Hosea 4
1 Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel; for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; because there is no truth, nor kindness, nor knowledge of God in the land.
Sikilizeni neno la Bwana, enyi watu wa Israeli. Bwana ana mashtaka dhidi ya wenyeji wa nchi, kwa sababu hakuna ukweli au uaminifu wa agano, hakuna ujuzi wa Mungu katika nchi.
2 There is false swearing, and lying, and murdering, and stealing, and committing adultery: they break the bounds, and blood toucheth on blood.
Kuna laana, uongo, mauaji, wizi na uzinzi. Watu wamevunja mipaka yote, na damu inakuja baada ya damu.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the heaven; yea, also the fishes of the sea shall perish.
Kwa hiyo nchi inakauka, na kila mtu aliyeishi ndani yake anaangamia; wanyama katika mashamba na ndege angani, hata samaki katika bahari, wanaondolewa.
4 Yet let no man strive, let no man reprove another: and thy people are contentious equally with the priest.
Lakini usiruhusu mtu yeyote kuleta mashtaka; msiruhusu mtu yeyote ahukumu mtu mwingine. Kwa maana ninyi ndio makuhani, ninaowashtaki.
5 Therefore shalt thou stumble in the daytime, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy mother.
Ninyi makuhani mtajikwaa wakati wa mchana; manabii pia watajikwaa pamoja nanyi usiku, nami nitamwangamiza mama yako.
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, so will I also reject thee, that thou shalt not be a priest to me; and as thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, so will I myself also forget thy children.
Watu wangu wanaharibiwa kwa sababu ya ukosefu wa maarifa. Kwa sababu makuhani wamekataa maarifa, nami nitawakataa msiwe makuhani kwangu. Kwa sababu umesahau sheria yangu, ingawa mimi ni Mungu wako, nami pia nitasahau watoto wako.
7 The more they increased, the more did they sin against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
Makuhani wengi waliongezeka, zaidi walifanya dhambi dhidi yangu. Walibadilisha heshima zao kwa aibu.
8 The sin-offering of my people do they eat, and for their iniquity doth the soul of each one of them long.
Wanajilisha dhambi ya watu wangu; wao ni wenye tamaa zaidi ya uovu wao.
9 Therefore shall the same befall both people and priest: and I will punish every one of them for his ways, and recompense every one for his doings.
Itakuwa sawa kwa watu kama kwa makuhani: nitawaadhibu wote kwa matendo yao; Nitawalipa kwa matendo yao.
10 And they will eat, and shall not be satisfied; they will commit lewdness, and they shall not increase; because the Lord have they forsaken [not] keeping [his law].
Watakula lakini hawatashiba; watafanya uzinzi lakini hawataongezeka, kwa sababu wamekwenda mbali na Bwana.
11 Lewdness and wine and new wine take away the heart.
Wanapenda uasherati, divai, na divai mpya, ambayo imechukua uelewa wao.
12 My people ask counsel of their stick of wood, and their staff shall tell them [the future]: for the spirit of lewdness hath caused them to err, and they are gone astray unfaithful to their God.
Watu wangu hutaka shauri kwa sanamu zao za mbao, na fimbo zao za kutembelea huwapa unabii. Kwa maana mawazo ya uasherati yamewadanganya, na wamefanya kama makahaba badala ya kuwa mwaminifu kwa Mungu wao.
13 Upon the tops of the mountains do they sacrifice, and upon the hills burn they incense, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because their shadow is good: therefore will your daughters play the harlot, and your daughter-in-law will commit adultery.
Wanatoa sadaka juu ya milima na kuteketeza uvumba kwenye milima, chini ya mialoni, milibua na miela, kwa sababu kivuli ni nzuri. Basi binti zenu hufanya uasherati, na binti zenu wanazini.
14 I cannot inflict punishment on your daughters when they play the harlot, nor on your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for they themselves associate with lewd women, and with harlots do they sacrifice: and so doth the people that doth not understand stumble.
Mimi siwaadhibu binti zako wakati wanachagua kutenda uasherati, wala binti zako wakati wazini. Kwa maana wanaume pia wanajitoa kwa makahaba, na hutoa dhabihu ili waweze kufanya vitendo vya uasherati na makahaba. Hivyo watu wasiofahamu wataangamizwa.
15 Yet though thou play the harlot, O Israel, let not Judah offend: and come not ye unto Gilgal, nor go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As the Lord liveth.
Ingawa wewe, Israeli, umefanya uzinzi, lakini Yuda asiwe na hatia. Ninyi msiende Gilgali; msiende hadi Beth Aven. Wala msiape, “Aishivyo Bwana.”
16 For like an untamable cow is Israel disobedient: now would the Lord have fed them as a sheep in a wide pasture.
Kwa maana Israeli amefanya ukaidi, kama ndama mkaidi. Je! Bwana anaweza kuwaleta kwenye malisho kama kondoo mahali penye nafasi?
17 Ephraim is bound to idols: let him alone.
Efraimu alijiunga na sanamu; mwache peke yake.
18 Their drinking bout will come to an end: while they are so often guilty of lewdness, their rulers love, prepare themselves but shame.
Hata wakati kileo chao kimeondoka wakaendelea kufanya uzinzi; watawala wake hupenda sana aibu yao.
19 The wind seizeth fast on them with its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
Upepo utamfunga kwa mabawa yake; nao wataona aibu kwa sababu ya dhabihu zao.
