Hosea 11
1 “Esi Israel nye ɖevi la, melɔ̃e, eye Egipte meyɔ vinye la tsoe, abe vinye ŋutsu ene.
When Israel was young, then I began to love him, and out of Egypt I called 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.
The more I called them, the further they went away from me. They kept sacrificing to Baals and making offerings to idols.
3 Nyee lé Efraim ƒe alɔnu hefia azɔlizɔzɔe, gake menyae be nyee kpɔ ye ta o.
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them up in my arms, but they did not know 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.
With humane cords I ever drew them, with bands of love. I was to them as one who lifts up the yoke from off their jaws, and bending toward them, I gave them food to eat.
5 “Nye dukɔ agatrɔ ayi Egipte, eye Asiria aɖu wo dzi, elabena wogbe dzimetɔtrɔ.
No! They return to the land of Egypt, Assyria will be their king, for they have refused to return to me.
6 Aʋa adzɔ le woƒe duwo me; woagbã woƒe agbo sesẽwo, eye woatɔ te woƒe ɖoɖowo.
Therefore the swords will whirl in their cities, will devour in their fortresses.
7 Nye dukɔ ɖoe kplikpaa be yeagbem. Esia ta ne woyɔ Mawu, Dziƒoʋĩtɔ la gɔ̃ hã la, womakpɔ xɔxɔ o.
For my people are bent in rebellion against me, even if they call on the Most High he will not raise them.
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 can I give you up, Ephraim! Give you over, Israel! How am I to give you up as Admah! Make you like Zeboim! My heart asserts itself, my sympathies are all aglow.
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 carry into effect the fierceness of my anger, I will not turn to destroy Ephraim, for God am I, and not man, holy in the midst of you, therefore I will not consume.
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 will follow after the Lord. Like a lion he will roar, and when he roars his children will come trembling from the west.
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 will come trembling like the birds from Egypt, like doves from the land of Assyria. And I will bring them back to their houses, – declares 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 encompassed me with falsehood, and the house of Israel with deceit. But Judah still wanders with God faithful to the Holy One.
