Osee 4

1 Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel: for the Lord [has] a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

Zwanini ilizwi likaThixo, lina bako-Israyeli ngoba kulecala uThixo alethesa lina elihlala elizweni: “Akulakwethembeka, akulathando, akukho ukumamukela uNkulunkulu elizweni.

2 Cursing, and lying, and murder, and theft, and adultery abound in the land, and they mingle blood with blood.

Kulokuthuka kuphela, lokuqamba amanga lokubulala, lokuntshontsha kanye lobufebe; benza ububi bonke, njalo ukuchithwa kwegazi kulandela ukuchithwa kwegazi.

3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and shall be diminished with all that dwell in it, with the wild beasts of the field, and the reptiles of the earth, and with the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea shall fail:

Ilizwe liyalila ngenxa yalokhu, njalo bonke abahlala kulo bayacikizeka; izinyamazana zeganga lezinyoni zasemoyeni kanye lenhlanzi zasolwandle kuyafa.

4 that neither any one may plead, nor any one reprove [another]; but my people are as a priest spoken against.

Kodwa akungabi lamuntu omangalayo, akungabi lomuntu owethesa omunye icala ngoba abantu bakho bafana lalabo abamangalela umphristi.

5 Therefore they shall fall by day, and the prophet with you shall fall: I have compared your mother to night.

Liyakhubeka emini lebusuku, labaphrofethi bakhubeka kanye lani. Ngakho unyoko ngizamchitha,

6 My people are like as if they had no knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you shall not minister as priest to me: and [as] you has forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

abantu bami bachithwa yikungabi lolwazi. Njengoba likwalile ukwazi, lami ngiyalala njengabaphristi bami; ngoba kaliwunakanga umthetho kaNkulunkulu wenu, lami angiyikubanaka abantwana benu.

7 According to their multitude, so they sinned against me: I will turn their glory into shame.

Ngokwanda kwabaphristi, kwanda kanjalo lokona kwabo kimi, benanisa uDumo lwabo ngento elihlazo.

8 They will devour the sins of my people, and will set their hearts on their iniquities.

Badla izono zabantu bami bajabuliswe yikuxhwala kwabo.

9 And the priest shall be as the people: and I will avenge on them their ways, and I will recompense to them their counsels.

Njalo kuzakuba kanje: Njengabantu, njengabaphristi. Bonke ngizabajezisela izindlela zabo, ngiphindisele kubo lezenzo zabo.

10 And they shall eat, and shall not be satisfied: they have gone a-whoring, and shall by no means prosper: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord.

Bazakudla kodwa bangasuthi; bazakwenza ubufebe kodwa bangandi, ngoba bamdelile uThixo ukuba bazinikele

11 The heart of my people has gladly engaged in fornication and wine and strong drink.

ebufebeni, lewayini elidala kanye lelitsha elisusa ukuqedisisa kwabantu bami.

12 They asked counsel by [means of] signs, and they reported answer to them by their staves: they have gone astray in a spirit of whoredom, and gone grievously a-whoring from their God.

Badinga izeluleko esithombeni sesigodo baphendulwe yiluthi lwesigodo. Umoya wobufebe uyabedukisa; kabathembekanga kuNkulunkulu wabo.

13 They have sacrificed on the tops of the mountains, and on the hills they have sacrificed under the oak and poplar, and under the shady tree, because the shade was good: therefore your daughters shall go a-whoring, and your daughters-in-law shall commit adultery.

Banikela imihlatshelo ezingqongweni zezintaba batshise iminikelo phezu kwamaqaqa, ngaphansi komʼokhi, lomphophila kanye lomtherebhinti, lapho okulomthunzi omnandi. Ngakho amadodakazi enu enza ubuwule, labomalukazana benu benze ubufebe.

14 And I will not visit upon your daughters when they shall commit fornication, nor your daughters-in-law when they shall commit adultery: for they themselves mingled themselves with harlots, and sacrificed with polluted ones, and the people that understood not entangled itself with a harlot.

Angiyikuwajezisa amadodakazi enu lapho esenza ubuwule loba omalukazana benu lapho besenza ubufebe, ngoba amadoda uqobo azwana lezifebe anikele imihlatshelo lezifebe ezisezindaweni zokukhonzela abantu abangelakuqedisisa bazabhubha.

15 But you, O Israel, be not ignorant, and go you not, [men of] Juda, to Galgala; and go not up to the house of On, and swear not by the living Lord.

Lanxa ufeba, we Israyeli, uJuda kangabi lecala. Lingayi eGiligali; lingayi eBhethi-Aveni. Njalo lingafungi lisithi, ‘Ngeqiniso njengoba uThixo ekhona!’

16 For Israel was maddened like a mad heifer: now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a wide place.

Abako-Israyeli bayiziqholo, njengethokazi eliyisiqholo. Pho uThixo angabelusela njani emadlelweni njengezimvu na?

17 Ephraim, joined with idols, has laid stumbling blocks in his own way.

U-Efrayimi uhlangene lezithombe; myekeleni enjalo!

18 He has chosen the Chananites: they have grievously gone a-whoring: they have loved dishonor through her insolence.

Lalapho okunathwayo kwabo sekuphelile, bayaqhubeka ngobufebe babo; ababusi babo bazithanda kakhulu izindlela ezilihlazo.

19 You are a blast of wind in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their altars.

Isavunguzane sizabakhukhula, lemihlatshelo yabo izabalethela ihlazo.”