Jeremiah 18
1 BOEIPA taeng lamloh Jeremiah taengla ol ha pawk tih,
Yahweh gave another message to me. [He said],
2 “Thoo lamtah amsai im la cet. Te vaengah ka ol he nang taengah pahoi kan yaak sak bini,” a ti.
“Go to the shop of the man who makes clay pots. I will give you a message there.”
3 Te dongah amsai im la pakcak ka suntlak vaengah amkhawn dongah bi tarha ana saii.
So I went to that shop, and I saw the man who makes pots. He was working at the wheel [that he uses to form pots].
4 Tedae amsai kut dongah amlai lamloh a saii am te vik rhek. Te dongah mael tih am tloe te a saii tih amsai mik dongah then a ti bangla a saii.
But when he finished making one jar, it was not as good as he hoped/wanted it to be. [So], he took that clay and formed it into another jar, shaping it as he desired.
5 Te phoeiah BOEIPA ol loh kai taengah ha pawk tih,
Then Yahweh gave me this message:
6 Israel imkhui nangmih taengah he kah amsai bangla saii ham ka coeng moenih a? He tah BOEIPA kah olphong ni. Amsai kut kah amlai bangla nangmih Israel imkhui khaw kamah kut ah om van he.
“Perhaps the people of Israel [think that] I cannot do to them like this man who makes pots has done [RHQ]. [But what they think is wrong]. I [can control what happens to them like] this man [controls what he does with the clay] in his hands.
7 Namtom neh ram he phuk ham khaw, palet ham neh milh sak ham khaw mikhaptok ah ka thui coeng.
There may be a time when I proclaim that I will get rid of a nation or kingdom, [like someone] pulls up [a plant with its roots], and smashes it, and destroys it.
8 Namtom he a boethae lamloh a yut te ni amah taengah ka thui. Te daengah ni a soah boethae saii ham ka moeh te ko ka hlawt eh.
But if [the people of] that nation repent of doing evil things, I will not send to them the disasters that I planned to send.
9 Namtom neh ram te thoh ham neh phung ham khaw mikhaptok ah ka thui coeng.
And there may be a time when I proclaim that I will establish a nation or kingdom and cause it to be strong [MET].
10 Ka mikhmuh ah a thae a thae te a saii tih ka ol he hnatun pawh. A then ham a then la ka thui khaw ko ka hlawt ni.
But if [the people of] that nation [start to] do evil things and refuse to obey me, then I will not bless them as I said that I would do.
11 Te dongah Judah hlang taeng neh Jerusalem khosa taengah voek laeh lamtah he he thui laeh. BOEIPA loh, “Nangmih ham yoethae ka hmoel tih nangmih ham kopoek ka moeh coeng he. Hlang loh a longpuei thae lamloh mael laeh saeh. Na longpuei neh na khoboe te dueng uh laeh.
Therefore, [Jeremiah, go and warn all] the people in Jerusalem and [in other places] in Judah. Say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh says: “I am planning to cause you to experience a disaster [DOU]. [So], each of you should turn from your evil behavior and start doing what is right, [in order that you will not experience that disaster].”’’”
12 Tedae, 'Talsae la, kaimih kopoek hnukah ka pongpa uh bitni,’ a ti uh vetih hlang loh a lungbuei kah thinthahnah neh, 'A thae saii sih,’ a ti uh ni,'” a ti.
[So I told that message to the people], but they replied, “It is useless [for you to tell us that]. We will [continue to] be stubborn and behave as we want to.”
13 Te dongah BOEIPA loh he ni a thui. Namtom taengah khaw dawt laeh. Israel oila loh rhih-om la mat a saii bang he unim aka ya?
So, this is what Yahweh says: “Ask the [people who live in other] nations if they have [RHQ] ever heard of such a thing. My Israeli people, who [have been pure like] [MET] virgins, have done a terrible thing!
14 Lebanon vuelsong hmuen kah lungpang lamloh a hawk tih kholong khosik kah aka long tui ke kak bal nim?
The snow certainly never [RHQ] completely disappears/melts from the rocky slopes of the mountains in Lebanon. The cold streams that flow down from those distant mountains never [RHQ] cease flowing.
