< Zekhariah 1 >
1 Darius kah a kum bae, a hla rhet vaengah, Iddo koca Berekiah capa tonghma Zekhariah taengah BOEIPA ol cet tih,
[I am] Zechariah, a prophet, the son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo. When Darius [had been the emperor of Persia] for almost two years, during November [of that year], Yahweh gave me this message:
2 “BOEIPA he a thintoek tih na pa rhoek taengah thinhulnah om.
“I was very angry with your ancestors.
3 Te dongah amih te thui pah. Caempuei BOEIPA loh he ni a thui. He tah caempuei BOEIPA kah olphong ni. Caempuei BOEIPA loh, ‘Kai taengla ha mael uh lamtah nangmih taengla ka mael ni,’ a ti.
So tell this to the people: [I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, say, ‘Return to me, and [if you do that], I will [help] you again.
4 Na pa rhoek bangla om uh boeh. Amih te tonghma lamhma rhoek loh a khue uh tih, ‘Caempuei BOEIPA loh he ni a thui na longpuei thae lamloh mael uh laeh. Na khoboe neh na khoboe thae rhoe mah,’ a ti. Tedae hnatun uh pawt tih kai taengah a hnatung uh moenih. He tah BOEIPA kah olphong ni.
Do not be like your ancestors. [Other] prophets, who have now died, [continually] proclaimed to your ancestors that they should stop doing the evil things that they were continually doing. But they refused to pay attention to what I said.
5 Na pa rhoek te melae? Tonghma rhoek khaw kumhal ah hing uh nim?
Your ancestors [have died and are now in their graves] [RHQ]. And the prophets did not [RHQ] live forever, [either].
6 Ka ol neh ka oltlueh he ka sal tonghma rhoek ka uen dae ta. Na pa rhoek loh kae uh pawt tih nim a mael uh? Te vaengah, ‘Mamih kah longpuei bangla mamih taengah saii ham neh mamih kah khoboe bangla caempuei BOEIPA loh a mangtaeng tih mamih taengah a saii tangloeng coeng,’ a ti uh,” a ti nah.
But I punished [IDM] [the people for disobeying] the commands and the decrees which I commanded my servants the prophets [to tell to the people]. Then they (repented/turned away from their evil behavior) and said, ‘The Commander of the armies of angels has done to us what we deserved for our evil behavior, just like he said that he would do.’”
7 Darius kah a kum bae nah, hla hlai khat, Shebat hla hnin kul hnin li vaengah, BOEIPA ol te Iddo koca Berekiah capa tonghma Zekhariah taengla cet tih a thui.
[Three months later], on February 15, Yahweh gave [another] message to me.
8 “Khoyin kah ka hmuh dongah hlang te marhang ling dongah tarha ana ngol. Anih te cuihal ding kah a cok ah pai. A hnukkah marhang rhoek tah a ling, a pol neh a bok om.
During the night [I had a vision. In the vision] I saw an [angel] who was on a red horse. He was in a narrow valley among some myrtle trees. Behind him were [angels on] red, brown, and white horses.
9 Te vaengah, ‘Ka boeipa balae he?’” ka ti nah. Te vaengah kai taengah aka cal puencawn loh kai taengah, “Amih rhoek balae ti khaw kamah loh nang kan tueng eh,” a ti.
I asked the angel who had been talking to me, “Sir, who are those [angels on the horses]?” He replied, “I will show you who they are.”
10 Te phoeiah cuihal ding kah aka pai hlang loh a doo tih, “He rhoek he diklai ah pongpa hamla BOEIPA loh a tueih coeng,” a ti.
Then the [angel] who had been under the myrtle trees explained. [He said, ] “They are the [angels] whom Yahweh sent [to (patrol/see what is happening in)] the [entire] world.”
11 Te vaengah cuihal ding kah aka pai BOEIPA puencawn te a doo uh tih, “Diklai ah ka pongpa uh coeng dae diklai pum kah khosa khaw mong ngawn ke,” a ti uh.
