< Joel 2 >

1 Zion mon dawk mongka ueng awh haw. Kaie mon kathoung dawkvah kâhruetcuetnae lawk dei pouh haw lah, Khocanaw pueng tâlueng awh naseh, Bangkongtetpawiteh, BAWIPA e hnin teh tho han a hnai toe.
Blow trumpets on Zion [Hill], God’s sacred hill [in Jerusalem]! Tell the people of Judah that they should tremble, because it will soon be the time for Yahweh [to punish us further].
2 Khohmonae hnin, khokingpâuinae hnin lah ao. Kanî raeng ni monnaw dawk pheng a tue e patetlah miphun kalen naw hoi a tha kaawm naw a tho awh han. Ayan e tueng dawk hottelah awm boihoeh, hma lae tueng dawk hai bout awm mahoeh toe.
[That will be a very] dark and gloomy day; there will be [black] clouds and it will be very dark. A huge [swarm of locusts] has covered the mountains like [SIM] a black [cloud]. Nothing like this has ever happened before, and nothing like this will ever [happen] again.
3 Ahnimae hmalah hmai a kak teh a hnuklah hmai a to. Hmalah kaawm e ram teh Eden takha patetlah ao. Ahnimae a hnuk lah, ka nga e thingyei patetlah ao. Atangcalah ahnimae kut dawk hoi bangcahai hlout mahoeh.
[It is as though the locusts bring] flames of fire from which no one can escape. In front of them, the land was [beautiful] like [SIM] the garden of Eden, but behind them [the land is like] a desert and nothing survives.
4 Ahnimae meilam teh marang hoi a kâvan. Marang ransa patetlah a yawng awh han.
[The locusts] resemble horses, and they run like [SIM] war horses.
5 Rangleng kacai e pawlawk patetlah hai thoseh, songnawng ka kang e pawlawk patetlah hai thoseh, a cai vaiteh, monsomnaw dawk a doukcouk awh han. Tarantuk hanlah, ka kamkhueng e a thakaawmpounge patetlah ao awh han.
Leaping over the mountaintops, they make a noise like rumbling chariots, like [SIM] a mighty army that is preparing for a battle, or like [SIM] the roar of a fire that burns up stubble [in a field].
6 Ahnimae hmalah, miphunnaw teh puenghoi a tawn awh vaiteh, minhmai duk a tamang awh han.
When people see them coming, they become very pale and frightened.
7 Ahnimouh teh, khopui e rapan dawk a luen awh han. Lamthung phen awh laipalah, mamae lamthung dawk athakaawme taminaw patetlah lengkaleng a yawng awh han.
[The locusts] climb over walls like soldiers do; they march along in columns and never turn aside [from their columns].
8 Buet touh hoi buet touh kâhmang laipalah, mamae lamthung a dawn awh han. Tahloi e hâ ni na a ei nakunghai hmâ na cat mahoeh.
They rush straight ahead without pushing each other. [Even though people throw] spears and javelins at them, that will not cause them to stop.
9 Kho thung avoivanglah yawng awh vaiteh kho rapannaw tapuet awh vaiteh, lemphu luen awh vaiteh tamru patetlah hlalangaw dawk hoi a kâen awh han.
They swarm over the city walls and enter our houses; they enter through our windows like [SIM] thieves do.
10 Ahnimae hmalah Tâlî a no vaiteh kalvan a kâhuet han. Kanî hoi thapa a hmo vaiteh âsinaw hai ang mahoeh.
[It is as though] they cause the earth to shake and the sky to tremble. The sun and the moon become dark and the stars do not shine [because there are so many locusts in the sky].
11 BAWIPA teh a ransanaw hmalah lawk a pathang. A ransanaw teh moiapap. A lawk patetlah lawk ka ceng e teh a bahu a len toungloung. BAWIPA e hnin teh a lenpoung teh takikathopounge hnin lah ao. Apinimouh a khang thai han.
Yahweh leads this army [of countless locusts], and they obey his commands. This time when he is judging and punishing us is very terrible, [with the result that it seems that] no one [RHQ] can survive it.
