< Hosea 8 >

1 “Mitsɔ kpẽ la ɖo nu! Egbɔna abe hɔ̃ ene ɖe Yehowa ƒe aƒe la ŋu, elabena wotu nye nubabla la hetsitre ɖe nye seawo ŋu.
[SET] the trumpet to thy mouth. As an eagle [he cometh] against the house of the LORD: because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.
2 Azɔ la, Israel le ɣli dom nam be, ‘Míaƒe Mawu, kpe ɖe mía ŋuti!’
They shall cry unto me, My God, we Israel know thee.
3 Gake Israel gbe nu le nu si nyo la gbɔ; azɔ la, eƒe futɔwo ati eyome.
Israel hath cast off that which is good: the enemy shall pursue him.
4 Woɖo fiawo, gake womebia gbem hafi o, eye wotia dumegã siwo dzi nyemeda asi ɖo o. Wotsɔ woƒe klosalo kple sika wɔ legbawoe na wo ɖokui hena woawo ŋutɔ ƒe tsɔtsrɔ̃.
They have set up kings, but not by me; they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.
5 O Samaria, tsɔ wò nyivilegba si nèwɔ la ƒu gbe. Nye dɔmedzoe le bibim ɖe wo ŋu. Gbe ka gbe miana mia ŋuti nakɔ?
He hath cast off thy calf, O Samaria; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?
6 Nu siawo dzɔ tso Israel, nyivilegba si gbede tu la, menye Mawu o, eya ta woagbã Samaria ƒe nyivi la gudugudu.
For from Israel is even this; the workman made it, and it is no God: yea, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.
7 “Woƒã ya, eya ta woaŋe ahomya. Woƒe bliwo magbã ahadza o, eya ta ahɔ̃litiwo matse ku o, eye ne bli anɔ blitikpui aɖewo ŋu hã la, amedzrowo ahae aɖu.
For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: he hath no standing corn; the blade shall yield no meal; if so be it yield, strangers shall swallow it up.
8 Israel gbã gudugudu, ɖeko wòle dukɔwo dome abe nu maɖinu ene,
Israel is swallowed up: now are they among the nations as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.
9 elabena wodzo yi Asiria hele tsatsam abe gbetedziwo ene. Efraim tsɔ eɖokui dzra na ahiãviwo.
For they are gone up to Assyria, [like] a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.
10 Togbɔ be wodzra wo ɖokuiwo na dukɔwo hã la, magaƒo wo nu ƒu azɔ. Woakpe fu le fiagã la kple dumegãwo ƒe teteɖeanyi ta.
Yea, though they hire among the nations, now will I gather them; and they begin to be minished by reason of the burden of the king of princes.
11 “Efraim tu vɔsamlekpui geɖewo, hena nu vɔ̃ vɔsa, gake menye nyee wòtu wo na o. Wotu wo hena nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ.
Because Ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin, altars have been unto him to sin.
12 Ne mede se akpe ewo nɛ hã la, ɖeko wòagblɔ be menye yee wode seawo na o, ke boŋ ame bubuwoe wode wo na.
Though I write for him my law in ten thousand [precepts], they are counted as a strange thing.
13 Wowua nye vɔsalãwo hena lã la ɖuɖu, gake woƒe nu menyoa Yehowa ŋu o. Azɔ aɖo ŋku woƒe vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi dzi, eye wòahe to na wo ɖe woƒe nu vɔ̃ ta, ale woagatrɔ ayi Egipte.
As for the sacrifices of mine offerings, they sacrifice flesh and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not: now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins; they shall return to Egypt.
14 Israel ŋlɔ eƒe wɔla be, eye wòtu fiasã gã dranyiwo. Yuda ɖo gli sesẽwo ƒo xlã eƒe duwo. Maɖo dzo ɖa wòafia woƒe duwo, eye wòabi woƒe mɔ sesẽwo.”
For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and builded palaces; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the castles thereof.

< Hosea 8 >