Hosea 4
1 O Israelviwo, mise Yehowa ƒe nyawo. Yehowa saba mi, eye nya siwo wòtsɔ ɖe mia ŋuti la woe nye esiawo: Nuteƒewɔwɔ, lɔlɔ̃ kple sidzedze Mawu megale anyigba blibo la dzi o.
Hear the Lord’s message, Israelites, for the Lord has brought charges against the inhabitants of the land, for there is no fidelity, nor true love, nor knowledge of God in the land,
2 Mietaa nu, hedaa alakpa, wua ame, fia fi, eye miewɔa ahasi kpena ɖe eŋu. Ʋunyaʋunya kple amewuwu bɔ ɖe afi sia afi.
but cursing, lying, and murder, stealing, committing adultery, and deeds of violence, and acts of bloodshed quickly follow each other.
3 Esiawo tae miaƒe anyigba megale nuku wɔm o ɖo, anyigba la dzi yɔ fũu kple nuxaxa, nu gbagbe ɖe sia ɖe le dɔ lém, eye ɖewo le kukum; lãwo, dziƒoxeviwo kple tɔmelãwo gɔ̃ hã le tsɔtsrɔ̃m.
Therefore the land mourns, all its inhabitants languish, the wild animals and the birds of the skies, even the fish of the sea are dying.
4 “Ame aɖeke megatsɔ nya ɖe nɔvia ŋu alo aka mo nɛ o, elabena wò dukɔ la le abe ame siwo le dzre wɔm kple nunɔlawo ene.
Yet let no one bring charges, let none accuse, for your people are like those, who bring charges against a priest.
5 Eya ta mi kple míaƒe nyagblɔɖilawo miakli nu adze anyi le ŋdɔkutsu kple zã siaa, eye matsrɔ̃ mia dada Israel akpe ɖe mia ŋu.
You stumble by day, and the prophet stumbles with you by night, and I will destroy your mother.
6 Le simadzemadze ta nye amewo le tsɔtsrɔ̃m, esi mi, nunɔlawo, miedo vlo sidzedze ta la, nye hã megbe be miaganye nye nunɔlawo o, eye esi mieŋlɔ miaƒe Mawu ƒe sewo be ta la, nye hã maŋlɔ mia viwo be.
My people are being destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge I reject you from being priest to me. Since you have forgotten the teaching of your God, I also will forget your children.
7 Zi ale si nunɔlawo le agbɔ sɔm ɖe edzi la, zi nenema kee wole nu vɔ̃ wɔm ɖe ŋutinye, eya ta matrɔ woƒe ŋutikɔkɔe wòazu ŋukpe na wo.
The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. I will change their dignity to dishonour.
8 Nunɔlawo hã kpɔa dzidzɔ le ameawo ƒe nu vɔ̃ ŋu, eye woɖunɛ abe nuɖuɖu ene,
They feed on the sin offerings of my people, so they hunger after their guilt.
9 eya ta ale wòle: Nunɔlawo kple ameawo katã sɔ, elabena nunɔlaawo vɔ̃ɖi, eye ameawo hã vɔ̃ɖi. Esia ta, mahe to na nunɔlaawo kple ameawo siaa le woƒe nu vɔ̃ɖiwo ta.
Thus it comes to be, like people, like priest: I will visit upon each punishment for their ways, and their deeds I will repay them.
10 “Woaɖu nu, ke womaɖi ƒo o. Woawɔ gbolo, gake womadzi ɖe edzi o, elabena wogbe nu le Yehowa gbɔ,
They will eat and not be satisfied, they will sleep around but stay childless, because they have abandoned the Lord to give themselves to
11 eye wotsɔ wo ɖokuiwo na gbolowɔwɔ, wain, kple aha yeye, eye nu siawo na nye dukɔ zu bometsilawo.
prostitution. Old and new wine take away the understanding.
12 Elabena wole gbe biam ati si nye nu dzodzro la be negblɔ nu si yewoawɔ la na yewo. Atizɔtie wodana ɖi be negblɔ nyateƒe la na yewo. Ale voduwo yometiti vivivo wɔ wo movitɔwoe, elabena wowɔ ahasi, gbe nu le woƒe Mawu gbɔ hedze mawu bubuwo yome.
My own people ask counsel of a piece of wood! A stick gives them advice! For a spirit of prostitution has led them astray, they commit adultery against their God.
13 Wosaa vɔ le towo tame, eye wodoa dzudzɔ le togbɛwo dzi, le ati gãwo ƒe vɔvɔli fafɛ te. Afi siae viwò nyɔnuwo wɔa gbolo le, eye wò toyɔvi nyɔnuwo wɔa ahasi le.
On the heights of the mountains they sacrifice, and on the hills they burn incense under oaks and poplars and terebinths, for their shade is so pleasant. Therefore your daughters become cult prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14 “Nu ka ta nyemahe to na wo ne wole ahasi wɔm o? Elabena ŋutsuwo ŋutɔ hã dɔna kple gbolowo, eye wosaa vɔ kple gbolowo. Ale ame siwo nye bometsilawo la atsrɔ̃.
I will not punish your daughters for committing prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law for adultery. Your men visit prostitutes, sacrifice with cult prostitutes. So a people without understanding come to ruin!
15 “Togbɔ be Israel le gbolo wɔm hã la, esia wɔwɔ nete ɖa xaa tso Yuda gbɔ. “Mègayi Gilgal o, eye mègayi Bet Aven o. Mègaka atam agblɔ be, ‘Meta Yehowa ƒe agbe’ o.
Though you commit adultery, Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Do not go to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, nor swear an oath, ‘As the Lord lives.’
16 Mèganɔ abe Israel ene o, wole abe nyitsu dzeaglã ene ɖe Yehowa ŋu, ɖe Yehowa ate ŋu akplɔ wo yi gbe damawo dzi abe alẽvi enea?
Like a wilful heifer, Israel is stubborn. Can the Lord now feed them as he would a lamb in a broad pasture?
17 Mègate ɖe Efraim ŋu kura o, elabena edo ka kple legbawo.
Ephraim is wedded to idols. Leave them alone!
18 Ne Israel ŋutsuwo no aha tsu vɔ la, ekema woyia gbolowo gbɔ. Woƒe kplɔlawo lɔ̃a ŋukpenanuwo wɔwɔ,
When their drinking is over they sleep with the cult prostitutes, their rulers love shameful ways.
19 eya ta ya sesẽ aɖe ava ƒo wo adzoe, eye woƒe vɔsawo ahe ŋukpe vɛ na wo.
A windstorm will wrap them in its wings and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.
