< Hosea 13 >

1 When Ephraim speaketh tremblingly, He hath been lifted up in Israel, When he becometh guilty in Baal he dieth.
Lapho uEfrayimi ekhuluma kwakulokuqhuqha, waziphakamisa koIsrayeli; kodwa waba lecala ngoBhali, wafa.
2 And now do they add to sin, And make to them a molten image of their silver, By their own understanding — idols, A work of artisans — all of it, Of them they say, who [are] sacrificers among men, 'The calves let them kiss.'
Khathesi-ke baqhubeka besona, bazenzela izithombe ezibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa zesiliva sabo, izithombe njengokuqedisisa kwabo, zonke zingumsebenzi wezingcitshi; abathi ngazo: Abantu abanikela imihlatshelo bazakwanga amathole.
3 Therefore they are as a cloud of the morning, And as dew, rising early, going away, As chaff tossed about out of a floor, And as smoke out of a window.
Ngakho bazakuba njengeyezi lekuseni, lanjengamazolo ovivi ahambayo; njengomule ophetshulwa yisivunguzane ebaleni lokubhulela, njengentuthu ephuma etshiminini.
4 And I [am] Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt, And a God besides Me thou dost not know, And a Saviour — there is none save Me.
Kube kanti mina ngiyiNkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, kusukela elizweni leGibhithe; ngakho kawuyikwazi unkulunkulu ngaphandle kwami, ngoba kakho umsindisi ngaphandle kwami.
5 I — I have known thee in a wilderness, In a land of droughts.
Mina ngakwazi enkangala, elizweni elomileyo kakhulu.
6 According to their feedings they are satiated, They have been satiated, And their heart is lifted up, Therefore they have forgotten Me,
Njengokwedlelo labo, ngokunjalo basutha; basutha, lenhliziyo yabo yaphakama; ngenxa yalokho bangikhohlwa.
7 And I am to them as a lion, As a leopard by the way I look out.
Ngakho ngizakuba kubo njengesilwane, njengengwe endleleni ngizabacathamela.
8 I do meet them as a bereaved bear, And I rend the enclosure of their heart.
Ngizabahlangabeza njengebhere elithathelwe imidlwane, ngidabule isisibekelo senhliziyo yabo, ngibadlele lapho njengesilwane; isilo seganga sizabadabudabula.
9 And I consume them there as a lioness, A beast of the field doth rend them.
Kukuchithile, Israyeli, kodwa kimi kulosizo lwakho.
10 Thou hast destroyed thyself, O Israel, But in Me [is] thy help, Where [is] thy king now — And he doth save thee in all thy cities? And thy judges of whom thou didst say, 'Give to me a king and heads?'
Pho, ingaphi inkosi yakho, ukuthi ikusindise emizini yakho yonke? Labehluleli bakho owathi ngabo: Nginike inkosi leziphathamandla?
11 I give to thee a king in Mine anger, And I take away in My wrath.
Ngakunika inkosi ekuthukutheleni kwami, ngayisusa ngolaka lwami.
12 Bound up [is] the iniquity of Ephraim, Hidden [is] his sin,
Ububi bukaEfrayimi bubotshiwe, isono sakhe sibekiwe.
13 Pangs of a travailing woman come to him, He [is] a son not wise, For he remaineth not the time for the breaking forth of sons.
Insizi zowesifazana ohelelwayo zizamfikela; uyindodana engahlakaniphanga, ngoba ingehlale isikhathi emlonyeni wesizalo sabantwana.
14 From the hand of Sheol I do ransom them, From death I redeem them, Where [is] thy plague, O death? Where thy destruction, O Sheol? Repentance is hid from Mine eyes. (Sheol h7585)
Ngizabenzela inhlawulo yokuthula emandleni engcwaba, ngibahlenge ekufeni. Kufa, bangaphi omatshayabhuqe bezifo zakho? Ngcwaba, ingaphi incithakalo yakho? Uphenduko luzasitheliswa emehlweni ami. (Sheol h7585)
15 Though he among brethren produceth fruit, Come in doth an east wind, a wind of Jehovah, From a wilderness it is coming up, And it drieth up his fountain, And become dry doth his spring, It — it spoileth a treasure — every desirable vessel.
Loba yena engaveza izithelo phakathi kwabafowabo, kuzafika umoya wempumalanga, umoya weNkosi, usenyuka enkangala, lomthombo wakhe uzakutsha, kome lesiphethu sakhe; wona uzaphanga okuligugu kwazo zonke izitsha eziloyisekayo.
16 Become desolate doth Samaria, Because she hath rebelled against her God, By sword they do fall, Their sucklings are dashed in pieces, And its pregnant ones are ripped up!
ISamariya izakuba lunxiwa, ngoba ihlamukele uNkulunkulu wayo; bazakuwa ngenkemba, labantwana babo bachotshozwe, labesifazana babo abakhulelweyo baqhaqhwe.

< Hosea 13 >