Hosea 7
1 When I heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim will be exposed, as well as the crimes of Samaria. For they practice deceit and thieves break in; bandits raid in the streets.
Lapho bengingelapha uIsrayeli, khona isiphambeko sikaEfrayimi sembulwa, lobubi beSamariya; ngoba benza amanga, lesela liyangena, leviyo labaphangi liyaphanga ngaphandle.
2 But they fail to consider in their hearts that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds are all around them; they are before My face.
Njalo kabangatsho enhliziyweni yabo ukuthi ngiyabukhumbula bonke ububi babo. Khathesi izenzo zabo zibahanqile, ziphambi kobuso bami.
3 They delight the king with their evil, and the princes with their lies.
Bayayithokozisa inkosi ngobubi babo, leziphathamandla ngamanga abo.
4 They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by a baker who needs not stoke the fire from the kneading to the rising of the dough.
Bonke bayafeba; banjengeziko elibaselwa ngumphekizinkwa, oyekela ukukhwezela umlilo kusukela ekuxoveni inhlama kuze kube sekubileni kwayo.
5 The princes are inflamed with wine on the day of our king; so he joins hands with those who mock him.
Kulusuku lwenkosi yethu; iziphathamandla ziyigulise ngokutshisa kwewayini; yelulela isandla sayo kanye labaklolodayo.
6 For they prepare their heart like an oven while they lie in wait; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
Ngoba zalungisa inhliziyo yazo njengeziko ngokucathamela kwazo; umphekizinkwa wazo ulala ubusuku bonke; ekuseni libhebhe njengomlilo olelangabi.
7 All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings fall; not one of them calls upon Me.
Zonke ziyatshisa njengeziko; zidle abehluleli bazo; amakhosi azo wonke awile; kakulamuntu phakathi kwazo ongibizayo.
8 Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is an unturned cake.
UEfrayimi yena uzihlanganise lezizwe; uEfrayimi uliqebelengwana elingaphendulwanga.
9 Foreigners consume his strength, but he does not notice. Even his hair is streaked with gray, but he does not know.
Abezizwe badla amandla akhe, kodwa yena kazi. Yebo, inwele ezimpunga zihlakazekile phezu kwakhe, kodwa yena kazi.
10 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them, yet they do not return to the LORD their God; despite all this, they do not seek Him.
Lokuzigqaja kukaIsrayeli kuyafakaza ebusweni bakhe, kodwa kababuyeli eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo, kabayidingi ngakho konke lokhu.
11 So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove— calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.
Njalo uEfrayimi unjengejuba eliyisiphukuphuku elingelangqondo; bakhalela iGibhithe, baye eAsiriya.
12 As they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the air. I will chastise them when I hear them flocking together.
Lapho behamba ngizakwendlala imbule lami phezu kwabo, ngibehlise njengenyoni zamazulu, ngibajezise njengokwezwakala ebandleni labo.
13 Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against Me! Though I would redeem them, they speak lies against Me.
Maye kubo, ngoba babalekile kimi! Incithakalo kubo, ngoba baphambukile bemelene lami. Lanxa mina bengingabahlenga, kube kanti bona baqamba amanga bemelene lami.
14 They do not cry out to Me from their hearts when they wail upon their beds. They slash themselves for grain and new wine, but turn away from Me.
Kabakhaleli-ke kimi ngenhliziyo yabo, lapho beqhinqa isililo emibhedeni yabo; babuthana ngenxa yamabele lewayini elitsha, bayaphambuka bemelene lami.
15 Although I trained and strengthened their arms, they plot evil against Me.
Lanxa mina ngibalaya ngiqinisa izingalo zabo, kanti baceba okubi bemelene lami.
16 They turn, but not to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword for the cursing of their tongue; for this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.
Bayaphenduka kodwa kunge koPhezukonke; banjengedandili elikhohlisayo; iziphathamandla zabo ziwa ngenkemba ngenxa yentukuthelo yolimi lwabo. Lokhu kuzakuba yinhlekisa yabo elizweni leGibhithe.
