Zekhariah 7
1 Manghai Darius kah a kum li, hla ko, Kislev hnin li vaengah BOEIPA ol loh Zekhariah taengla a pha.
When Darius had been the emperor for almost four years, on December 7, Yahweh gave me [another] message.
2 Te vaengah BOEIPA mikhmuh ah nguek hamla a hlang rhoek neh Bethel kah Sharezer neh Regemmelek te a tueih.
The people of Bethel [city] sent two men, Sharezer and Regem-Melech, along with some other men, [to the temple of Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels, ] to request that Yahweh bless them.
3 Caempuei BOEIPA im kah khosoih rhoek taeng neh tonghma rhoek taengah a dawt sak tih, “Kum te yet ka saii noek bangla hla nga dongah tah cue uh hamla ka rhap aya?” a ti nah.
They also asked the priests at Yahweh’s temple and the prophets [this question]: “For many years, during the fifth month [and during the seventh month of each year], we have mourned and (fasted/abstained from eating food). Should we [continue to do that]?”
4 Tedae caempuei BOEIPA ol he kai taengla pai tih,
Then the Commander of the armies of angels gave me a message.
5 “Khohmuen pilnam boeih taeng neh khosoih rhoek taengah khaw thui lamtah, 'Kum sawmrhih lo coeng dae, hla nga neh hla rhih vaengah na yaeh uh tih na rhaengsae uh a? Kai kamah ham nim a yaeh khaw na yaeh uh?
[He said], “Tell [RHQ] the priests and all the [other] people of Judah that during the past 70 years, when they mourned and fasted during the fifth and seventh months [of each year], it was not really [RHQ] me, [Yahweh], whom they were [honoring].
6 Na caak uh vaengah khaw, na ok uh vaengah khaw, namamih loh na caak uh tih namamih loh na ok uh moenih a?
And when they ate and drank, it was really [RHQ] to [benefit] themselves.
7 Jerusalem kah kho aka sa neh a kaepvai kah a khopuei rhoek khaw tuithim neh kolrhawk kah kho aka sa khaw thayoeituipan la om ham te BOEIPA loh lamhma kah tonghma rhoek kut dongah a pang puei te ol moenih a?” ti nah,” a ti nah.
That is certainly [RHQ] what I continually told the former prophets to proclaim [to the people], when Jerusalem and the nearby towns were prosperous and filled with people, and people [also] lived in the desert area to the south and in the foothills [to the west].”
8 Te phoeiah BOEIPA ol tah Zekhariah taengla pai tih,
Yahweh gave another message to me, saying
9 “'Caempuei BOEIPA loh he ni a thui,’ ti nah. Tiktamnah neh oltak la laitloek uh lamtah sitlohnah neh haidamnah he hlang loh a manuca taengah khueh saeh.
“[Tell the people that] this is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: ‘Do what is just/right, and act kindly and mercifully toward each other.
10 Te dongah nuhmai neh cadah khaw, yinlai neh mangdaeng khaw hnaemtaek uh boeh. Hlang loh a manuca te thae sak ham na thinko nen khaw moeh boeh.
Do not (oppress/treat cruelly) widows or orphans or foreigners or poor people. Do not even think about doing evil to anyone else.’”
11 Tedae hnatung ham a aal uh tih a nam a duen uh. Boekkoek neh a hnatun ham khaw a hna bing uh.
But the people refused to pay attention [to what Yahweh said]. They turned their backs [to him], and put their hands over their ears in order to not hear [what he said].
12 Olkhueng neh ol te a hnatun pangthuem a lungbuei te lungning la a khueh uh. Te te caempuei BOEIPA amah Mueihla rhangneh tonghma lamhma rhoek kut ah ana paek coeng. Te dongah ni caempuei BOEIPA taeng lamloh thinhulnah muep a pai.
They were very stubborn [IDM], and they would not listen to the laws [that God gave to Moses] or the messages that the Commander of the armies of angels told his Spirit to give to the prophets who were now dead. So the Commander of the armies of angels was very angry.
13 “A khue vaengah a hnatun uh pawt bangla n'khue uh vaengah ka hnatun van mahpawh tila caempuei BOEIPA loh a thui.
The Commander of the armies of angels says, “When I called/spoke [to the people], they would not listen. So when they called/prayed [to me], I did not listen.
14 Amih he namtom cungkuem taengah ka thikthuek te amamih loh ming uh pawh. Cet tih a mael lamloh amih hnukah khohmuen loh pong coeng. Te dongah khohmuen sahnaih te imsuep la a khueh uh,” a ti.
And I caused them to be scattered among many nations, where they were strangers. [It was as though] [MET] a whirlwind [picked them up and carried them away from their country]. The country/land that they [were forced to] leave was ruined, with the result that no one could [live there or even] travel through it. [It was previously] a delightful land, but they caused it to become (desolate/like a desert).”
