Zephaniah 3
1 Mi pacaekthlaek, panuet thok moe, kamhnong vangpui loe khosak bing!
Terrible things will [also] happen [to Jerusalem], that city whose people have rebelled [against Yahweh] and who have become unacceptable to him [because of the sins that they have committed]. [They act violently toward others] and they (oppress/treat cruelly) [other people].
2 Jerusalem loe lok tahngai ai, amkhraih han thuih ih lok doeh talawk ai; anih loe Angraeng oephaih tawn ai, angmah ih Sithaw khaeah doeh anghnai ai.
[The people there] do not pay attention to people who tell them [the wrong things that they are doing] and [try to] (correct them/cause them to quit doing those things). [The people in Jerusalem] do not trust in Yahweh or draw near to ask help from their God.
3 Vangpui thungah kaom angmah ih ukkung angraengnawk loe kaipui baktiah hangh o, anih ih lokcaek kaminawk loe akhawnbang caak hanah ahuh kasuem ai, duembang ih tasuinawk baktiah oh o.
Their leaders are [like] [MET] roaring lions; they are [like] [MET] wolves that [attack other animals] during the evening, [and eat everything that they kill], with the result that the next morning there is nothing left [of those animals to eat].
4 Anih ih tahmaanawk loe poek kasang, aling kop kami ah oh o; anih ih qaimanawk loe ahmuen ciim to panuet thok ah sak o moe, Sithaw mah patuk ih lok to amro o sak.
The prophets in Jerusalem are proud, [and they give messages that are] not to be trusted. Their priests cause the temple to be unholy by doing things that are opposed to the laws [of Moses].
5 Toenghaih Angraeng loe anih salakah oh, anih loe katoeng ai hmuen tidoeh sah ai: akhawnbang kruek a toenghaih to amtuengsak; anih loe natuek naah doeh thazok ai; toe katoeng ai kami loe azathaih roe panoek ai.
But Yahweh is [also] in the city; and he never does what is wrong. He treats people justly/fairly; he does that every day, but wicked people are never ashamed [about their doing what is wrong].
6 Prae kaminawk to kam rosak boih boeh; nihcae ih misa buephaih tapangnawk doeh ka paro pae boeh; nihcae ih lampuinawk doeh ka paro pae moe, kaminawk caeh o ai boeh; vangpuinawk to ka phraek pae boeh pongah, kami om ai, anghmat kami mi doeh om ai.
[Yahweh says this]: “I have destroyed [many] nations; I have destroyed their strong/high city walls and towers. [Now] I have caused the streets in those cities to be completely deserted [DOU]; the cities are ruined. There are no people [still alive] in the cities; they are all dead [LIT].
7 Kai mah, Vangpui khaeah kai hae zii ah loe, thuitaekhaih lok to talawk ah, tiah ka naa. Anih to ka thuitaek, toe a thungah kaom kaminawk loe kam rosak mak ai; toe nihcae loe khawnthaw ah angthawk o moe, a sak o ih hmuen baktih toengah, zaehaih a sak o let.
[So] I thought [to myself], ‘[Because of what I have done to those other nations], surely the people [of Jerusalem] will revere me [now], and they will accept (my correcting them/my telling them to quit doing what is wrong). [If they do that, I] will not destroy their houses; I will not punish them like I said that I would do.’ But [in spite of knowing how I punished those other nations], they were still eager to get up early each morning and continue to do evil things.
8 To pongah amrosak hanah kang thawkhaih ni khoek to, na zing oh, tiah Angraeng mah thuih. Kanung parai palungphuihaih nihcae nuiah ka kraih hanah, prae kaminawk boih, siangpahrang mah uk ih praenawk boih nawnto ka pakhueng han, tiah lok takroekhaih ka sak boeh, tiah thuih: to naah pauep thai ai palung ka phuihaih hmai mah long to kang boih tih.
Therefore I, Yahweh, say, ‘Wait for the day in which I will testify [in court about your evil things].’ I have decided to gather the people of the kingdoms [of the earth] [DOU] and cause them to know that I am very angry with them. All [over] the earth I will punish and destroy people; my being angry with them because I (am jealous/want people to worship no other god) is [like] [MET] a (raging/very hot) fire.
9 To pacoengah kaminawk khaeah kaciim lok to ka suek han, poekhaih maeto hoiah anih ih tok nawnto sak o hanah, nihcae boih mah Angraeng ih ahmin to kawk o tih.
When that happens, I will cause [all] people [MTY] to be changed and enable them to speak [only] what is (pure/pleasing to me), in order that everyone can worship me [MTY] and unitedly/together serve me [MTY].
