< Hosea 2 >
1 “Ha ũhoro wa ariũ a thoguo, meere atĩrĩ, ‘Inyuĩ mũrĩ andũ akwa’, na ha ũhoro wa aarĩ a thoguo, ũmeere atĩrĩ, ‘Inyuĩ mũrĩ endwa akwa’.
[At that time, ] you will say to your fellow-Israeli men, “[You are] God’s people,” and [you will say] to your fellow-Israeli women, “You are ones whom God loves.”
2 “Thaithai nyina wanyu, mũthaithei, nĩgũkorwo we ti mũtumia wakwa, na niĩ ndirĩ mũthuuriwe. Nĩeherie maũndũ ma ũtharia ũthiũ-inĩ wake, na athengie ũmaraya gatagatĩ-inĩ ka nyondo ciake.
[Yahweh also said to me], “I want you to accuse the Israeli people. [It is as though] [MET] this nation is your mother, but this nation is [no longer as though it is] [MET] my wife, and it is [no longer as though] [MET] I am its husband. Tell the Israeli people that they must stop [acting like] a prostitute [by worshiping other gods]; they must stop showing by their behavior that they (are unfaithful to/have abandoned) [me] [MET].
3 Akorwo ti ũguo ndĩmũrute nguo aikare arĩ njaga, na ndũme aikare njaga o ta mũthenya ũrĩa aaciarirwo; ngaamũtua ta werũ, na ndĩmũgarũre atuĩke bũrũri mũngʼaru, na ndĩmũũrage na nyoota.
If they do not do that, I will not give them [food and] clothes [as a husband should give to his wife]; I will take away those things, and I will cause their nation to become [as deserted] as it was on the day that I [brought their ancestors out of Egypt and caused them to become a nation] [MET]. I will cause their country to be like [SIM] a desert; there will be no rain to water the ground [MET].
4 Ndikaiguĩra ciana ciake tha, tondũ nĩ ciana cia ũtharia.
I will not pity the people, because they have [abandoned me] as [MET] prostitutes abandon their husbands.
5 Nyina wao akoretwo akĩhũũra ũmaraya, na aagĩire nda ciao na njĩra cia ũũra-thoni. Nĩ ũndũ oigĩte atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩngũrũmĩrĩra endwa akwa, arĩa maaheaga irio ciakwa na maaĩ makwa, na guoya wakwa wa ngʼondu o na gatani yakwa, maguta makwa o na kĩrĩa nyuuaga.’
Their parents are like prostitutes [MET]: they have been unfaithful [to me], and they have done [very] disgraceful things. They said, ‘We will run to [our idols/gods] who love us; [they are the ones] who give us food and water and wool and linen and [olive] oil, and [wine to] drink.’
6 Nĩ ũndũ wa ũguo nĩngũhinga njĩra yake na mĩigua, ndĩmũirigĩre thĩinĩ, aage njĩra ya kuumĩra.
So [it will be as though] [MET] I am blocking their road with thornbushes, and putting put a wall around them so that they do not know which way to go.
7 Nĩagatengʼeria endwa ake na ndakamakinyĩra. Akaamacaria na ndakamona. Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩagacooka oige atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩngũcooka kũrĩ mũthuuri wakwa wa mbere, nĩgũkorwo hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩndaikarĩte wega gũkĩra rĩu.’
They will run to their idols/gods that [they think] love them, but they will not find them. They will search for their false gods, but they will not find them. Then they will say, ‘[Perhaps] we should return to [Yahweh], whom we worshiped previously [MET], because things were better for us then than they are now.’
8 Mũtumia ũcio nĩagire kũmenya atĩ nĩ niĩ ndaamũheaga ngano, na ndibei ya mũhihano, o na maguta, na ngamũingĩhĩria betha na thahabu, iria maahũthagĩra gũthondeka ngai ĩrĩa ĩĩtagwo Baali.
But they do not realize that I, [Yahweh], am the one who gave them grain and wine and [olive] oil; I am the one who gave them silver and gold which they used to worship Baal.
9 “Tondũ ũcio nĩngoya ngano yakwa yakũra, na ndibei yakwa ya mũhihano yagĩrĩra, na ndĩmũtunye guoya wakwa wa ngʼondu na gatani yakwa, o iria ciarĩ cia kũmũhumbĩra njaga yake.
Therefore I will return and take my grain and grapes from them when they are ripe. I will take from them the wool and linen that I gave to them [to make their clothes] [MTY].
10 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, nĩngaguũria maũndũ make ma waganu endwa ake mamwĩroreire; gũtirĩ mũndũ ũkaamũteithũra moko-inĩ makwa.
I will show those false gods/idols that what my people are doing is disgusting [MET], and no one will be able to hinder me from [punishing them].
11 Nĩnganiina ikeno ciake ciothe, arĩ cio: ciathĩ ciake cia mwaka o mwaka, na Tũrũgamo twake twa mweri, na mĩthenya yake ya Thabatũ, na ciathĩ ciake ciothe iria nyamũre.
I will cause their religious celebrations to cease, the festivals that they celebrate every year and at every new moon and on their (Sabbath days/weekly days of rest). I will cause all their religious celebrations to cease.
12 Nĩngathũkangia mĩthabibũ yake na mĩkũyũ yake, ĩrĩa oigire nĩ irĩhi rĩake kuuma kũrĩ endwa ake; nĩngamĩtua ihinga, na nyamũ cia gĩthaka nĩikamĩrĩa.”
I will destroy [all] their grapevines and fig trees, which they said were what their [idols/gods] who loved them paid them for worshiping those idols. I will cause those places to become a desert, and wild animals will eat the fruit [that remains].
13 Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩngamũherithia nĩ ũndũ wa mĩthenya ĩrĩa acinĩire Baali ũbumba; rĩrĩa eegemagia na icũhĩ, na mathaga ma goro, na akