< Hosea 7 >

1 Ne medi be mada gbe le Israel ŋu la, ekema Efraim ƒe nu vɔ̃wo dzea go, eye wokloa nu le Samaria ƒe nu vɔ̃wo dzi, elabena woblea ame, gbãa ʋɔ, fia fi, eye wodaa adzo le mɔtata dzi.
Should I desire to heal Israel, then would the iniquity of Ephraim and the wickedness of Samaria be laid open; for they commit falsehood; and the thief entereth [secretly], and the troop of robbers is spread abroad without.
2 Dua me tɔwo hã mede dzesii be nye ŋku le woƒe nu vɔ̃ɖiwo wɔwɔ dzi o. Woƒe nu vɔ̃ ɖe to ɖe wo godoo va kpe, eya ta mele wo katã kpɔm.
And they never think in their own heart that I remember all their wickedness: though now their own doings are all round about them; before my face are they present.
3 “Wotsɔa woƒe nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔwɔ doa nukokoe na fia la, eye dumegãwo kpɔa dzidzɔ koa nu le woƒe alakpadadawo ta.
With their wickedness they make the king glad, and with their lies the princes.
4 Wo katã wonye ahasitɔwo sɔŋ. Abe ale si abolomela doa kpodzo wòbinae va se ɖe esime eƒe abolomɔ la ho hafi wòlɔnɛ ene la, nenema ke ame siawo ƒe dzi nɔa bibim ɖe ahasiwɔwɔ ŋu.
They are all adulterers, as an oven well heated by the baker: [when] he that stirreth [the fire] resteth awhile from kneading the dough, until it be leavened.
5 Le miaƒe fia ƒe ŋkekenyui dzi la, dumegãwo noa wain muna hebɔa ha kple fewuɖulawo.
On the day of our king's [entering on his rule] the princes are made sick with the fumes of wine: [the king] joineth his hand with scorners.
6 Woƒe dziwo bina abe kpodzo ene, eye woyia egbɔ le ayedzedze me. Woƒe didiwo ɖea fu na wo le zã blibo la me eye le ŋdi la, wonɔna abe dzo ƒe aɖewo ene.
For they make ready their heart for their tricky deeds, like the oven, the baker whereof sleepeth all the night, while in the morning it gloweth as a flaming fire.
7 Wo katã woxɔ dzo abe kpodzo ene, eye wofiaa woƒe kplɔlawo. Woƒe fiawo katã mu dze anyi, gake ɖeke meyɔm kpɔ o.
They are all hot as an oven, they devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
8 “Efraim tsaka kple dukɔ bubuwo, eye wòle abe abolo si mebi nyuie o la ene.
Ephraim mixeth himself indeed among the nations: Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9 Du bubu me tɔwo xɔ ŋusẽ le esi, gake menya o. Efraim ƒe ɖa le wɔ ƒom, gake menya gɔ̃ hã be yele tsitsim le gbɔdzɔgbɔdzɔm o.
Strangers devour his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are sprinkled about on his [head], yet he knoweth not.
10 Israel ƒe dada le ɖase dim le eŋuti; esi nu siawo katã le dzɔdzɔm hã la, metrɔ va Yehowa, eƒe Mawu la gbɔ be yeadii o.
And humbled was the pride of Israel before his own face; but they did not return to the Lord their God, and sought him not, notwithstanding all this.
11 “Efraim le abe ahɔnɛ movitɔ aɖe ene, eyɔa Egipte be wòakpe ɖe ye ŋuti, eye wòdzona yia Asiria.
And Ephraim is become like a silly dove without understanding: Egypt did they call hither, to Assyria did they go.
12 Gake ne woyi la, matsɔ nye ɖɔ atsyɔ wo; maɖiɖi wo ava anyie abe xevi si le dzodzom le yame ene. Ne mese wole ƒu ƒom la, mayi aɖalé wo.
As they go, so will I spread out my net over them; as the fowls of the heaven will I bring them down: I will chastise them, as it hath been announced to their congregation.
13 Baba na mi, nye amewo, elabena miegbem; mana woatsrɔ̃ mi, elabena miedze aglã ɖe ŋutinye! Medi vevie be maɖe wo, gake woda alakpa ɖe asinye.
Woe unto them! for they have fled from me; destruction shall come unto them, because they have transgressed against me: though I desired to redeem them, they yet spoke lies against me.
14 Womedo ɣli nam tso woƒe dzi me o, ke wofa avi le woƒe abawo dzi. Woƒoa ƒu ɖe bli kple aha yeye ŋuti, ke nye la, wotrɔ le yonyeme.
And they cried not unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: for corn and new wine they assemble themselves, and they rebel against me.
15 Nyee he wo, eye mena wokpɔ ŋusẽ, gake azɔ la, wotsi tsitre ɖe ŋutinye.
And I desired to instruct and to strengthen their arms; yet would they devise evil against me.
16 Wometrɔ ɖe Dziƒoʋĩtɔ la ŋu o. Wole abe dati si daa dadagbo la ene, eya ta woƒe kplɔlawo atsi yi nu ɖe nya vlo si dona le woƒe nu me la ta. Esia ta woaɖe alɔme le wo ŋuti le Egiptenyigba dzi.
They never return upward: they are like a deceitful bow: by the sword shall their princes fall because of the rage of their tongue; this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

< Hosea 7 >