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, all the day, falsehood and force, doth he magnify, —and, a covenant with Assyria, would they solemnize, and, oil into Egypt, must be borne along.
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, a controversy, hath Yahweh with Judah, —so that he may bring punishment on Jacob, according to his ways, According to his doings, repay him.
3 Le dɔ me la, elé nɔvia ƒe afɔkpodzi, eye esi wòtsi zu ŋutsu la, ete kame kple Mawu.
In the womb, took he his brother by the heel; and, in his manly vigour, strove he 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.
Yea he strove against a Messenger, and prevailed, he wept, and made supplication unto him, —At Bethel, he found him, and, there, he spake with us;
5 Yehowa, Mawu Ŋusẽkatãtɔ si ŋkɔe nye Yehowa la ƒo nu nɛ,
And, Yahweh, is God of host, —Yahweh, 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.
Thou, therefore, by thy God, shalt return, —lovingkindness and justice, do thou keep, so wait thou for thy God, continually.
7 Alakpanudanu le asitsalawo si, wolɔ̃a amebaba.
A trafficker! in his hand, are balances of deceit, to oppress, he loveth.
8 Efraim dana gblɔna be: “Kesinɔtɔ gã aɖee menye! Le nye kesinɔnu gbogboawo ta la, womakpɔ vodada alo nu vɔ̃ le menye o.”
So then Ephraim said, Surely I have gotten me riches, I have found wealth for myself, —in all my toils, they cannot find in me perversity which 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.
But, I, Yahweh, have been thy God, from the land of Egypt, —I will yet make thee dwell in tents, as in the days of appointed meeting.
10 Medɔ nye nyagblɔɖilawo be woaxlɔ̃ nu mi to ŋutega, drɔ̃ekuku kple lododowo me.”
And I will lay my word upon the prophets, yea, I myself, have magnified, vision, —and, by the hand of the prophets, will I use 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, Gilead, is in sorrow, surely false, have they been, In Gilgal, have they sacrificed, bullocks, —their very altars, shall become as heaps upon 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.
When Jacob fled to the country of Syria, then Israel served for a wife, and, for a wife, he watched over a flock.
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, Yahweh, brought up, Israel out of Egypt, —and, by a prophet, was he watched over.
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 hath provoked, very bitterly, —his own blood, therefore, upon him, will he leave, and, his reproach, shall his Lord, bring back to him.
