Hosea 12
1 “Ephraim is enjoying wind, And is pursuing an east wind, All the day he multiplies lying and spoiling, And they make a covenant with Asshur, And oil is carried to Egypt.
U-Efrayimi udla umoya; uxotshana lomoya wasempumalanga ilanga lonke andise amanga lodlakela. Wenza isivumelwano le-Asiriya, athumele amafutha e-oliva eGibhithe.
2 And YHWH has a controversy with Judah, To lay a charge on Jacob according to his ways, He returns to him according to his doings.
Kulecala uThixo azalethesa uJuda; uzajezisa uJakhobe mayelana lezindlela zakhe aphindisele kuye mayelana lezenzo zakhe.
3 In the womb he took his brother by the heel, And by his strength he was a prince with God,
Esiswini wabamba isithende sikamfowabo; eseyindoda wabindana loNkulunkulu.
4 Indeed, he is a prince to the Messenger, And he overcomes [by] weeping, And he makes supplication to Him, At Bethel He finds him, And there He speaks with us,
Wabindana lengilosi wayehlula; wakhala wacela umusa kuyo. Wayifica eBhetheli wakhuluma layo khonapho,
5 Even YHWH, God of the Hosts, YHWH [is] His memorial.
uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla, uThixo yilo ibizo lakhe lodumo!
6 And you, through your God, turn, Keep kindness and judgment, And wait on your God continually.
Kodwa kumele ubuyele kuNkulunkulu wakho; ugcine uthando lokulunga, umlindele kokuphela uNkulunkulu wakho.
7 Canaan! In his hand [are] balances of deceit! He has loved to oppress.
Umthengisi usebenzisa izikali zenkohliso; uthanda ukuqilibezela.
8 And Ephraim says, Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself, All my labors—they do not find against me iniquity that [is] sin.
U-Efrayimi uyazincoma esithi, “Nginothe kakhulu; sengiyisipatsha. Ngenotho yami kabayikufumana ububi loba isono kimi.”
9 And I—your God YHWH from the land of Egypt, Again I turn you back into tents, As in the days of the appointed time.
“Mina nginguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu owalikhupha eGibhithe; ngizalenza lihlale emathenteni futhi, njengasezinsukwini zemikhosi yenu emisiweyo.
10 And I have spoken to the prophets, And I have multiplied vision, And by the hand of the prophets I use allegories.
Ngakhuluma labaphrofethi, ngabatshengisa imibono eminengi ngakhuluma imizekeliso ngabo.”
11 Surely Gilead [is] iniquity, They have been only vanity, In Gilead they have sacrificed bullocks, Also their altars [are] as heaps, on the furrows of a field.
IGiliyadi ixhwalile na? Abantu bakhona bakhohlakele! EGiligali bayanikela umhlatshelo wenkunzi na? Ama-alithare abo azakuba njengezinqwaba zamatshe ensimini elinyiweyo.
12 And Jacob flees to the country of Aram, And Israel serves for a wife, Indeed, he has kept watch for a wife.
UJakhobe wabalekela elizweni lase-Aramu; u-Israyeli wasebenzela ukuthola umfazi, njalo welusa izimvu ukuba amlobole.
13 And by a prophet has YHWH brought up Israel out of Egypt, And by a prophet it has been watched.
UThixo wasebenzisa umphrofethi ekukhupheni u-Israyeli eGibhithe; wamlondoloza ngomphrofethi.
14 Ephraim has most bitterly provoked, And he leaves his blood on himself, And his Lord turns his reproach back to him!”
Kodwa u-Efrayimi umthukuthelise kabuhlungu; UThixo wakhe uzaliyekela liphezu kwakhe icala lokuchitha kwakhe igazi njalo uzaphindisela kuye ukudelela kwakhe.