Then those angels reported to the angel who was [there] among the myrtle trees, “We have traveled throughout the world, and we have found out that [the army of the emperor of Persia has conquered nations] throughout the world, [and that] those nations are now (helpless/unable to resist his army).”
12 Te dongah BOEIPA kah puencawn loh a doo tih, “Caempuei BOEIPA aw, Jerusalem neh Judah khopuei rhoek te me hil nim na haidam pawt ve? Te te kum sawmrhih kosi na hong thil coeng,” a ti nah.
Then the angel asked, “Commander of the armies of angels, how long will you continue to not be merciful to Jerusalem and the [other] towns in Judah? You have been angry with them for 70 years!”
13 Te dongah BOEIPA loh kai taengah aka cal puencawn te hloephoelhnah ol then ol neh a doo.
[So] Yahweh spoke kindly to the angel who had talked to me, saying things that comforted/encouraged him.
14 Te phoeiah kai taengah aka cal puencawn loh kai taengah, “Khue lamtah, ‘Caempuei BOEIPA loh he ni a thui. Jerusalem ham ka thatlai tih Zion ham khaw thatlainah len.
Then the angel who had been talking with me said to me, “Proclaim this [to the people of Jerusalem]: The Commander of the armies of angels says that he is very concerned about [the people who live on] Zion [Hill] and [in the other parts of] Jerusalem.
15 Tedae kai he namtom hlang aka lawn taengah thinhul bat la ka thintoek. Ka thintoek khaw yol dae amih loh boethae te a koei uh.
But he is very angry with the nations that are [proud and feel] safe. He was only a little bit angry [with the people of Judah], but [he is very angry with the surrounding nations because] they caused [the people of Judah to experience] complete disaster.
16 Te dongah BOEIPA loh he ni a thui. Jerusalem la haidamnah neh ka mael ni. A khuiah ka im a sak ni. He tah caempuei BOEIPA kah olphong ni. Jerusalem te rhilam rhui ka toe ni,’ ti nah.
Therefore, this is what he says: ‘I will again be merciful to [the people of] Jerusalem, and they will rebuild my temple. Men will measure [all the land in] the city [before they start rebuilding the houses].’
17 “Koep pang lamtah, ‘Caempuei BOEIPA loh he ni a thui. Ka khopuei rhoek ah hnothen neh baesawt pueng ni. BOEIPA loh Zion te koep a hloep vetih Jerusalem te koep a coelh ni,’ ti nah,” a ti nah.
The Commander of the armies of angels [also] said this: ‘Tell the people that [the people in] my towns [in Judah] will soon be very prosperous again, and I will encourage [the people of] Jerusalem, and their city will again be my chosen [city].’”
18 Te phoeiah ka mik te ka huel tih ka sawt hatah ki pali lawt ka hmuh.
Then I looked up, and I saw in front of me four [animal] horns.
19 Te dongah kai taengah aka cal puencawn te, “Balae he?” ka ti nah. Tedae kai taengah, “He ki rhoek loh Judah, Israel neh Jerusalem a thaek,” a ti.
I asked the angel who had been speaking to me, “What are those [horns]?” He replied, “Those horns [represent the armies that] forced [the people of] Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah and Israel to go [to other countries].”
20 Te phoeiah BOEIPA loh kai te kutthai pali n'tueng.
Then Yahweh showed me four (craftsmen/men who make things from metal).
21 Te vaengah, “Amih aka lo long he balae a saii eh?” ka ti nah. Te dongah, “He rhoek kah ki loh Judah te a thaek uh tih hlang ol bangla a lu khaw dangrhoek thai pawh. Tedae Judah khohmuen aka tlai thil tih aka thaek ki, namtom kah ki te omtoem ham neh amih te lakueng sak hamla ha pai uh,” a ti.
I asked, “What are those men coming to do?” He replied, “[The armies represented by] those horns caused [the people of] Judah to be scattered, with the result that they suffered greatly. But the craftsmen have come to cause those who attacked [IDM] Judah to be terrified and crushed.”