Hosea 6
1 “Miva, mina míatrɔ ayi Yehowa gbɔ, elabena eyae vuvu mí, eya koe ate ŋu ayɔ dɔ mi. Eyae de abi mía ŋuti, eye eyae abla abi la na mí.
[The Israeli people say, ] “Come, let’s return to Yahweh! He has caused [us] to be injured, but he will heal us. He has caused [us] to be wounded, but [it is as though] he will put bandages on our wounds [MET].
2 Le ŋkeke eve megbe la, agbɔ agbe mí, le ŋkeke etɔ̃a gbe la, aɖo mí te, eye míanɔ agbe le eŋkume!
After a very short time he will revive us; in less than three days he will restore us in order that we may live in his presence.
3 Mina míatrɔ ɖe Yehowa ŋu. Mina míadze agbagba be míanyae, eye abe ale si ɣedzedze kple kelemetsi medana le edzi o ene la, nenema ke kakaɖedzi li be magbe tɔtɔ na mí o.”
We must try to know Yahweh; [if we do that, ] he will come [and help] us, as surely as the sun rises [every morning], as surely as rain falls every winter/cold season, and as surely as the rain falls again (in the springtime/at the end of the cold season).”
4 “O, Efraim, nu ka mawɔ na wò, O, Yuda, nu ka mawɔ kpli wò?
[But Yahweh knows they are insincere; ] [so he says to them, ] “You [people of] Israel, and you [people of] Judah, [I do not know] [RHQ] what I should do to you. Your being faithful [to me will disappear as quickly] as [SIM] the morning mist [disappears], like [SIM] the dew [on the ground] that disappears quickly [when the sun shines].
5 Medɔ nye nyagblɔɖilawo ɖa, wolã mi kakɛkakɛe, eye metsɔ nye numenyawo wu mii; nye ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ ake dzo ɖe mia dzi abe dzikedzo ene,
I warned [HYP] you by [the messages that I gave to] the prophets, [but you did not pay attention to my messages]. Therefore I will completely destroy you; the punishment that I give you will strike you like lightning.
6 elabena nublanuikpɔkpɔ dim mele, menye vɔsa o, eye sidzedze Mawu dim mele wu numevɔsawo,
I want [my people] to faithfully love [me] more than [I want them to offer] sacrifices [to me]; [I want them] to know me more than [I want them to] completely burn sacrifices [on the altar].
7 gake abe Adam ene la, mietu nye nubabla la, eye miewɔ nuteƒe o.
But they have refused to obey my agreement, [just] like Adam did; they have not been faithful to me.
8 Gilead nye nu tovo wɔlawo ƒe du, eye ʋu si woƒe afɔwo ƒo la ɖe ɖe woƒe ablɔwo dzi.
Gilead is a city [full] of people who do wicked things; [in the streets] are the bloody footprints [of those who have murdered others].
9 Dua me nɔlawo katã nye adzoblasuwo sɔŋ, eye wode xa ɖi na ame siwo woɖo be yewoafi. Nunɔlawo ƒe hawo hã de xa ɖe Sekem mɔ dzi le amewo wum, eye wole nu vɔ̃ ƒomevi ɖe sia ɖe wɔm.
The priests are like [SIM] bandits who wait (in ambushes/along the road) to attack people; they murder [people who are walking] on the road to Shechem, and they commit other disgraceful crimes.
10 Nyateƒe, mekpɔ nu dziŋɔwo le Israel. Efraim wɔ ahasi to mawu bubuwo yometiti me, eye Israel ya bliba ɖe ŋunyɔnu me.
I have seen horrible things [being done] in Israel [MTY]. The people have abandoned me [like prostitutes who have abandoned their husbands] [MET]; [so the people of] Israel have become unacceptable to me.
11 “O, Yuda, woɖo nuŋeɣi ɖi na wò hã. “Ne megaɖo nye dukɔ ƒe nunyonamewo te,
And you [people of] Judah, I have appointed a time when I will punish [MET] you, too. Whenever I wanted to enable my people to prosper again,”
