Hosea 12
1 [The leaders of] Israel are constantly wavering [about seeking help from other countries]. [Seeking their help is as useless as] [MET] chasing the wind. They pile up their lies and violent acts. [First, ] they make a treaty with Assyria, and [then they] send olive oil to [the rulers of] Egypt [to seek their help].
Efiraimu arĩĩaga rũhuho; ahanyũkagia rũhuho rwa mwena wa irathĩro mũthenya wothe, na akaingĩhia maheeni na haaro. Agĩĩaga na kĩrĩkanĩro na Ashuri, na agatũmana maguta ma mĩtamaiyũ matwarwo bũrũri wa Misiri.
2 Yahweh [says that he] will bring accusations against [the leaders of] Judah, and that he will punish [the descendants of] Jacob for what they have done.
Jehova arĩ na thitango ekũrehe ya gũũkĩrĩra Juda; nĩakaherithia Jakubu kũringana na njĩra ciake, na amũrĩhe kũringana na ciĩko ciake.
3 [When Jacob was] in his mother’s womb, he grabbed his brother [Esau’s] heel [because he wanted to be born first]. When Jacob grew up, he wrestled with God.
Arĩ nda ya nyina nĩanyiitire ndiira ya mũrũ wa nyina; aatuĩka mũndũ mũgima-rĩ, nĩagianire na Ngai.
4 He struggled with [the one who had appeared to him in the form of] an angel, and Jacob defeated him, but [then] he cried and asked the angel to bless him. [Later], God came to Jacob at Bethel and talked with him there.
Nĩagianire na mũraika, na akĩmũtooria; akĩrĩra na akĩmũthaitha amũrathime. Aamũkorire Betheli na makĩaranĩria nake kũu:
5 [That was] the Commander of the armies of angels whose name is Yahweh [who talked with him]!
Jehova Ngai Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, Jehova nĩrĩo rĩĩtwa rĩake rĩrĩa rĩrĩ ngumo.
6 But you [people of Israel] must return to your God! You must faithfully love [him], and you must do what is fair/just and always depend on him.
No rĩrĩ, wee no nginya ũcookerere Ngai waku, na ũtũũrie wendo na kĩhooto, na wetagĩrĩre Ngai waku hĩndĩ ciothe.
7 The merchants [among you] use scales that do not weigh correctly; they love/like to cheat people.
Mwonjorithia ahũthagĩra gĩthimi gĩtarĩ kĩa ma; endaga kũiya na wara.
8 [The people of] Israel boast, saying “We are [very] rich [DOU]; and we got all that money by our own efforts, and without committing any sin.”
Efiraimu eganaga, akoiga atĩrĩ, “Niĩ ndĩ mũtongu mũno; niĩ nĩnduĩkĩte gĩtonga. No o na ndĩ na ũtonga ũcio wothe, matingĩona waganu kana wĩhia o na ũrĩkũ thĩinĩ wakwa.”
9 “I am Yahweh your God, [the one who brought your ancestors] out of Egypt. [And some day] I will force you to live in tents again [like your ancestors did] when [they celebrated] the Festival [of Living in Temporary Shelters].
“Nĩ niĩ Jehova Ngai wanyu, ũrĩa wamũrutire bũrũri wa Misiri; nĩngatũma mũtũũre hema-inĩ rĩngĩ, o ta ũrĩa mwatũũraga matukũ-inĩ ma ciathĩ cianyu iria nyamũre.
10 [Many times] I spoke to the prophets, and I gave them many visions, and I gave them parables to tell [to the people].”
Nĩndarĩirie anabii, ngĩmahe cioneki nyingĩ, na ngĩheana ngerekano na tũnua twao.”
11 [The people of] Gilead [city] are [RHQ] extremely wicked; they are worthless. The people sacrifice bulls in Gilgal [city], but their altars will [soon] become like [SIM] piles of stone [at the edge of] a plowed field.
Gileadi-rĩ, nĩ kũrĩ waganu? Andũ akuo nĩ a tũhũ! Nĩmarutagĩra igongona rĩa ndegwa kũu Giligali? Igongona ciao igaatuĩka ta hĩba cia mahiga irĩ mũgũnda-inĩ mũciimbe.
12 [Your ancestor] Jacob fled [from his brother Esau] and went to northwest Mesopotamia. He worked [for his uncle Laban for many years] to get a wife; he took care of [his uncle’s] sheep [to pay] for her.
Jakubu nĩorĩire bũrũri wa Aramu; Isiraeli aatungatire nĩguo egĩĩre na mũtumia, na nĩgeetha amũgũre-rĩ, aarĩithirie ngʼondu.
13 [Many years later, ] Yahweh enabled a prophet to bring the [ancestors of you] people of Israel here from Egypt; that prophet, [Moses], took care of them.
Jehova aahũthĩrire mũnabii kũruta Isiraeli kuuma bũrũri wa Misiri, na akĩmũmenyerera na guoko kwa mũnabii.
14 [But now the people of] Israel have caused [Yahweh] to become very angry; Yahweh says that they deserve to die because they caused [many others] to die [MTY]; he will pay them back for the sins that they have committed against him and for insulting him.
No Efiraimu nĩatũmĩte Jehova arakare mũno. Mwathani wake nĩagatũma acookererwo nĩ ihĩtia rĩake rĩa ũiti wa thakame, na amũrĩhe nĩ ũndũ wa rũmena rwake.
