Zephaniah 3
1 Anunae, phuel uh tih aka nok uh, aka vuelvaek khopuei aih.
Terrible things will [also] happen [to Jerusalem], that city whose people have rebelled [against Yahweh] and who have become unacceptable to him [because of the sins that they have committed]. [They act violently toward others] and they (oppress/treat cruelly) [other people].
2 Ol te hnatun pawh. BOEIPA dongkah, thuituennah khaw doe pawh. A Pathen taengah pangtung pawt tih, mop pawh.
[The people there] do not pay attention to people who tell them [the wrong things that they are doing] and [try to] (correct them/cause them to quit doing those things). [The people in Jerusalem] do not trust in Yahweh or draw near to ask help from their God.
3 A khui kah a mangpa rhoek te, sathueng la kawk. A laitloek rhoek tah hlaemhmah uithang bangla, mincang ham a cilh uh moenih.
Their leaders are [like] [MET] roaring lions; they are [like] [MET] wolves that [attack other animals] during the evening, [and eat everything that they kill], with the result that the next morning there is nothing left [of those animals to eat].
4 A tonghma rhoek soetae uh tih, hlang paw la poehuh. A khosoih rhoek loh hmuencim a poeih uh tih, olkhueng a poe uh.
The prophets in Jerusalem are proud, [and they give messages that are] not to be trusted. Their priests cause the temple to be unholy by doing things that are opposed to the laws [of Moses].
5 A khui kah BOEIPA tah dueng tih, dumlai a khueh moenih. A tiktamnah te mincang, mincang kah khosae dongah a paek tih, dalh tlaih pawh. Tedae boethae long tah, a yahpohnah khaw ming pawh.
But Yahweh is [also] in the city; and he never does what is wrong. He treats people justly/fairly; he does that every day, but wicked people are never ashamed [about their doing what is wrong].
6 Namtom te ka khoe tih, a bangkil ah pong uh coeng. A kawtpoeng te ka khah tih, aka pah om pawh. A khopuei te a rhaem uh tih, khosak a tal hil ah, hlang om pawh.
[Yahweh says this]: “I have destroyed [many] nations; I have destroyed their strong/high city walls and towers. [Now] I have caused the streets in those cities to be completely deserted [DOU]; the cities are ruined. There are no people [still alive] in the cities; they are all dead [LIT].
7 “Kai he n'rhih vetih, thuituennah he na doe ngawn bitni. Te vaengah ni a soah, ka cawh ham koi boeih tah, a khuirhung kah khaw khoe boel saeh,” ka ti. Tedae thoo uh tih, a khoboe rhamlang neh boeih porhak uh.
[So] I thought [to myself], ‘[Because of what I have done to those other nations], surely the people [of Jerusalem] will revere me [now], and they will accept (my correcting them/my telling them to quit doing what is wrong). [If they do that, I] will not destroy their houses; I will not punish them like I said that I would do.’ But [in spite of knowing how I punished those other nations], they were still eager to get up early each morning and continue to do evil things.
8 Te dongah maeh la ka pai khohnin hil kai he n'rhing uh. He tah BOEIPA kah olphong ni. Ka laitloeknah he tah namtom aka coi la, ram te kamah taengah aka tingtun sak la, ka thintoek thinsa boeih dongkah ka kosi he amih soah aka lun la om ni. Ka thatlainah hmai loh diklai pum a hlawp ni.
Therefore I, Yahweh, say, ‘Wait for the day in which I will testify [in court about your evil things].’ I have decided to gather the people of the kingdoms [of the earth] [DOU] and cause them to know that I am very angry with them. All [over] the earth I will punish and destroy people; my being angry with them because I (am jealous/want people to worship no other god) is [like] [MET] a (raging/very hot) fire.
9 Te vaengah BOEIPA ming te a pum la khue ham neh laengpang pakhat la amah taengah thohtat sak ham, pilnam kah hmuilai te cimphan la ka maelh pah ni.
When that happens, I will cause [all] people [MTY] to be changed and enable them to speak [only] what is (pure/pleasing to me), in order that everyone can worship me [MTY] and unitedly/together serve me [MTY].
10 Rhalvangan lamloh Kusah tuiva duela kai aka bawkkung rhoek om uh vetih, ka taek ka yak nu loh ka khocang hang khuen ni.
