih ni loe angzoh boeh, zoi daek boeh.
Blow trumpets on Zion [Hill], God’s sacred hill [in Jerusalem]! Tell the people of Judah that they should tremble, because it will soon be the time for Yahweh [to punish us further].
2 Akhawnbang ah kanghaeh phang mae nui ih tamai baktiah, khovinghaih hoi kho tahmuephaih ni, kathah tamai hoi khovinghaih niah oh: canghnii ah kaom vai ai, angzo han koi hmabang atue ah doeh kaom vai ai, kapop moe, thacak kaminawk doeh angzoh o.
[That will be a very] dark and gloomy day; there will be [black] clouds and it will be very dark. A huge [swarm of locusts] has covered the mountains like [SIM] a black [cloud]. Nothing like this has ever happened before, and nothing like this will ever [happen] again.
3 Nihcae ih hmabang loe hmai mah kangh moe, nihcae hnukbang doeh hmaipalai mah kangh; nihcae mah tuh ai nathuem ah prae loe Eden takha baktiah oh, nihcae mah tuk pacoengah prae loe kapong sut praezaek baktiah oh; ue, nihcae loe mi doeh loih o mak ai.
[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.
4 Nihcae ih krang loe hrang baktih, hrang angthueng kami baktiah oh pongah, nihcae loe cawn o tih.
[The locusts] resemble horses, and they run like [SIM] war horses.
5 Nihcae loe caphaeh hmai mah kang ih atuen baktih, thacak misatuh kaminawk misatuk han caeh o nathuem ih atuen baktih, hrang lakok tuen baktiah nihcae loe maesom nuiah angphet o tih.
Leaping over the mountaintops, they make a noise like rumbling chariots, like [SIM] a mighty army that is preparing for a battle, or like [SIM] the roar of a fire that burns up stubble [in a field].
6 Pop parai kaminawk loe nihcae hma ah nganbawh kana zok o; kaminawk loe mikhmai amnum o boih tih.
When people see them coming, they become very pale and frightened.
7 Nihcae loe thacak kaminawk baktiah cawn o tih; nichae loe misatuh kaminawk baktiah tapang pongah daw o tih; kaminawk loe angmacae ih loklam ah caeh o boih tih, nihcae loe angmacae ohhaih ahmuen hoiah amkhraeng o mak ai:
[The locusts] climb over walls like soldiers do; they march along in columns and never turn aside [from their columns].
8 maeto hoi maeto anget o mak ai, angmacae ih loklam ah caeh o boih tih: sumsen salakah caeh o cadoeh, ahma caa o mak ai.
They rush straight ahead without pushing each other. [Even though people throw] spears and javelins at them, that will not cause them to stop.
9 Nihcae loe vangpui thungah ahnuk ahma cawn o tih, nihcae loe tapang nuiah cawn o tih; nihcae loe im nuiah daw o tahang ueloe, kamqu baktiah thokbuem hoiah akun o tih.
They swarm over the city walls and enter our houses; they enter through our windows like [SIM] thieves do.
10 Nihcae hma ah long anghuen tih, vannawk doeh tasoeh o tih; ni hoi khrah doeh ving rup ueloe, cakaehnawk mah doeh aanghaih to paek o mak ai boeh.
[It is as though] they cause the earth to shake and the sky to tremble. The sun and the moon become dark and the stars do not shine [because there are so many locusts in the sky].
11 Angraeng mah angmah ih misatuh kaminawk hma ah lok to thui tih; thuih ih lok baktiah sah kami ih misatuh kaminawk loe pop o parai; Angraeng ih ni loe len parai moe, zit kaom ani ah oh: mi mah maw khaang thai tih?
Yahweh leads this army [of countless locusts], and they obey his commands. This time when he is judging and punishing us is very terrible, [with the result that it seems that] no one [RHQ] can survive it.
12 To pongah vaihi doeh, Palungthin boih, buhzahhaih, qahhaih, palungsethaih hoiah kai khaeah amlaem oh, tiah Angraeng mah thuih.
But Yahweh says, “In spite of [these disasters that you have experienced], you can return to me with all your inner beings. Weep, and mourn, and (fast/abstain from eating food) [to show that you are sorry for having abandoned me].
