Hosea 11
1 “Esi Israel nye ɖevi la, melɔ̃e, eye Egipte meyɔ vinye la tsoe, abe vinye ŋutsu ene.
“Because Israel [is] a youth, and I love him, Out of Egypt I have called for My Son.
2 Zi ale si meyɔe la, zi nenema ke wòtrɔ megbe dem, hele vɔ sam na Baalwo, eye wòle dzudzɔ ʋeʋĩ dom na legbawo.
They have called to them correctly, They have gone from before them, They sacrifice to lords, And make incense to carved images.
3 Nyee lé Efraim ƒe alɔnu hefia azɔlizɔzɔe, gake menyae be nyee kpɔ ye ta o.
And I have caused Ephraim to go on foot, Taking them by their arms, And they have not known that I strengthened them.
4 Mekplɔ wo kple dɔmenyo ƒe ka, eye mebla wo kple lɔlɔ̃. Meɖe kɔkuti la le woƒe kɔ, eye mebɔbɔ na nuɖuɖu wo.
I draw them with cords of man, With thick cords of love, And I am to them as a raiser up of a yoke on their jaws, And I incline to him—I feed [him].
5 “Nye dukɔ agatrɔ ayi Egipte, eye Asiria aɖu wo dzi, elabena wogbe dzimetɔtrɔ.
He does not return to the land of Egypt, And Asshur—he [is] his king, For they have refused to return.
6 Aʋa adzɔ le woƒe duwo me; woagbã woƒe agbo sesẽwo, eye woatɔ te woƒe ɖoɖowo.
The sword has been grievous in his cities, And it has ended his bars, and consumed—from their own counsels.
7 Nye dukɔ ɖoe kplikpaa be yeagbem. Esia ta ne woyɔ Mawu, Dziƒoʋĩtɔ la gɔ̃ hã la, womakpɔ xɔxɔ o.
And My people are hanging in suspense about My returning, And to the Most High they call, Together they do not exalt.
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 do I give you up, O Ephraim? Do I deliver you up, O Israel? How do I make you as Admah? Do I set you as Zeboim? My heart is turned in Me, My sympathy has been kindled together.
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 do not do the fierceness of My anger, I do not turn back to destroy Ephraim, For I [am] God, and not a man—The Holy One in your midst, and I do not enter in enmity.
10 Azɔ la, dukɔ la adi Yehowa. Aɖe gbe abe dzata ene. Ne eɖe gbe la, viawo atrɔ agbɔ kple dzodzo nyanyanya tso ɣetoɖoƒe.
They go after YHWH—He roars as a lion, When He roars, then the sons from the west tremble.
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 tremble as a sparrow out of Egypt, And as a dove out of the land of Asshur, And I have caused them to dwell in their own houses,” A declaration of YHWH.
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 surrounded Me with feigning, And the house of Israel with deceit. And Judah is again ruling with God, And [is] faithful with the Holy Ones!”