15 Ka pilnam loh kai n'hnilh tih a poeyoek la a phum uh. Te dongah a longpuei ah amamih paloe uh. Khosuen lamkat ah pongpa ham a hawn longpuei te picai uh pawh.
But my people [are not as reliable as those streams: ] They have abandoned me. They burn incense to [honor/worship] worthless idols. [It is as though] they have stumbled as they walked along very old roads that are good roads, and now, instead, they are walking on dirt paths.
16 A khohmuen te imsuep la a khueh uh tih kumhal due a rhungnah om. Te te aka pah boeih khaw pong vetih a lu te a thuk ni.
Therefore, their land will become desolate, and people who see it will hiss [to ridicule it]. Everyone who passes by will be appalled; they will shake their heads [to show that they are shocked].
17 Amih te a thunkha mikhmuh ah khothoeng yilh bangla a rhawn long ka taekyak ni. Amih kah rhainah khohnin ah amih te maelhmai ka tueng mahpawh.
I will scatter the people when their enemies [attack them] like dust is scattered by an east wind. And when they experience all those difficulties/disasters, I will turn my back on them [and refuse] to help them.”
18 Te vaengah, “Cet uh sih lamtah Jeremiah te kopoek neh moeh uh sih. Khosoih neh hlangcueih kah cilsuep dongah khaw, tonghma lamkah ol dongah khaw olkhueng he paltham mahpawh. Anih te ol nen khaw ngawn uh sih lamtah a thui boeih te hnatung uh boel sih,” a ti uh.
Then some of the people said, “Come, let’s plan to attack Jeremiah. We have [many] priests who teach us God’s laws, and wise men who give us good advice, and prophets who tell us [what will happen. We do not need Jeremiah!] So, let’s slander him and not pay attention to anything that he says.”
19 BOEIPA aw kai taengkah he hnatung lamtah ka lungawn ol te ya lah.
[Then I prayed], “Yahweh, [please] listen to me! And listen to what my enemies are saying about me.
20 Ka hinglu ham vaam a vueh uh lalah a boethae te a then neh ka thuung venim? Na mikhmuh ah ka pai ham, amih yueng a then thui ham, na kosi te amih taeng lamloh a mael ham khaw poek lah.
I am doing things that are good, so it is disgusting that [RHQ] they are paying me back by doing evil [things to me]. [It is as though] they have dug a pit for me [to fall into] and die. Do not forget that [one time] I stood in front of you and pleaded for you [to help them], and I tried to prevent you from [punishing them] [MTY], even though you were very angry with them.
21 Te dongah a ca rhoek te khokha taengah pae tangloeng lamtah cunghang kut dongah khaw hawk laeh. A yuu rhoek te dueidah laemhong neh nuhmai la om uh saeh. A hlang rhoek te dueknah kah a ngawn la om uh saeh. Tongpang rhoek te caemtloek vaengah cunghang loh ngawn saeh.
So [now], allow their children to die from hunger! Or cause them to be killed by [their enemies’] swords! Cause their wives to become widows, whose children are all dead! Cause their [old] men to die in a plague, and cause their young men to be killed in battles!
22 Kai tuuk ham tah rhom te khaw vaam la a vueh uh tih ka kho ham khaw pael a tung uh dongah, amih ham caem buengrhuet na khuen pah vaengah a imkhui lamloh a pang uh ya saeh.
Cause people to scream in their homes when enemy soldiers suddenly come into their houses! [Cause all those things to happen to them] because they [want to kill me]. [It is as though] they have dug a pit for me [to fall into], and they have hidden traps along my path.
23 Tedae dueknah ham kai soah amih kah cilsuep boeih te BOEIPA namah loh na ming. Amih kathaesainah te dawth pah boel lamtah a tholhnah te na mikhmuh lamloh huih pah boeh. Na thintoek tue vaengah amih te saii lamtah na mikhmuh ah aka paloe la om rhoe om saeh.
Yahweh, you know all the things that they are planning to do to kill me. Do not forgive them for their crimes or blot out [the record of] their sins. Cause them to be destroyed; punish them because of your being angry [with them]!”
