< Jeremiah 1 >

1 Benjamin ram Anathoth e vaihma Hilkiah capa Jeremiah e lawk,
[I], Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, [am writing] these messages. [I am] a priest, from Anathoth [town] in the area where the tribe of Benjamin [lives].
2 Judah siangpahrang Ammon capa Josiah a bawinae kum hrahlaikathum nah ahni koe BAWIPA e lawk teh a pha.
Yahweh started to give me these messages when Josiah had been ruling Judah for almost 13 years.
3 Judah siangpahrang Josiah capa Jehoiakim a bawi navah, Judah siangpahrang Josiah capa Zedekiah a bawinae kum hrahlaibun abaw totouh hoi Jerusalem san la a ceikhainae thapa yung panganae totouh hai lawk te a pha.
Yahweh continued to give me more messages when Josiah’s son Jehoiakim was the king, and he continued to do that until Zedekiah had been the king of Judah for almost eleven years. It was in August of that year that the people of Jerusalem were (exiled/taken as prisoners) [to Babylonia].
4 Hottelah BAWIPA e lawk teh kai koe a pha teh,
[One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
5 Von thung na sak hoehnahlan patenghai na panue toe. Camoim dawk hoi na tâco hoehnahlan patenghai na thoung sak teh, miphun naw koe profet lah o hane na cak sak toe, telah a ti.
“I knew you before I [finished] forming you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I (set you apart/chose you) and I appointed you to be [my] prophet [whose messages would be] for [all] nations.”
6 Kai ni aya! Bawipa Jehovah khenhaw! lawk ka dei thai mahoeh, bangkongtetpawiteh, ka nawca rah telah ka ti.
I replied, “O, Yahweh my God, I am [not qualified to] speak [for you], because I am very young!”
7 Hateiteh BAWIPA ni kai koevah, kanawca rah tet hanh, bangkongtetpawiteh, na patoun e pueng koe na cei vaiteh, kâ na poe e pueng hah na dei han.
Yahweh replied, “Do not say that, because you must go to everyone to whom I will send you, and you must tell them everything that I tell you to say.
8 Ahnimanaw e minhmai hah, taket hanh, bangkongtetpawiteh, nang na rungngang hanelah, nang koe kai ka o telah BAWIPA ni a ti.
And you must not be afraid of the people [to whom you will speak], because I will protect you [from being harmed by them]. [This will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
9 Hottelah, BAWIPA ni a kut a pho teh, ka pahni hah a tek. BAWIPA ni kai koe khenhaw! na kâko dawk ka lawk teh, ka hruek toe.
Then [it was as though] Yahweh touched my mouth and said, “Listen to me! I am (putting my message into your mouth/telling you what you must speak).
10 Khenhaw! miphunnaw hoi siangpahrang uknaeram thung vah, phawk vaiteh, rawp sak han, raphoe vaiteh tâkhawng han, kangdue sak vaiteh ung hanelah, sahnin totouh hoi kai ni na rawi toe telah a ti.
Today I am appointing you to warn nations and kingdoms. You will tell them that I will completely destroy and get rid of [DOU] some of them and that I will establish [MET] others and cause them to be strong.”
11 Hahoi BAWIPA e lawk teh kai koe a pha teh, Jeremiah bangmaw na hmu telah ati. Kai ni, Almond thing kang ka hmu, telah ka ti.
Then Yahweh said to me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
12 BAWIPA ni kai koe vah na hmu e teh ahawi, bangkongtetpawiteh, ka lawk teh, sak hanelah coungkacoe ka o telah a ti.
Yahweh said, “That is correct. And [because the word for ‘almond’ resembles the word for ‘watching’], it means that I am watching [what will happen], and I will make certain that what I have said to you [about destroying nations] will happen.”
13 BAWIPA lawk teh apâhni e kai koe a phateh, bangmaw na hmu telah ati. Kai ni ka tangdawk e hlaam, atung lah kangvawi e hah ka hmu, telah ka ti.
[Then] Yahweh spoke to me again and said, “What do you see [now]?” I replied, “I see a pot full of boiling [water] [MTY]. It is tipping [toward me] from the north.”
14 BAWIPA ni kai koevah, ram thung e kaawmnaw pueng hanelah, atunglah hoi rawknae a pha han.
Yahweh replied, “[Yes! It means that] from the north great trouble/destruction will [spread] [MET] over this land, [like boiling water] [MET] pouring [from a pot].
15 Khenhaw! atunglae uknaeram imthungnaw pueng hah, ka kaw han telah BAWIPA ni a dei. A tho awh vaiteh, Jerusalem kâennae longkha atengpam kalupnae tapangnaw pueng hoi Judah khopuinaw pueng dawk a bawitungkhung hah a hruek han.
Listen to what I say: I am summoning [the armies of] kingdoms that will come from the north [of Judah] to Jerusalem. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of this city [to indicate that they are now the kings of Judah]. [Their armies] will attack [and break down] the walls of this city, and [they will do the same thing to] all the [other] towns in Judah.
16 Kai na pahnawt awh teh, cathut alouke koe hmuitui hmai a sawi awh te, amamae kut hoi a sak awh e hah, a bawk awh dawkvah, amamae yonnae a lathueng vah, kaie lawkcengnae ka pâpho han.
I will punish [MTY] my people because of all the evil things that they have done; they have abandoned me and they worship gods/idols. They worship idols that they have made with their own hands!
17 Hatdawkvah, coungkacoe awm nateh thaw, kâ na poe e naw pueng hah, ahnimouh koe dei. Ahnimae hmalah takinae tawn hanh telah nahoeh pawiteh, ahnimae hmalah takinae hoi na o sak han.
So, get up and put on your clothes [to get ready for action]! Then go to the people of Judah and tell them everything that I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, because [if you are afraid of them], I will cause you to be truly terrified in front of them!
18 Khenhaw! sahnin e a hnin dawk, hete ram pueng hoi, Judah Siangpahrang hoi, kahrawikungnaw hoi, vaihmanaw hoi, hote ramnaw thung e rapan ka tawn e khopuinaw hoi, sumkhom hoi, rahumtapang lah na sak toe.
But listen! I will cause you to be [strong, like] [MET] a city that has strong walls around it. You will be [as strong as] [MET] an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings or officials or priests will be able to defeat you.
19 Nang teh na tuk awh han, hatei na tâ awh mahoeh, bangkongtetpawiteh, nang rungngang hanelah nang koe ka o, telah BAWIPA ni a ti.
They will oppose you, but they will not be able to defeat you, because I will be with you and will protect you. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”

< Jeremiah 1 >