Hosea 7
1 “and when I wanted to heal them [again], [I did not do it, ] [because] I saw the wicked things that [the people of] Samaria [city] and [other places in] Israel [DOU] have done. They constantly deceive others; bandits rob people in the streets.
Lapho engizakwelapha khona u-Israyeli, izono zika-Efrayimi ziyadalulwa lobubi beSamariya buyembulwa. Benza inkohliso, amasela agqekeza izindlu, izigebenga ziyaphanga emigwaqweni
2 But they do not realize that I do not forget all the evil things that they do. [It is as though] they are surrounded by [all] the sins that they commit; and [it is though] those sins are [always right] in front of me [MTY].
kodwa kabananzeleli ukuthi mina ngiyazikhumbula zonke izenzo zabo ezimbi. Izono zabo ziyabaminza; zihlezi ziphambi kwami.
3 Their king is delighted with the wicked things that the people do; his officials are happy about the people’s lies.
Bathokozisa inkosi ngobuxhwali babo, lababusi ngamanga abo.
4 [The king and his officials] are all treacherous. [They are always eager to do wicked things; ] they are like [SIM] an oven that is [very] hot: a baker mixes the dough and waits for it to expand, and he does not [need to] cause the oven to become hotter.
Bonke bayizifebe, batshisa njengeziko elimlilo walo akudingeki ukuba umpheki wezinkwa awukhwezele kusukela ekuvoxeni inhlama ize ikhukhumale.
5 The king and his officials get very drunk during their festivals, carousing with others who also do foolish things.
Ngosuku lomkhosi wenkosi yethu ababusi bathukutheliswa liwayini, inkosi izihlanganise labaklolodayo.
6 The officials angrily plan to murder the king; it is like [SIM] they have an oven in their inner beings. All during the night their [eagerness/wanting to murder the king] is like a fire that is smouldering, but in the morning it becomes like [MET] a roaring fire.
Inhliziyo zabo zinjengeziko, inkosi bayilanda ngamacebo ensitha. Ukufutheka kwabo kuyadeda ubusuku bonke; ekuseni kuyavutha njengomlilo obhebhayo.
7 All those officials are like [MET] hot flames that completely burn up their rulers, so all their kings are murdered, and no one pleads with me [to help them].”
Bonke batshisa njengeziko; batshwabadele ababusi babo. Wonke amakhosi abo ayawa, kayikho ekhuleka kimi.
8 “[The leaders of] Israel join with leaders of [godless] nations; so [the leaders of] Israel are [as worthless as] a pancake that is cooked on only one side.
U-Efrayimi uxubana lezizwe; u-Efrayimi ulikhekhe eliyisicecedu elingaphendulwanga.
9 Joining with the rulers of foreign nations has caused Israel to be a weak [nation], but the Israelis do not realize that. Israel has become [like] [MET] a gray-haired old man, but the people of Israel do not realize it.
Abezizweni bacikiza amandla akhe, kodwa yena kakunanzeleli. Inwele zakhe sezilezimvu kodwa yena kakunanzeleli.
10 Their being proud [PRS] testifies against them, but in spite of that, they do not return to [me], Yahweh, their God, or [even] try to know me.
Ubuqholo buka-Israyeli bufakaza okubi ngaye, kodwa phezu kwakho konke lokhu kabuyeli kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe loba amdinge.
11 [The people of] Israel have become foolish and stupid like [SIM] doves. [First] they called out to Egypt [to help them], [and then] they sought help from Assyria.
U-Efrayimi unjengejuba, ukhohliseka lula kalangqondo ucela usizo eGibhithe, abuye alucele e-Asiriya.
12 But wherever they go [to get help], [I will not allow them to succeed]; [it will be as though] [MET] I will throw a net over them like [SIM] [a hunter uses a net to capture] birds; I will punish them for the evil things that they do.
Lapho sebehamba, ngizaphosa umambule wami phezu kwabo; ngizabadonsela phansi njengezinyoni zasemoyeni. Ngizabezwa behamba bonke, ngizababamba.
13 Terrible things will happen to them because they abandoned/deserted me! They will be destroyed because they rebelled against me. I wanted to rescue them, but they tell lies about me.
Maye kubo ngoba bedukile kimi! Akube lencithakalo kubo ngoba bangihlamukele! Ngiyafisa ukubahlenga kodwa bona bakhuluma amanga ngami.
14 They do not cry out to me sincerely [IDM]; they [only] lie on their beds and wail. They gather together and ask [me to give them] grain and wine, but they turn away from me.
Kabakhalazi kimi ngezinhliziyo zabo kodwa bakhalela emibhedeni yabo. Babuthanela amabele lewayini elitsha kodwa mina basuka bangidele.
15 I trained/taught them and enabled them to become strong, but now they plan [to do] evil things to me.
Ngabafundisa ngabaqinisa, kodwa baceba okubi ngami.
16 They have rejected me, their Great God, and turned to their god Baal; they are [as useless] as [SIM] a crooked bow. Their leaders boast [that they are very strong], but they will be killed by [their enemies’] swords. As a result, [the people of] Egypt will laugh at them.”
Kabaphendukeli koPhezukonke banjengedandili elisolekayo. Abakhokheli babo bazabulawa ngenkemba ngenxa yamazwi abo okweyisa. Ngalokhu bazahlekwa elizweni laseGibhithe.”
