< Hosea 12 >

1 Efraim ƒua du kplɔa ya ɖo, etia ɣedzeƒeya yome ŋkekea katã, eye wòdzia alakpa kple ŋutasesẽ ɖe edzi. Ebla nu kple Asiria, eye wòɖo ami ɖe Egipte.
Ephraim tries to herd the wind, chasing after the east wind all day long. Their lies and violence keep on increasing. They make a treaty with Assyria, and send olive oil to Egypt.
2 Yehowa tsɔ nya ɖe Yuda hã ŋuti. Woahe to na Yakob hã le eƒe mɔ vɔ̃wo ta, eye woaɖo eƒe nuwɔnawo teƒe nɛ.
The Lord also has an accusation against Judah, and will punish Jacob for the way the people act; he will repay them for what they have done.
3 Le dɔ me la, elé nɔvia ƒe afɔkpodzi, eye esi wòtsi zu ŋutsu la, ete kame kple Mawu.
Even in the womb he fought with his brother; when he became a man he fought with God.
4 Ɛ̃, ete kame kple mawudɔla, eye wòɖu edzi gɔ̃ hã. Efa avi heɖe kuku nɛ be wòayra ye. Edo go Mawu le Betel, ƒo nu kplii le afi ma.
He fought with the angel, and he won. He wept, and begged him for a blessing. Jacob found God at Bethel, and spoke with him there—
5 Yehowa, Mawu Ŋusẽkatãtɔ si ŋkɔe nye Yehowa la ƒo nu nɛ,
the Lord God Almighty, the Lord is his memorable name!
6 eya ta mitrɔ gbɔ va miaƒe Mawu la gbɔ. Minɔ agbe le nyateƒetoto kple lɔlɔ̃ me, eye miɖo ŋu ɖe miaƒe Mawu la ŋu be wòawɔ nu geɖe na mi.
You must return to your God. Act lovingly and do what is right, and always wait for your God.
7 Alakpanudanu le asitsalawo si, wolɔ̃a amebaba.
A merchant who holds in his hands dishonest scales loves to swindle.
8 Efraim dana gblɔna be: “Kesinɔtɔ gã aɖee menye! Le nye kesinɔnu gbogboawo ta la, womakpɔ vodada alo nu vɔ̃ le menye o.”
Ephraim says, “I'm rich! I've made myself wealthy! I've made so much from my work, and nobody can prove me guilty of doing wrong.”
9 “Yehowa ɖeka kple Mawu ɖeka ma, si ɖe wò tso kluvinyenye me le Egipte lae menye, eye nye kee ana mianɔ agbadɔwo me abe ale si miewɔnɛ ƒe sia ƒe le Agbadɔmeŋkekenyuiɖuɖu me ene.
But I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. I will make you live again in tents like you do at the time of that particular festival.
10 Medɔ nye nyagblɔɖilawo be woaxlɔ̃ nu mi to ŋutega, drɔ̃ekuku kple lododowo me.”
I spoke through the prophets. I myself gave many visions and parables through the prophets.
11 Ɖe vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi le Gilgal mahã? Vavã wonye bometsilawo. Wotsɔ nyitsuwo sa vɔe le Gilead. Ɛ̃, woagbã woƒe vɔsamlekpuiwo ali kɔe ɖe agble dzi.
If Gilead is idolatrous, they will surely come to nothing. In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls. Even their altars are like heaps of rocks in the furrows of the field.
12 Yakob si yi ɖe Siria, eye Israel subɔ be yeaɖe srɔ̃, eye be yeakpɔ ga abia nyɔnu ta la, ekplɔ alẽ.
Jacob fled to the land of Aram; Israel worked there to gain a wife, earning a wife by looking after sheep.
13 Yehowa kplɔ eƒe dukɔ la do goe le Egipte to nyagblɔɖila aɖe dzi, eye wòdzɔ wo ŋuti, fia mɔ wo,
Through a prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt, and by a prophet they were cared for.
14 gake Efraim do dɔmedzoe na Yehowa vevie. Eƒe Aƒetɔ la ana eƒe nu vɔ̃wo ƒe ʋu nava eƒe ta dzi, eye wòaɖo eteƒe nɛ.
Ephraim has really upset the Lord, and the Lord will let them have the consequences of their bloodshed and pay them back for their contempt.

< Hosea 12 >