10 Ethiopia ih tuipui yaeh hoiah kai bok kaminawk, ampraek phang ka canunawk mah, kai khaeah hmuen tathlanghaih to sin o tih.
[Then] my people who [were forced to go to other countries], those who live along the upper part of the [Nile] River in Ethiopia will come to me and bring offerings to me.
11 To na niah loe ka koeh ai ih hmuen na sakpazae o ih hmuennawk boih pongah azathaih na tongh o mak ai boeh, nangcae amoekhaih pongah anghoe kaminawk to nangcae salak hoiah ka lak ving han, to naah loe kaciim kai ih mae ah nam oek o mak ai boeh.
At that time, you [people in Jerusalem] will no [longer] be ashamed [about what has happened to you], because you no longer will be rebelling against me. I will get rid of all the people among you who are very proud [DOU]. No one on [Zion], my holy hill, will [strut around] proudly.
12 Pacaekthlaek ih kami, amtang kaminawk to ka hum mak ai, nangcae salakah ka caeh taak han, to naah nihcae mah Angraeng ih ahmin to tang o tih.
Those who are still alive in Israel will be poor and humble; they will be people who trust in me [MTY].
13 Kanghmat Israel kaminawk loe zaehaih sah o mak ai, lok amlai o mak ai; nihcae pakha ah lok amlaihaih hnu o mak ai: nihcae to caa o ueloe, mi doeh zithaih om ai ah khosah o tih boeh.
Those people who are still alive [there] in Israel will not do [things that are] wrong; they will not tell lies or deceive [MTY] people. They will eat and sleep [safely], [because] no one will cause them to be afraid.”
14 Aw Zion canu, laa to sah ah; Aw Israel, tha hoi hang ah; Aw Jerusalem canu, na palungthin boih hoi oep ah loe, palung anghoesak ah.
You people who live in Jerusalem [DOU] and [other places in] Israel, sing and shout loudly! Be glad, and rejoice [DOU] greatly,
15 Na lokcaekhaih loe Angraeng mah boengsak boeh, anih mah na misa to haek boih boeh; Angraeng, Israel siangpahrang loe nangcae salakah oh: nangcae mah sethaih na hnu o mak ai boeh.
[because] Yahweh will stop punishing [MTY] you, and he will send away from you [the armies of] your enemies! And Yahweh [himself], the king of [us] Israeli people, will live among us, and never again will we be afraid that [others will] harm us.
16 To na niah Jerusalem khaeah, Zii hmah, Zion khaeah, Na ban to thahnaem hmah nasoe.
At that time, [other people] will say to us people of Jerusalem, “[You people of] [APO] Jerusalem, do not be afraid; do not become afraid or discouraged,
17 Nangcae salakah kaom, Angraeng na Sithaw loe thacak; anih mah pahlong tih, anih loe oephaih hoi na nuiah anghoe tih; angmah ih amlunghaih hoiah nang to kamong ah omsak tih; laasakhaih hoiah na nuiah paroeai anghoe tih, tiah thuihaih to om tih.
[because] Yahweh your God is [living] among you. He is mighty, and he will rescue/save you. He will be very happy with you; because he loves you, he will cause you to not be afraid; he will sing loudly to rejoice over you.”
18 Palungset hoi na ohhaih, nangcae han hmuenzit ah kaom pahnui thuih ih hmuennawk to ka boengsak han boeh.
[Yahweh says, ] “You people were sad and ashamed because [you were unable to attend] your religious festivals; but I will cause you to no longer be disgraced.
19 Khenah, to nathuem ah nangcae pacaekthlaek kaminawk to ka thuitaek boih han; khokkhaem kaminawk to ka pahlong moe, pakak ih kaminawk to nawnto kam khuengsak han; azathaih prae ah kaom kaminawk boih pakoehhaih hoi ahmin hoihhaih to ka paek han.
Truly, I will [severely] punish all those who (oppressed you/caused you to suffer). I will rescue those who are helpless and those who were forced to go to other countries. I will enable them to be praised and honored in every country to which they were (exiled/forced to go), places where they were disgraced.
20 To naah kang hoih o let han, nangcae to kang tacuu naah kang hoih o let han: nangmacae mikhnuk ah misong thung hoiah kam laemsak let han, to naah long kaminawk boih salakah kahoih ahmin hoi saphawhaih to kang paek o han, nangmacae hma roe ah nangcae taham kang hoih o sak let naah, long kaminawk boih thungah tahamhoihaih hoi khingyahaih kang paek o han, tiah Angraeng mah thuih.
At that time, I will gather you together and bring you [back] home [to Israel]. I will cause you to (have a good reputation/be honored) and be [greatly] praised among all the nations of the earth. You [MTY] will see me causing you to prosper again. [That will surely happen because I, ] Yahweh, have said it.”
