Hosea 12
1 Ephraim, feedeth on wind, and pursueth the east wind, all the day, falsehood and force, doth he magnify, —and, a covenant with Assyria, would they solemnize, and, oil into Egypt, must be borne along.
U-Efrayimi udla umoya; uxotshana lomoya wasempumalanga ilanga lonke andise amanga lodlakela. Wenza isivumelwano le-Asiriya, athumele amafutha e-oliva eGibhithe.
2 But, a controversy, hath Yahweh with Judah, —so that he may bring punishment on Jacob, according to his ways, According to his doings, repay him.
Kulecala uThixo azalethesa uJuda; uzajezisa uJakhobe mayelana lezindlela zakhe aphindisele kuye mayelana lezenzo zakhe.
3 In the womb, took he his brother by the heel; and, in his manly vigour, strove he with God:
Esiswini wabamba isithende sikamfowabo; eseyindoda wabindana loNkulunkulu.
4 Yea he strove against a Messenger, and prevailed, he wept, and made supplication unto him, —At Bethel, he found him, and, there, he spake with us;
Wabindana lengilosi wayehlula; wakhala wacela umusa kuyo. Wayifica eBhetheli wakhuluma layo khonapho,
5 And, Yahweh, is God of host, —Yahweh, is his memorial.
uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla, uThixo yilo ibizo lakhe lodumo!
6 Thou, therefore, by thy God, shalt return, —lovingkindness and justice, do thou keep, so wait thou for thy God, continually.
Kodwa kumele ubuyele kuNkulunkulu wakho; ugcine uthando lokulunga, umlindele kokuphela uNkulunkulu wakho.
7 A trafficker! in his hand, are balances of deceit, to oppress, he loveth.
Umthengisi usebenzisa izikali zenkohliso; uthanda ukuqilibezela.
8 So then Ephraim said, Surely I have gotten me riches, I have found wealth for myself, —in all my toils, they cannot find in me perversity which is sin.
U-Efrayimi uyazincoma esithi, “Nginothe kakhulu; sengiyisipatsha. Ngenotho yami kabayikufumana ububi loba isono kimi.”
9 But, I, Yahweh, have been thy God, from the land of Egypt, —I will yet make thee dwell in tents, as in the days of appointed meeting.
“Mina nginguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu owalikhupha eGibhithe; ngizalenza lihlale emathenteni futhi, njengasezinsukwini zemikhosi yenu emisiweyo.
10 And I will lay my word upon the prophets, yea, I myself, have magnified, vision, —and, by the hand of the prophets, will I use similitudes.
Ngakhuluma labaphrofethi, ngabatshengisa imibono eminengi ngakhuluma imizekeliso ngabo.”
11 If, Gilead, is in sorrow, surely false, have they been, In Gilgal, have they sacrificed, bullocks, —their very altars, shall become as heaps upon the furrows of the field.
IGiliyadi ixhwalile na? Abantu bakhona bakhohlakele! EGiligali bayanikela umhlatshelo wenkunzi na? Ama-alithare abo azakuba njengezinqwaba zamatshe ensimini elinyiweyo.
12 When Jacob fled to the country of Syria, then Israel served for a wife, and, for a wife, he watched over a flock.
UJakhobe wabalekela elizweni lase-Aramu; u-Israyeli wasebenzela ukuthola umfazi, njalo welusa izimvu ukuba amlobole.
13 And, by a prophet, Yahweh, brought up, Israel out of Egypt, —and, by a prophet, was he watched over.
UThixo wasebenzisa umphrofethi ekukhupheni u-Israyeli eGibhithe; wamlondoloza ngomphrofethi.
14 Ephraim hath provoked, very bitterly, —his own blood, therefore, upon him, will he leave, and, his reproach, shall his Lord, bring back to him.
Kodwa u-Efrayimi umthukuthelise kabuhlungu; UThixo wakhe uzaliyekela liphezu kwakhe icala lokuchitha kwakhe igazi njalo uzaphindisela kuye ukudelela kwakhe.
