< Jeremiah 1 >
1 Benjamin kho Anathoth kah Khosoih Hilkiah capa Jeremiah kah ol;
[I], Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, [am writing] these messages. [I am] a priest, from Anathoth [town] in the area where the tribe of Benjamin [lives].
2 Judah manghai Amon capa Josiah a manghai tue vaengkah kum hlai thum dongah anih taengah BOEIPA ol a om pah.
Yahweh started to give me these messages when Josiah had been ruling Judah for almost 13 years.
3 Judah manghai Josiah capa Jehoiakim tue neh Judah manghai Josiah capa Zedekiah kah kum hlai khat thok tih a hla nga dongkah Jerusalem a khum duela om pueng.
Yahweh continued to give me more messages when Josiah’s son Jehoiakim was the king, and he continued to do that until Zedekiah had been the king of Judah for almost eleven years. It was in August of that year that the people of Jerusalem were (exiled/taken as prisoners) [to Babylonia].
4 Te vaengah BOEIPA ol tah kai taengah om tih,
[One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
5 “Nang he bungko khuiah kan hlinsai khaw kan hlinsai hlan ah nang kan ming coeng. Bung khui lamkah na thoeng hlan ah nang kan ciim tih namtom rhoek ham tonghma la nang kang khueh coeng,” a ti.
“I knew you before I [finished] forming you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I (set you apart/chose you) and I appointed you to be [my] prophet [whose messages would be] for [all] nations.”
6 Te vaengah, “Ya-oe ka Boeipa Yahovah aih khaw, kai camoe loh thui ham khaw ka ming moenih he,” ka ti nah.
I replied, “O, Yahweh my God, I am [not qualified to] speak [for you], because I am very young!”
7 Tedae BOEIPA loh kai te, “Ka camoe,” ti boeh. Hlang boeih taengah nang kan tueih vanbangla cet lamtah nang kang uen te boeih thui.
Yahweh replied, “Do not say that, because you must go to everyone to whom I will send you, and you must tell them everything that I tell you to say.
8 Amih maelhmai te rhih boeh, nang huul hamla namah taengah kai ka om. BOEIPA kah olphong ni.
And you must not be afraid of the people [to whom you will speak], because I will protect you [from being harmed by them]. [This will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
9 BOEIPA loh a kut a yueng tih ka ka ham puei. Te phoeiah BOEIPA loh Kai taengah, “Na ka dongah ka ol kang khueh coeng he.
Then [it was as though] Yahweh touched my mouth and said, “Listen to me! I am (putting my message into your mouth/telling you what you must speak).
10 Tihnin namtom rhoek neh ram tom te phuk hamla, palet ham neh paltham sak ham, koengloeng ham, khoeng ham neh phung ham nang kan tuek he hmu laeh,” a ti.
Today I am appointing you to warn nations and kingdoms. You will tell them that I will completely destroy and get rid of [DOU] some of them and that I will establish [MET] others and cause them to be strong.”
11 Te phoeiah kai taengla BOEIPA ol ha om tih, “Jeremiah balae na hmuh,” a ti. Te dongah, “Noe kah a hlaeng ka hmuh,” ka ti nah.
Then Yahweh said to me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
12 Te dongah BOEIPA loh kai te, “Na hmuh te thuem, kai tah ka ol bangla saii ham ka hak thil,” a ti.
Yahweh said, “That is correct. And [because the word for ‘almond’ resembles the word for ‘watching’], it means that I am watching [what will happen], and I will make certain that what I have said to you [about destroying nations] will happen.”
13 BOEIPA ol te ka taengah koep om tih, “Balae na hmuh,” a ti. Te dongah, “Am aka tlawk te ka hmuh tih a rhai te tlangpuei hmai la mael,” ka ti nah.
[Then] Yahweh spoke to me again and said, “What do you see [now]?” I replied, “I see a pot full of boiling [water] [MTY]. It is tipping [toward me] from the north.”
14 Te vaengah BOEIPA loh kai taengah, “Tlangpuei lamkah yoethaenah loh diklai khosa boeih te a phuh ni.
Yahweh replied, “[Yes! It means that] from the north great trouble/destruction will [spread] [MET] over this land, [like boiling water] [MET] pouring [from a pot].
15 Kai loh tlangpuei ram kah huiko boeih te BOEIPA kah olphong dongla ka khue coeng he. Ha pawk uh vaengah a ngolkhoel te Jerusalem vongka kah thohka neh a kaepvai kah vongtung boeih, Judah khopuei tomah te khaw rhip a hol thil uh ni.
Listen to what I say: I am summoning [the armies of] kingdoms that will come from the north [of Judah] to Jerusalem. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of this city [to indicate that they are now the kings of Judah]. [Their armies] will attack [and break down] the walls of this city, and [they will do the same thing to] all the [other] towns in Judah.
16 Amih te kamah kah laitloeknah ka thui pah ni. Amih kah boethae boeih neh kai n'hnoo uh tih pathen tloe rhoek taengah a phum uh. Te phoeiah amah kut dongkah bisai te a bawk uh.
I will punish [MTY] my people because of all the evil things that they have done; they have abandoned me and they worship gods/idols. They worship idols that they have made with their own hands!
17 Nang tah na cinghen te yen lamtah pai laeh. Kai loh nang kang uen boeih te amih taengah thui pah. Amih mikhmuh ah rhihyawp boeh namah te amih mikhmuh ah kang rhihyawp sak ve.
So, get up and put on your clothes [to get ready for action]! Then go to the people of Judah and tell them everything that I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, because [if you are afraid of them], I will cause you to be truly terrified in front of them!
18 Kai loh tihnin ah nang he hmuencak khopuei la, thi tung la, rhohum vongtung la Judah manghai rhoek kah khohmuen boeih, a mangpa rhoek, a khosoih rhoek, khohmuen kah pilnam taengah kang khueh coeng he.
But listen! I will cause you to be [strong, like] [MET] a city that has strong walls around it. You will be [as strong as] [MET] an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings or officials or priests will be able to defeat you.
19 Nang m'vathoh thil cakhaw nang te n'na uh mahpawh. Nang huul hamla nang taengah kamah ka om he BOEIPA kah olphong coeng ni,” a ti.
They will oppose you, but they will not be able to defeat you, because I will be with you and will protect you. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”