< 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.
when I would heal Israel, then Ephrain’s guilt is revealed, and Samaria’s crimes are seen, how they practise fraud and the thief enters in, while outside bandits plunder.
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.
But it never crosses their minds that I remember their wickedness. Now their misdeeds surround them, they are always before my face.
3 “Wotsɔa woƒe nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔwɔ doa nukokoe na fia la, eye dumegãwo kpɔa dzidzɔ koa nu le woƒe alakpadadawo ta.
Their wickedness amuses the king, and their lying gladdens 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.
since they are all of them adulterers. Their desire to do evil burns like an oven heated by the baker, so hot that he need not stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough, until it rises.
5 Le miaƒe fia ƒe ŋkekenyui dzi la, dumegãwo noa wain muna hebɔa ha kple fewuɖulawo.
On our king’s festival day, the princes are flushed with fever from wine. He stretched forth his hand with the contemptuous,
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 like an oven their heart burns with treachery, all night their anger smolders, in the morning it blazes into a flame of fire.
7 Wo katã woxɔ dzo abe kpodzo ene, eye wofiaa woƒe kplɔlawo. Woƒe fiawo katã mu dze anyi, gake ɖeke meyɔm kpɔ o.
All of them glow like an oven, they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen. There is none among them who calls to me.
8 “Efraim tsaka kple dukɔ bubuwo, eye wòle abe abolo si mebi nyuie o la ene.
Ephraim – he lets himself be mixed among the peoples, Ephraim – he has become a cake unturned.
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 have devoured his strength, but he does not know it. His hair is sprinkled with grey, but he does not notice.
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.
Israel’s arrogance testifies against them yet they do not return to the Lord their God, and in all this they do not seek him.
11 “Efraim le abe ahɔnɛ movitɔ aɖe ene, eyɔa Egipte be wòakpe ɖe ye ŋuti, eye wòdzona yia Asiria.
Ephraim is like a simple, silly dove: to Egypt they call, after Assyria 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.
wherever they turn I will spread my net over them, like birds of the sky I will bring them down, I will catch them when I hear them gathering.
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 to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, for they have been untrue to me. Although it was I who redeemed them, they speak lies about 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.
They have never cried to me with their hearts, but they are always wailing on their beds. They gather to beg for corn and new wine, but they turn away from me.
15 Nyee he wo, eye mena wokpɔ ŋusẽ, gake azɔ la, wotsi tsitre ɖe ŋutinye.
Although it was I who trained and strengthened their arms, concerning me they plan only evil.
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 turn away from the Most High. They have become like a bow that swerves. Their princes will fall by the sword, because of the insolence of their tongues. The land of Egypt will mock them.

< Hosea 7 >