Maikah 5

1 Tanu te hlap laeh. Caem loh mamih taengah vongup a khueh coeng. Israel laitloek kah a kam te caitueng neh a vuek uh pawn ni.

“But now, [you people of Jerusalem, gather your troops together, ] [because even though] you have a wall [around your city to protect it], [enemy soldiers] are surrounding the city. And [soon] they will strike your leader on his face, with a rod.”

2 Bethlehem Epharath nang tah Judah a thawng a sang lakli ah a noe la na om. Nang lamkah te kai yueng la thoeng vetih Israel aka taem la om ni. Te dongah hlamat lamkah khosuen tue lamloh a naat nah coeng.

But you [people of] [APO] Bethlehem in Ephrathah [district need to know that] even though your [town] is a very small one among all the towns in Judah, someone who will rule Israel will be born in your town. [He will be] someone whose family has existed a very long time ago [DOU].

3 Te dongah amih te ca-om cacun tue hil a tloeng ni. Te vaengah a manuca hlangrhuel tah Israel ca taengla mael uh ni.

[But now] you people of Israel will be conquered by your enemies; [but it will be for only a short time], like [MET] [the short time that] women have great pain while their babies are being born. After that, your fellow-countrymen who were (exiled/forced to go to other countries) will return to their own country.

4 Anih te BOEIPA kah sarhi dongah, a Pathen BOEIPA ming kah mingthennah dongah pai vetih a luem puei ni. Anih te diklai bawt duela rhoeng sak hamla kho a sak ni.

And that man who will be ruling [there in Jerusalem] will stand and lead his people well, because Yahweh, his God, will cause him to be strong and greatly honored. Then the people whom he rules will live [in Jerusalem] safely; he will be greatly honored by people all over the earth, [so no one will dare to attack Jerusalem].

5 Mamih khohmuen la ha kun vaengah Assyria neh rhoepnah om ni. Mamih kah impuei long a cawt vaengah anih taengah hlang aka dawn parhih neh boeimang hlang parhet neh n'thoo ni.

And he will cause things to go well [for his people]. When [the army of] Assyria attacks our country and breaks though our fortresses, we will appoint (seven or eight/several) leaders [to lead our army] to fight against them.

6 Assyria khohmuen khaw, Nimrod khohmuen neh a thohka khaw cunghang neh luem uh ni. Tedae mamih khohmuen la ha kun tih mah khorhi te a cawt vaengah Assyria lamloh n'huul ni.

With their swords [our army] will defeat the [army of] Assyria, [whose capital was founded by] Nimrod [long ago]. So our army will rescue us from the Assyrian [army] when they invade our country [DOU].

7 Jakob kah a meet tah pilnam lakli ah BOEIPA taeng lamkah buemtui bangla, baelhing dongkah mueitui bangla muep om ni. Te te hlang ham lamtawn pawt tih hlang ca ham khaw a ngaiuep dae moenih.

The (descendants of Jacob/Israelis) who survive will be [a blessing] to the people of other nations, like [SIM] dew and rain sent by Yahweh do good to the grass. The Israelis will not trust in humans [to help them]; instead, they will rely on Yahweh.

8 Jakob rhaengnaeng te pilnam miping khui kah namtom taengah om ni. Duup rhamsa lakli kah sathueng bangla, tuping boiva lakli kah sathuengca bangla te te a pah tih, a taelh tih a baeh phoeiah tah aka huul a om moenih.

In the midst of [their enemies in] many people-groups [DOU], the descendants of Jacob who remain alive will be like [SIM] a lion among the [other] wild beasts of the forest, like [SIM] a young lion who goes among a flock of sheep and pounces [on one] and (mauls it/tears it to pieces), and no one will be able to rescue [that sheep].

9 Na kut te na rhal soah phuel uh vetih na thunkha rhoek te boeih a saii uh ni.

You Israelis will defeat [MTY] all your enemies and completely destroy them.

10 BOEIPA kah olphong khohnin te a pai vaengah tah na khui lamkah na marhang te ka hnawt vetih na leng te ka poo sak ni.

Yahweh says, “At that time, I will destroy [you Israeli people’s] horses [that your soldiers use in war] and your chariots.

11 Na khohmuen kah khopuei rhoek ka hnawt vetih na hmuencak boeih te ka koengloeng ni.

I will tear down your city [walls] and destroy all your fortified cities.

12 Sungrhai te na kut lamloh ka hnawt vetih kutyaek aka so khaw na taengah om mahpawh.

I will get rid of all those among you who practice magic and the (fortune-tellers/those who say that they can predict what will happen in the future).

13 Na mueidaep neh na kaam te na khui lamloh ka hnawt vetih na kut saii taengah na bakop voel mahpawh.

I will destroy [all] your idols and [sacred stone] pillars, and then you will no longer bow down [and worship] things that you yourselves [SYN] have made.

14 Na khui lamloh nang kah Asherah te ka phong vetih na khopuei khaw ka milh sak ni.

I will get rid of your poles [that represent the goddess] Asherah, and [I will also] destroy all your idols.

15 A yaak uh pawt bangla namtom taengah phulohnah te thintoek neh kosi neh ka saii ni.

And because I will be very angry, I will [also] punish [the people of] all the nations who have not obeyed [me].”