Zephaniah 3
1 Palet lah kho ka sak niteh, kamhnawng laihoi tami pacekpahleknae kho teh a yawthoe.
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 Cathut e lawk ngâi hoeh, toun e hai ngai hoeh, BAWIPA kângue hoeh, mae Cathut koe kâhnai hoeh.
[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 Khobawinaw teh kho lungui vah ka huk e sendek patetlah ao awh. lawkcengkungnaw ni a mon totouh banghai pahma awh hoeh. Tangmin vah yuengyoe ka kâva e a sui lah ao awh.
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 Profetnaw teh a lai kathout e, lawkkam ka cak hoeh e lah ao awh. Vaihmanaw ni kathounge hmuen a khin sak awh teh a lawk hai noutna awh hoeh.
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 Hateiteh, BAWIPA ni kho lungui vah hawinae a sak. Kamsoum hoeh hno sak boihoeh. Amom tangkuem lannae a kamnue sak. Hateiteh, tami kahawihoehnaw teh kayanae tawn awh hoeh.
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 Miphunnaw puenghoi ramvengimnaw puenghai ka raphoe pouh toe. Lam dawkvah apihai a cei hoeh nahanlah tami kingkadi sak toe. Tami buet touh hai o hoeh nahanlah khopui hai ka raphoe toe.
[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 Hatnavah, kai ni hottelah totouh ka toun hnukkhu nang ni ma onae pahnawt laipalah, kai heh na taki vaiteh ka lamthung a dawn han doeh ka ti eiteh, ahnimanaw ni kahawihoehe hno hoehoe a sak awh.
[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 Hateiteh BAWIPA ni a dei e teh, man vaiteh lawp hanelah kai ka thaw hoehnahlan totouh na ring awh ei. Uknaeram pueng kamkhueng sak vaiteh kaie lungkhueknae, ka lungphuennae hah koung ka awi han telah pouknae ka tawn. Ka lungkhueknae hmai ni talai pueng a kak han.
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 Miphunnaw pueng ni atangcalah, BAWIPA e thaw cungtalah a tawk awh nahan, a min kaw awh nahanelah ahnimanaw koe kathounge lawk bout ka poe han.
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 Kush ram palang namranlah, hmuen pueng koe kampek e ka miphun canunaw, kai koe kâhet e taminaw ni kai hanelah pasoumhno a sin awh han.
[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 Hatnae tueng dawkvah nang ni kai koe na payon e naw dawk yeirai na po mahoeh. Bangkongtetpawiteh kâoup e taminaw hoi tami ka dudam e naw teh nangmouh thung hoi koung ka pâlei han. Nang hai kaie mon kathoung dawk bout na kâoup awh mahoeh toe.
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 Ka roedeng ni teh kârahnoum e miphunnaw, nangmouh koe ka cawi sak han. Ahnimanaw teh Bawipa e min a kâuep awh han.
Those who are still alive in Israel will be poor and humble; they will be people who trust in me [MTY].
13 Kacawie Isarelnaw teh, kamsoumhoehe sak a mahoeh. Laithoe hai dei awh mahoeh. Ahnimae pahni dawk hoi dumyennae lawk tâcawt mahoeh. A canei a i onae koe apinihai takinae poe mahoeh toe.
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 Oe Zion canu la sak haw. Isarel miphun hramki haw. Jerusalem canu na lungthin abuemlahoi na lunghawi haw.
You people who live in Jerusalem [DOU] and [other places in] Israel, sing and shout loudly! Be glad, and rejoice [DOU] greatly,
15 BAWIPA ni nange tarannaw a takhoe teh na yonnae a dam sak toe. Isarelnaw e siangpahrang Jehovah teh nangmouh koe ao. Nang teh runae bout na kâhmo mahoeh toe.
[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 Hat toteh, Jerusalem na lungpuen hanh, Zion mon na kut thayoun sak hanh ati awh han.
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 Nange Jehovah Cathut teh nang koe ao teh, athakaawme ni Cathut ni nang teh na rungngang han. Nang koe a lungkuep vaiteh a lunghawi han. A lungpatawnae dawk awm vaiteh, lunghawinae la hoi nang koe a lunghawi han.
[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 Lungmathoenae hoi khuikanae pawi teh nang koehoi na takhoe pouh vaiteh, reithai kâhmo e naw hah ka kamkhueng sak han.
[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 Hattoteh nang ka rektap e naw pueng hah kai ni lawk ka ceng han. Kapatawnaw hah ka dam sak han. Pâlei e taminaw ka kamkhueng sak han. Yeiraiponae ram pueng dawk oupnae hoi minhawinae ka poe han.
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 Hatnae tueng nah, kai ni nangmanaw bout na bankhai awh vaiteh na kamkhueng sak awh han. Man lah kaawm e naw hah na hmalah bout ka pâkhueng toteh, talai taminaw pueng koe oupnae minhawinae na poe awh han telah Cathut ni a ti.
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.”