[Then] my people who [were forced to go to other countries], those who live along the upper part of the [Nile] River in Ethiopia will come to me and bring offerings to me.
11 Na khoboe rhamlang cungkuem lamloh kai taengah boe na koek vanbangla, te khohnin ah mah yak boeh. Na khui lamkah yalpo la na hoemnah te kang khoe ni. Te vaengah ka tlang cim ah koep sang ham na khoep mahpawh.
At that time, you [people in Jerusalem] will no [longer] be ashamed [about what has happened to you], because you no longer will be rebelling against me. I will get rid of all the people among you who are very proud [DOU]. No one on [Zion], my holy hill, will [strut around] proudly.
12 Tedae na khui kah pilnam mangdaeng neh tattloel tah ka hlun vetih BOEIPA ming neh ying uh ni.
Those who are still alive in Israel will be poor and humble; they will be people who trust in me [MTY].
13 Israel kah a meet loh dumlai saii uh voel pawt vetih, laithae thui voel mahpawh. Amih ka dongah a huep ol hmu voel mahpawh. Tedae amih te luem uh vetih, a kol uh vaengah lakueng uh voel mahpawh.
Those people who are still alive [there] in Israel will not do [things that are] wrong; they will not tell lies or deceive [MTY] people. They will eat and sleep [safely], [because] no one will cause them to be afraid.”
14 Zion nu aw tamhoe laeh, Israel aw yuhui laeh, Jerusalem nu aw lungbuei boeih neh kohoe lamtah sundaep laeh.
You people who live in Jerusalem [DOU] and [other places in] Israel, sing and shout loudly! Be glad, and rejoice [DOU] greatly,
15 BOEIPA loh na laitloeknah te a khoe tih, na thunkha te mael coeng. Israel manghai la na khui ah Yahweh om coeng tih, yoethaenah na rhih voel mahpawh.
[because] Yahweh will stop punishing [MTY] you, and he will send away from you [the armies of] your enemies! And Yahweh [himself], the king of [us] Israeli people, will live among us, and never again will we be afraid that [others will] harm us.
16 Tekah khohnin ah tah Jerusalem te, “Zion aw rhih boeh, na kut te kha boel saeh.
At that time, [other people] will say to us people of Jerusalem, “[You people of] [APO] Jerusalem, do not be afraid; do not become afraid or discouraged,
17 Na Pathen Yahweh, na khui kah hlangrhalh loh n'khang coeng. Na soah kohoenah neh omngaih ni. A lungnah neh n'duem sak vetih, nang soah tamlung neh omngaih ni.
[because] Yahweh your God is [living] among you. He is mighty, and he will rescue/save you. He will be very happy with you; because he loves you, he will cause you to not be afraid; he will sing loudly to rejoice over you.”
18 Khoning lamkah aka pae rhoek te nang taeng lamloh ka coi ni. Anih ham tah kokhahnah buham om coeng.
[Yahweh says, ] “You people were sad and ashamed because [you were unable to attend] your religious festivals; but I will cause you to no longer be disgraced.
19 Amah tue ah tah nang aka phaep boeih te ka saii van ni ne. Aka cungdo te ka khang vetih, a heh te ka coi ni. Amih kah yahpohnah khohmuen boeih ah amih te koehnah neh ming ka khueh pah ni.
Truly, I will [severely] punish all those who (oppressed you/caused you to suffer). I will rescue those who are helpless and those who were forced to go to other countries. I will enable them to be praised and honored in every country to which they were (exiled/forced to go), places where they were disgraced.
20 Amah tue vaengah tah nangmih te kam mael puei ni. Amah tue vaengah nang te kan tingtun sak ni. Nang te diklai pilnam cungkuem lakli ah ming neh koehnah kam paek ni. Nangmih kah thongtla rhoek te na mikhmuh ah kam mael puei ni,” ti la BOEIPA loh a thui.
At that time, I will gather you together and bring you [back] home [to Israel]. I will cause you to (have a good reputation/be honored) and be [greatly] praised among all the nations of the earth. You [MTY] will see me causing you to prosper again. [That will surely happen because I, ] Yahweh, have said it.”
