< 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 is enjoying wind, And is pursuing an east wind, All the day he multiplies lying and spoiling, And they make a covenant with Asshur, And oil is carried 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.
And YHWH has a controversy with Judah, To lay a charge on Jacob according to his ways, He returns to him according to his doings.
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 by his strength he was a prince 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.
Indeed, he is a prince to the Messenger, And he overcomes [by] weeping, And he makes supplication to Him, At Bethel He finds him, And there He speaks with us,
5 Yehowa, Mawu Ŋusẽkatãtɔ si ŋkɔe nye Yehowa la ƒo nu nɛ,
Even YHWH, God of the Hosts, YHWH [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.
And you, through your God, turn, Keep kindness and judgment, And wait on your God continually.
7 Alakpanudanu le asitsalawo si, wolɔ̃a amebaba.
Canaan! In his hand [are] balances of deceit! He has loved to oppress.
8 Efraim dana gblɔna be: “Kesinɔtɔ gã aɖee menye! Le nye kesinɔnu gbogboawo ta la, womakpɔ vodada alo nu vɔ̃ le menye o.”
And Ephraim says, Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself, All my labors—they do not find against me iniquity that [is] 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—your God YHWH from the land of Egypt, Again I turn you back into tents, As in the days of the appointed time.
10 Medɔ nye nyagblɔɖilawo be woaxlɔ̃ nu mi to ŋutega, drɔ̃ekuku kple lododowo me.”
And I have spoken to the prophets, And I have multiplied vision, And by the hand of the prophets I use allegories.
11 Ɖe vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi le Gilgal mahã? Vavã wonye bometsilawo. Wotsɔ nyitsuwo sa vɔe le Gilead. Ɛ̃, woagbã woƒe vɔsamlekpuiwo ali kɔe ɖe agble dzi.
Surely Gilead [is] iniquity, They have been only vanity, In Gilead they have sacrificed bullocks, Also their altars [are] as heaps, on the furrows of a field.
12 Yakob si yi ɖe Siria, eye Israel subɔ be yeaɖe srɔ̃, eye be yeakpɔ ga abia nyɔnu ta la, ekplɔ alẽ.
And Jacob flees to the country of Aram, And Israel serves for a wife, Indeed, he has kept watch for a wife.
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 has YHWH brought up Israel out of Egypt, And by a prophet it has been watched.
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 most bitterly provoked, And he leaves his blood on himself, And his Lord turns his reproach back to him!”

< Hosea 12 >