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 feedeth on wind, and pursueth the east wind; the whole day he increaseth deceit and corruption; and a covenant do they make with Assyria, and oil is carried into 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.
But with Judah also hath the Lord [to hold] a controversy; and to punish Jacob according to his ways, according to his doings will he recompense him.
3 Le dɔ me la, elé nɔvia ƒe afɔkpodzi, eye esi wòtsi zu ŋutsu la, ete kame kple Mawu.
In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his strength he strove with an angel.
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.
Yea, he strove with an angel, and prevailed; he wept, and made supplication unto him: in Beth-el he should find him, and there he will speak with us.
5 Yehowa, Mawu Ŋusẽkatãtɔ si ŋkɔe nye Yehowa la ƒo nu nɛ,
And the Lord God of hosts, the Eternal One is his memorial.
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.
Therefore do thou return to thy God: keep goodness and justice, and wait on thy God continually.
7 Alakpanudanu le asitsalawo si, wolɔ̃a amebaba.
But like a merchant, who hath the balances of deceit in his hand, loving to overreach,
8 Efraim dana gblɔna be: “Kesinɔtɔ gã aɖee menye! Le nye kesinɔnu gbogboawo ta la, womakpɔ vodada alo nu vɔ̃ le menye o.”
Did Ephraim say, I am certainly become rich, I have acquired substance unto myself: it is all through my labors; they will find no iniquity in me, that could be sin.
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.
And I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt: I will yet make thee dwell in tents, as in the days of antiquity.
10 Medɔ nye nyagblɔɖilawo be woaxlɔ̃ nu mi to ŋutega, drɔ̃ekuku kple lododowo me.”
And I have spoken through the prophets, and I myself have multiplied visions, and by the means of the prophets have I spoken in similitudes.
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 in Gil'ad there was misfortune, [it is because] there was naught but idolatry; in Gilgal they sacrificed bullocks [to idols]: their altars also are as stone-heaps on the furrows of the fields.
12 Yakob si yi ɖe Siria, eye Israel subɔ be yeaɖe srɔ̃, eye be yeakpɔ ga abia nyɔnu ta la, ekplɔ alẽ.
And Jacob fled into the fields of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept [the flocks].
13 Yehowa kplɔ eƒe dukɔ la do goe le Egipte to nyagblɔɖila aɖe dzi, eye wòdzɔ wo ŋuti, fia mɔ wo,
And by a prophet did the Lord bring Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he guarded.
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.
[Yet] Ephraim provoked [him] to anger most bitterly: therefore will his Lord cast his blood-guiltiness upon him, and his reproach will he recompense unto him.
