< Joel 2 >

1 Zion ah tuki te ueng uh lamtah ka hmuencim tlang ah yuhui uh. BOEIPA kah khohnin he a yoei rhep la a pai dongah diklai khosa boeih loh tlai uh saeh.
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 Hmaisuep neh khohmuep hnin, cingmai neh yinnah hnin loh pilnam boeiping neh pilnu kah tlang ah mincang bangla yaal coeng. Te bang te khosuen lamloh ana om noek pawt tih a hnukkah thawnpuei neh cadilcahma tue ah khaw khoep mahpawh.
[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 A maelhmai ah hmai loh a hlawp tih a hnukah khaw hmaisai a hlawp. A mikhmuh kah te diklai Eden dum bangla om tih a hnuk tah khosoek khopong la om. Te dongah anih lamkah loeihnah khaw om pawh.
[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 A mueimae tah marhang mueimae bangla om tih marhang caem bangla yong uh tangloeng.
[The locusts] resemble horses, and they run like [SIM] war horses.
5 Tlang dong sokah leng ol bangla om. Divawt aka hlawp hmaihluei hmai ol bangla sundaep uh. Pilnu pilnam bangla caemtloek rhong a pai.
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 Amih mikhmuh ah pilnam loh kilkul tih maelhmai boeih muhut la a om pah.
When people see them coming, they become very pale and frightened.
7 Hlangrhalh bangla yong uh tih caemtloek hlang bangla vongtung dongah luei uh. Te vaengah hlang te amah longpuei ah pongpa uh tih a caehlong te ken uh pawh.
[The locusts] climb over walls like soldiers do; they march along in columns and never turn aside [from their columns].
8 Te vaengah hlang loh a manuca te a nen uh moenih. Hlang he amah longpuei ah ni a pongpa uh. Pumcumnah hnuk ah mueluem mueh la cungku uh.
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 Khopuei kah vongtung soah khaw cu uh tih yong uh. Im lamkhaw bangbuet lamloh yoeng uh tih hlanghuen bangla kun uh.
They swarm over the city walls and enter our houses; they enter through our windows like [SIM] thieves do.
10 A mikhmuh ah diklai khaw tlai tih, vaan khaw hinghuen. Khomik neh hla hmuep tih aisi khaw a aa khum.
[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 BOEIPA loh A caem mikhmuh ah a ol a huel. A lambong khaw yet muep ngawn, a ol aka vai tah pilnu ngawn, BOEIPA kah khohnin tah len tih rhih om tangkik pai. Te dongah te te aka noeng tah unim?
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 Tedae BOEIPA kah olphong om pataeng coeng. Kai taengla na thinko boeih neh, yaehnah nen khaw, rhahnah nen khaw, rhaengsaelung nen khaw ha mael laeh.
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 Te dongah na thinko mah phen uh lamtah na himbai phen uh boeh. Na Pathen BOEIPA taengla mael uh laeh. Amah tah thinphoei lungvatnah la om. Thintoek a ueh tih sitlohnah a yet dongah boethae khui lamloh ko a hlawt.
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 Mael tih ko a hlawt khaw ulong a ming. A hnukah na Pathen BOEIPA hamla yoethennah khocang neh tuisi a paih mai khaming.
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 tuki te ueng uh, yaehnah te ciim uh, pahong te hoe uh.
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 Pilnam te coi uh, hlangping te ciim uh. Patong rhoek khaw coi lamtah camoe neh rhangsuk dongkah cahni khaw coi uh laeh. Yulokung khaw a imkhui lamloh, vasanu khaw a imkhui lamloh moe laeh saeh.
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 Ngalha laklo neh hmueihtuk taengah BOEIPA kah tueihyoeih khosoih rhoek te rhap uh saeh. Te vaengah, “BOEIPA aw na pilnam te rhen mai, na rho te kokhahnah la, amih lakli kah namtom taengah thuidoeknah la khueh boel mai. Balae tih pilnam taengah, ‘Amih kah Pathen te melae?’ a ti eh,” ti saeh.
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 BOEIPA tah a khohmuen ham thatlai vetih a pilnam soah lungma a ti pueng ni.
But Yahweh [showed that he] was concerned about his people and that he would act mercifully toward them.
19 BOEIPA loh a doo vetih a pilnam taengah, “Kai loh nangmih ham cangpai neh misur thai khaw, situi khaw kan tueih vetih te te na cung bitni. Nangmih te namtom taengah kokhahnah la koep kang khueh mahpawh.
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 Tlangpuei te nangmih taeng lamloh kan lakhla sak vetih anih te rhamrhae neh khopong hmuen la ka heh ni. A hmai kah khocuk tuipuei duela, a bawtnah ah khobawt tuipuei duela a rhongbo cet vetih a thanghapbo cet ni. A saii ham khaw pantai ngawn coeng.
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 Khohmuen nang rhih boeh, omngaih lamtah kohoe sak. BOEIPA loh a saii ham te a rhoeng sak.
He does wonderful things! So even the ground should rejoice!
22 Khohmuen rhamsa na rhih uh voel mahpawh, khosoek toitlim te poe coeng, thing te a thaih cuen ni. Thaibu neh misur khaw a thadueng sai ni.
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 Zion ca rhoek na Pathen BOEIPA dongah omngaih uh lamtah kohoe uh. Duengnah dongah cangpa tue te nang taengah m'paek. Nang hamla cangpa khonal neh lamhma kah tlankhol te kan suntlak bitni.
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 Cangtilhmuen ah cangpai bae vetih va-am ah misur thai neh situi baepet ni.
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 Nangmih taengah kaisih, lungang, phol neh kamah kah lungmul caem muep kan tueih tih a caak te nang taengah a kum kum ah kan thuung bitni.
[Yahweh said, ] “I will repay you for everything that was destroyed by those great swarms of locusts that I sent to attack you.
26 A caak khaw na caak uh vetih na hah uh bitni. Te vaengah na Pathen BOEIPA ming te thangthen uh. Amah loh nangmih ham khobaerhambae la a saii dongah ka pilnam he kumhal duela yah a poh.
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 Kai tah Israel khui kah la nan ming uh bitni. Te dongah kai he nangmih kah Pathen BOEIPA coeng tih a tloe om pawh. Ka pilnam tah kumhal duela yahpok mahpawh.
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 He phoeiah om vetih pumsa cungkuem soah ka mueihla he ka lun ni. Na capa rhoek neh na canu rhoek tonghma uh ni. Nangmih kah patong rhoek loh mang a man uh vetih nangmih kah tongpang rhoek loh olphong a hmuh uh ni.
“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 Te khohnin ah salpa so neh sal huta soah pataeng ka mueihla ka lun ni.
At that time, I will give my Spirit even to servants, both men and women.
30 Vaan ah kopoekrhai, diklai ah khaw thii neh hmai neh hmaikhu tung ka tueng sak ni.
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 Boeilen neh rhih om BOEIPA kah khohnin a pai tom vaengah khomik te hmaisuep la, hla te thii la poeh ni.
[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 BOEIPA ming aka khue boeih te loeih ni. Zion tlang neh Jerusalem ah loeihnah om ni. Te te BOEIPA loh a thui coeng dongah BOEIPA loh rhaengnaeng khuikah te khaw a khue.
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 >