12 Hatdawkvah BAWIPA ni a dei e teh, atuvah rawcahainae, khuikanae hoi lungthin abuemlahoi kai koe bout ban awh.
But Yahweh says, “In spite of [these disasters that you have experienced], you can return to me with all your inner beings. Weep, and mourn, and (fast/abstain from eating food) [to show that you are sorry for having abandoned me].
13 Na khohna e phi laipalah na lungthin hah phi awh nateh, BAWIPA koelah bout ban awh. Lungkâpatawnae hoi kawi nateh lungsawnae hnokahawi saknae, rek han tangcoung e bout pahrennae lungthin a tawn.
Do not tear your clothes [to show that you are sorry]; instead, show [MET] that you are sorry.” Yahweh is merciful and kind; he does not quickly become angry; he faithfully loves [people]. He does not quickly become angry; instead, he greatly and faithfully loves [you], and he does not like to punish you.
14 Nangmouh teh namamae Cathut BAWIPA koe canei kawi pasoumhno hah na poe awh navah, a kamlang teh yawhawinae a ceitakhai hoi a ceitakhai hoeh hane apinimaw a panue.
No one knows [RHQ] if he will change his mind [about punishing you] and if instead he will act mercifully [toward you]. If he does that, he will bless you [by giving you plenty of grain and wine] in order that you can offer [some of] those things as sacrifices to him.
15 Zion mon dawkvah mongka ueng awh. Rawcahainae atueng khoe awh nateh, pathang awh.
Blow the trumpets on Zion [Hill]! Gather the people together! Show by fasting that you are sorry [for the sins that you have committed].
16 Taminaw pueng kaw awh nateh kamkhuengnaw thoungsak awh. A kum kacuenaw thoseh, a kum kanaw naw hoi sanukanetnaw hai thoseh kamkhueng sak awh. Yu kalatkung thoundoun ni amae irakhan dawk hoi thoseh, vâ ka sak e napui ni amae rakhan dawk hoi thoseh tâcawt naseh.
Perform the rituals to cause yourselves to be acceptable to Yahweh. Gather everyone together— the old people and the children, even the babies, and summon brides and bridegrooms from their rooms.
17 BAWIPA e thaw ka tawk e vaihma teh im takhang hoi thuengnae rahak vah a ka teh, Oe! na taminaw hah lungma haw. Alouke miphunnaw ni a uk teh a pacekpahlek awh. Nâmaw nangmae BAWIPA teh ao telah alouke miphunnaw ni bangkongmaw a dei awh vaw telah a ti.
Tell the priests who serve Yahweh to cry between the altar and the entrance to the temple and to pray [this]: “Yahweh, rescue/save [us] your people; do not allow people from other nations to despise us; do not allow them to ridicule us and say, ‘Why has [RHQ] their God [abandoned them]?’”
18 Hottelah sak pawiteh, BAWIPA ni a ram hah a kabawp vaiteh a taminaw a rungngang han.
But Yahweh [showed that he] was concerned about his people and that he would act mercifully toward them.
19 Atangcalah BAWIPA ni na pato teh kai ni cakang, misur tui, satui na poe awh vaiteh nangmouh teh na von a paha han. Alouke miphunnaw ni dudam kawi lah kai ni bout na tat mahoeh toe.
When the people prayed, Yahweh answered and said, “I will give you [plenty of] grain and wine and [olive] oil, and you will be satisfied. And I will no longer allow other nations to insult you.
20 Atunglae ransanaw hah nangmouh koehoi kai ni ka takhoe han. Kingdinae ram koelah ka pâlei han. Kanîtholah e tuipui koelah ka kangvawi vaiteh kanîloumlae tuipui teh ka hnamthun takhai han. Ka pawk hmui a tho han. Cathut ni kalenpounge hno ka sak han telah ati han.
Another army [of locusts will come] from the north [to attack you], but I will force them to continue [past Jerusalem] into the desert. Some will go into the Dead Sea in the east and some will go into the [Mediterranean] Sea in the west. [There] they will [all die, and their bodies] will stink.” Yahweh does great things!