13 Khukbuen na ai, na palungthin to paek ah loe, na Angraeng Sithaw khaeah amlaem ah: Anih loe mi tahmen thaih, palungnathaih tawn, palungphui han karai, pop parai tahmenhaih tawn, kahoih ai hmuen sakhaih thung hoi tahmen thaih Sithaw ah oh.
Do not tear your clothes [to show that you are sorry]; instead, show [MET] that you are sorry.” Yahweh is merciful and kind; he does not quickly become angry; he faithfully loves [people]. He does not quickly become angry; instead, he greatly and faithfully loves [you], and he does not like to punish you.
14 Angraeng na Sithaw khaeah cang, naek koi tui hoi angbawnhaih sak hanah, Anih loe poek amkhraih ueloe, tahamhoihaih caehtaak pacoengah, tahmenhaih tawn khoe doeh om tih, tiah mi mah maw panoek thai tih?
No one knows [RHQ] if he will change his mind [about punishing you] and if instead he will act mercifully [toward you]. If he does that, he will bless you [by giving you plenty of grain and wine] in order that you can offer [some of] those things as sacrifices to him.
15 Zion ah mongkah to ueng ah loe, kaciim buhzahhaih to sak pacoengah, kaciim amkhuenghaih to sah oh;
Blow the trumpets on Zion [Hill]! Gather the people together! Show by fasting that you are sorry [for the sins that you have committed].
16 kaminawk to pakhueng ah, amkhueng kaminawk to ciimcaisak ah; kacoehtanawk to kawkcu ah loe, nawksainawk hoi tahnu nae li nawktanawk to nawnto pakhueng ah; zu la kami loe angmah ih imthung hoi tacawt nasoe loe, sava sah tangla doeh angmah ih imthung hoiah tacawt nasoe.
Perform the rituals to cause yourselves to be acceptable to Yahweh. Gather everyone together— the old people and the children, even the babies, and summon brides and bridegrooms from their rooms.
17 Angraeng khae toksah qaimanawk loe, tempul thung ih tung hoi hmaicam salakah, qah o nasoe; Aw Angraeng, nangmah ih kaminawk to paquem ah, Sithaw panoek ai kaminawk mah patahhaih lok ah patoh o han ai ah, na qawk to kasae thui kaminawk khaeah paek hmah; nihcae ih Sithaw loe naa ah maw oh? tiah kaminawk salakah thuisak hmah, tiah lawkthui o nasoe.
Tell the priests who serve Yahweh to cry between the altar and the entrance to the temple and to pray [this]: “Yahweh, rescue/save [us] your people; do not allow people from other nations to despise us; do not allow them to ridicule us and say, ‘Why has [RHQ] their God [abandoned them]?’”
18 To tih nahaeloe Angraeng mah a prae to poek ueloe, angmah ih kaminawk to tahmen tih boeh.
But Yahweh [showed that he] was concerned about his people and that he would act mercifully toward them.
19 Ue, Angraeng mah lok pathim ueloe, angmah ih kaminawk khaeah, Khenah, nangcae hanah cang, misurtui hoi situi to kang pat han, to naah ni palung khuek na tih o vop tih; Sithaw panoek ai kaminawk salakah nangcae kasae thuihaih to ka sah mak ai boeh.
When the people prayed, Yahweh answered and said, “I will give you [plenty of] grain and wine and [olive] oil, and you will be satisfied. And I will no longer allow other nations to insult you.
20 Aluek bang ih misatuh kaminawk to kangthla ah ka patoeh moe, praezaek hoi kapong sut ahmuen ah ka patoeh han boeh, anih ih ahma to ni angyae bang ih tuipui ah, anih ih ahnuk to niduem bang ih tuipui ah ka vah han: Anih mah kalen parai hmuen to sak boeh pongah, kaqong ahmui sae anih khae hoiah tacawt tih boeh.
Another army [of locusts will come] from the north [to attack you], but I will force them to continue [past Jerusalem] into the desert. Some will go into the Dead Sea in the east and some will go into the [Mediterranean] Sea in the west. [There] they will [all die, and their bodies] will stink.” Yahweh does great things!
21 Aw prae, zii hmah; Angraeng mah dawnrai hmuen to sak boeh pongah, anghoe ah loe oep ah!
He does wonderful things! So even the ground should rejoice!
