< Hosea 11 >

1 “Esi Israel nye ɖevi la, melɔ̃e, eye Egipte meyɔ vinye la tsoe, abe vinye ŋutsu ene.
Early in the morning were they cast off, the king of Israel has been cast off: for Israel is a child, and I loved him, and out of Egypt have I called his children.
2 Zi ale si meyɔe la, zi nenema ke wòtrɔ megbe dem, hele vɔ sam na Baalwo, eye wòle dzudzɔ ʋeʋĩ dom na legbawo.
As I called them, so they departed from my presence: they sacrificed to Baalim, and burnt incense to graven images.
3 Nyee lé Efraim ƒe alɔnu hefia azɔlizɔzɔe, gake menyae be nyee kpɔ ye ta o.
Yet I bound the feet of Ephraim, I took him on my arm; but they knew not that I healed them.
4 Mekplɔ wo kple dɔmenyo ƒe ka, eye mebla wo kple lɔlɔ̃. Meɖe kɔkuti la le woƒe kɔ, eye mebɔbɔ na nuɖuɖu wo.
When men were destroyed, I drew them with the bands of my love: and I will be to them as a man striking [another] on his cheek: and I will have respect to him, I will prevail with him.
5 “Nye dukɔ agatrɔ ayi Egipte, eye Asiria aɖu wo dzi, elabena wogbe dzimetɔtrɔ.
Ephraim lived in Egypt; and [as for] the Assyrian, he was his king, because he would not return.
6 Aʋa adzɔ le woƒe duwo me; woagbã woƒe agbo sesẽwo, eye woatɔ te woƒe ɖoɖowo.
And in his cities he prevailed not with the sword, and he ceased [to war] with his hands: and they shall eat [of the fruit] of their own devices:
7 Nye dukɔ ɖoe kplikpaa be yeagbem. Esia ta ne woyɔ Mawu, Dziƒoʋĩtɔ la gɔ̃ hã la, womakpɔ xɔxɔ o.
and his people [shall] cleave fondly to their habitation; but God shall be angry with his precious things, and shall not at all exalt him.
8 “O, nye Efraim, aleke mate ŋu atsɔ wò ana? Israel, aleke mate ŋu aɖe asi le ŋuwò? Aleke mawɔ agbe wò abe Adma kple Zeboyim ene? Nye dzi le avi fam le menye, eye nye dzi xɔ dzo ɖe mia ŋuti be maɖe mi!
How shall I deal with you, Ephraim? [how] shall I protect you, Israel? what shall I do with you? I will make you as Adama, and as Seboim; my heart is turned at once, my repentance is powerfully excited.
9 Gbeɖe, nyemahe to na mi abe ale si nye dziku helĩhelĩ le gbɔgblɔm nam ene o, eye nyemagbã Efraim gudugudu hã o, elabena Mawue menye, eye menye amegbetɔe menye o. Nyee nye Kɔkɔetɔ si le mia dome eye nyemava le dziku me be magblẽ nu o.
I will not act according to the fury of my wrath, I will not abandon Ephraim to be utterly destroyed: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One within you: and I will not enter into the city.
10 Azɔ la, dukɔ la adi Yehowa. Aɖe gbe abe dzata ene. Ne eɖe gbe la, viawo atrɔ agbɔ kple dzodzo nyanyanya tso ɣetoɖoƒe.
I will go after the Lord: he shall utter [his voice] as a lion: for he shall roar, and the children of the waters shall be amazed.
11 Woatrɔ tso Egipte abe xeviwo ƒe ha gã aɖe ene. Nenema ke woatrɔ tso Asiria abe ahɔnɛ ƒe ha gã aɖe ene. Magakplɔ wo ayi woƒe aƒewo mee.” Yehowae gblɔe.
They shall be amazed [and fly] as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of the Assyrians: and I will restore them to their houses, says the Lord.
12 Efraim ƒo xlãm kple alakpa, eye Israel ƒe aƒe la ƒo xlãm kple beble. Yuda gadze aglã ɖe Mawu ŋuti, eye wòtsi tsitre ɖe anukwaretɔ kple Kɔkɔetɔ la gɔ̃ hã ŋu.
Ephraim has compassed me with falsehood, and the house of Israel and Juda with ungodliness: [but] now God knows them, and they shall be called God's holy people.

< Hosea 11 >