21 Oe, Judah ram na lungpuen hanh. Na konawm awh nateh na lunghawi awh, BAWIPA ni hno kalen a sak han.
He does wonderful things! So even the ground should rejoice!
22 Oe kahrawng e sarangnaw, puen awh hanh. Pho a paw vaiteh thingkungnaw ni a paw paw vaiteh, thaibunglung hoi misurkungnaw ni hai tha a patho awh han.
And the wild animals should not be afraid, because the meadows will soon become green again; the fig trees and [other] trees will be full of fruit, and the grapevines will be covered with grapes.
23 Oe Zion canaw na lunghawi awh nateh namamae BAWIPA kâuep laihoi na lungnawm awh. Bangkongtetpawiteh, phung kadeikung na patoun pouh vaiteh apasuek e ratui hoi a hnukteng e ratui, nangmouh koe ka rak sak han.
You people of Jerusalem, rejoice about what Yahweh, your God, [will be doing for you]. He will send abundant rain at the (right time/time when it is needed)— (in the spring/early in the year) and (in the autumn/late in the year) like he did previously.
24 Cangkatinnae hah cakang hoi akawi vaiteh, misur katinnae tangkom hai misur hoi satui akawi vaiteh, a poum han.
The ground where you thresh the grain will be covered with grain, and your vats where you store grape juice and [olive] oil will be full.
25 A kum moi kasawlah kai ni ka patoun e ransahu awsinaw ni a ca e bout na patho han.
[Yahweh said, ] “I will repay you for everything that was destroyed by those great swarms of locusts that I sent to attack you.
26 Nangmouh teh ka boum lah na ca awh han. Nangmouh hanelah kângairu hno ka sak e na Cathut BAWIPA e a min hateh na pholen awh han. Ka taminaw teh yeirai bout po mahoeh toe.
You, my people, will eat until your stomachs are full. Then you will praise me [MTY], Yahweh, your God, for the wonderful things that I have done for you. And never again will you be disgraced.
27 Kai teh Isarel miphunnaw koe kaawm e, nangmae Cathut BAWIPA lah ka o teh alouk awm hoeh tie hah na panue awh han. Taminaw teh yeirai bout po awh mahoeh toe.
When that happens, you will know that I am [always] among you, and that I am Yahweh, your God, and that there is no other [God]. Never again will you be disgraced.”
28 Hathnukkhu vah Ka miphun pueng koe ka muitha ka awi han. Na canaw ni profet lawk a dei awh han. Matawng kacuenaw ni mang a mang awh han. Camonaw ni hai visionnaw a hmu awh han.
“Some time later, I will give my Spirit to many [HYP] people. Your sons and daughters will proclaim messages that come directly from me. Your old men will have dreams [that come from me], and your young men will have visions [that come from me].
29 Kaie thaw ka tawk e tongpa napuinaw lathueng ka Muitha ka awi vaiteh ahnimouh ni profet lawk lahoi a pâpho awh han.
At that time, I will give my Spirit even to servants, both men and women.
30 Kalvan thoseh, talai van thoseh, kângairu kawi thi, hmaito, hmaikhu khomnaw hah ka kamnue sak han.
I will do unusual/amazing things on the earth and in the sky. [On the earth] [CHI], there will be much blood [shed] and [there will be very large] fires and smoke that resembles huge clouds.
31 Taki ka tho e BAWIPA e a hnin a pha hoehnahlan, kanî teh a hmo han, thapa hai thi lah ao han.
[In the sky, ] the sun will become dark and the moon will become [as red as] [MET] blood. [Those things will happen] before that great and terrible day when [I], Yahweh, appear.
32 Hatnavah BAWIPA e min ka kaw e pueng teh a hlout awh han. Bangkongtetpawiteh, Zion mon, Jerusalem kho dawk kacawinaw teh rungngang lah ao awh han.
But at that time [I] will save everyone who worships me. I promise that some people in Jerusalem [DOU] will escape [those disasters]; those whom I have chosen will survive.”

< Joel 2 >