22 Taw ih moisannawk, zii o hmah; taw ih saphoinawk tacawt o boeh moe, thingnawk mah doeh athaih athai o let boeh; thaiduetkung hoi misurkung loe thacak o let boeh.
And the wild animals should not be afraid, because the meadows will soon become green again; the fig trees and [other] trees will be full of fruit, and the grapevines will be covered with grapes.
23 Nangcae Zion caanawk, anghoe oh, Angraeng na Sithaw ah anghoe oh; anih mah khotui tangsuek to nangcae hanah ang paek, nangcae khaeah khotui tangsuek to angzohsak, khrah tangsuek naah hnukkhuem khotui to angzohsak.
You people of Jerusalem, rejoice about what Yahweh, your God, [will be doing for you]. He will send abundant rain at the (right time/time when it is needed)— (in the spring/early in the year) and (in the autumn/late in the year) like he did previously.
24 Cang atithaih ahmuen loe cang hoi koi tih, laom pui thungah misurtui kangtha hoi situi to koi tih.
The ground where you thresh the grain will be covered with grain, and your vats where you store grape juice and [olive] oil will be full.
25 Kalen pakhuh mah caak ih cangnawk, langkawk mah caak ih cangnawk, kalah pakhunawk hoi pakhunawk mah caak ih cangnawk, nangcae khaeah ka patoeh ih thacak kai ih misatuh kaminawk mah caak o ih, saningnawk to kang paek let han.
[Yahweh said, ] “I will repay you for everything that was destroyed by those great swarms of locusts that I sent to attack you.
26 Nangcae mah kapop ah na caa o ueloe, zok nam hah o tih, to naah nangcae han dawnrai hmuen kasah, Angraeng na Sithaw ih ahmin to na pakoeh o tih; Kai ih kaminawk loe natuek naah doeh azathaih tong o mak ai boeh.
You, my people, will eat until your stomachs are full. Then you will praise me [MTY], Yahweh, your God, for the wonderful things that I have done for you. And never again will you be disgraced.
27 To naah nangcae mah kai loe Israel kaminawk salakah ka oh, kai loe nangcae ih Angraeng Sithaw ni, kalah mi doeh om ai, tiah na panoek o tih. Kai ih kaminawk loe natuek naah doeh azathaih tong o mak ai boeh.
When that happens, you will know that I am [always] among you, and that I am Yahweh, your God, and that there is no other [God]. Never again will you be disgraced.”
28 To pacoengah, taksa boih nuiah ka Muithla ka paek han; na capanawk hoi na canunawk mah lok to taphong o tih, na mitongnawk mah amang sah o ueloe, na thendoengnawk mah hnuksakhaih to hnu o tih.
“Some time later, I will give my Spirit to many [HYP] people. Your sons and daughters will proclaim messages that come directly from me. Your old men will have dreams [that come from me], and your young men will have visions [that come from me].
29 To na niah loe ka tamna nongpanawk hoi ka tamna nongpatanawk nuiah doeh ka Muithla to ka paek han.
At that time, I will give my Spirit even to servants, both men and women.
30 Van hoi long ah dawnrai hmuennawk kam tuengsak han: athii longhaih, kangthawk hmai hoi hmaikhue to ka hnuksak han.
I will do unusual/amazing things on the earth and in the sky. [On the earth] [CHI], there will be much blood [shed] and [there will be very large] fires and smoke that resembles huge clouds.
31 Zit kaom Angraeng ih ni kalen angzo ai naah, ni loe ving ueloe, khrah doeh athii ah angcoeng tih.
[In the sky, ] the sun will become dark and the moon will become [as red as] [MET] blood. [Those things will happen] before that great and terrible day when [I], Yahweh, appear.
32 Mi kawbaktih doeh Angraeng ih ahmin kawk kaminawk loe, pahlong ah om boih tih. Angraeng mah thuih ih lok baktih toengah, Zion mae hoi Jerusalem vangpui thungah, Angraeng mah kawk ih anghmat kaminawk loisakhaih to om tih.
But at that time [I] will save everyone who worships me. I promise that some people in Jerusalem [DOU] will escape [those disasters]; those whom I have chosen will survive.”

< Joel 2 >