Hosea 4
1 Hear the word of Yahweh, ye sons of Israel, —that, a controversy, hath Yahweh with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, nor lovingkindness, 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 killing and stealing, and committing adultery, have broken forth, and, blood-shedding, unto blood-shedding, doth extend.
Kulokuthuka kuphela, lokuqamba amanga lokubulala, lokuntshontsha kanye lobufebe; benza ububi bonke, njalo ukuchithwa kwegazi kulandela ukuchithwa kwegazi.
3 For this cause, shall the land mourn, and everyone who dwelleth therein shall languish, with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens, —moreover also, the fishes of the sea, shall be withdrawn.
Ilizwe liyalila ngenxa yalokhu, njalo bonke abahlala kulo bayacikizeka; izinyamazana zeganga lezinyoni zasemoyeni kanye lenhlanzi zasolwandle kuyafa.
4 Howbeit let, no man, contend, nor let him rebuke another, —since, thy people, are as they who contend against a priest:
Kodwa akungabi lamuntu omangalayo, akungabi lomuntu owethesa omunye icala ngoba abantu bakho bafana lalabo abamangalela umphristi.
5 So shouldst thou stumble in the daytime, and even the prophet stumble with thee, in the night, —and I should destroy thine own mother.
Liyakhubeka emini lebusuku, labaphrofethi bakhubeka kanye lani. Ngakho unyoko ngizamchitha,
6 My people, are destroyed, for lack of knowledge, —Because, thou, hast rejected knowledge, therefore will I reject thee from ministering as priest unto me, and, because thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also, will forget thy children.
abantu bami bachithwa yikungabi lolwazi. Njengoba likwalile ukwazi, lami ngiyalala njengabaphristi bami; ngoba kaliwunakanga umthetho kaNkulunkulu wenu, lami angiyikubanaka abantwana benu.
7 As they were magnified, so, they sinned against me, —My glory—for what was contemptible, did they exchange.
Ngokwanda kwabaphristi, kwanda kanjalo lokona kwabo kimi, benanisa uDumo lwabo ngento elihlazo.
8 The sin of my people, they do eat, —and. unto their iniquity, lift they up every man his desire.
Badla izono zabantu bami bajabuliswe yikuxhwala kwabo.
9 So doth it come to be—like people, like priest, —therefore will I visit upon him his ways, and, his doings, will I bring back to him;
Njalo kuzakuba kanje: Njengabantu, njengabaphristi. Bonke ngizabajezisela izindlela zabo, ngiphindisele kubo lezenzo zabo.
10 And they shall eat, and not be satisfied, they have encouraged unchastity, yet have not been making increase, —for unto, Yahweh, have they left off giving heed: —
Bazakudla kodwa bangasuthi; bazakwenza ubufebe kodwa bangandi, ngoba bamdelile uThixo ukuba bazinikele
11 Unchastity, and wine, and new wine, take away the heart.
ebufebeni, lewayini elidala kanye lelitsha elisusa ukuqedisisa kwabantu bami.
12 My people, of their Wood, do ask, —Let, their Staff, then tell them, —for, the spirit of unchastity, hath led them astray, and they have unchastely departed from under their God.
Badinga izeluleko esithombeni sesigodo baphendulwe yiluthi lwesigodo. Umoya wobufebe uyabedukisa; kabathembekanga kuNkulunkulu wabo.
13 On the headlands of the mountains, they sacrifice, and, on the hills, burn they incense, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because, pleasant, is the shade thereof: For this cause, do your daughters, become unchaste, and, your brides, 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 I do not bring punishment upon your daughters when they become unchaste, nor upon your brides, when they commit adultery, for, the men themselves, with unchaste women, do seclude themselves, and, with the common women of the shrine, do offer sacrifice, —and, a people who will not discern, must be ruined.
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 Though unchaste art thou, O Israel, let not Judah, become guilty, neither let them enter Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and [then] swear, By the life of Yahweh!
Lanxa ufeba, we Israyeli, uJuda kangabi lecala. Lingayi eGiligali; lingayi eBhethi-Aveni. Njalo lingafungi lisithi, ‘Ngeqiniso njengoba uThixo ekhona!’
16 For, as a heifer that is stubborn, hath Israel, been stubborn, —Now, can Yahweh, turn them out to pasture, like a young ram in a wide place?
Abako-Israyeli bayiziqholo, njengethokazi eliyisiqholo. Pho uThixo angabelusela njani emadlelweni njengezimvu na?
17 Mated with idols, is Ephraim, let him alone.
U-Efrayimi uhlangene lezithombe; myekeleni enjalo!
18 Their drinking-bout, having passed, —they became, unchaste, they loved wildly, a contempt, became her great men.
Lalapho okunathwayo kwabo sekuphelile, bayaqhubeka ngobufebe babo; ababusi babo bazithanda kakhulu izindlela ezilihlazo.
19 The wind hath bound her up in its wings, —that they may be ashamed, because of their sacrifices.
Isavunguzane sizabakhukhula, lemihlatshelo yabo izabalethela ihlazo.”
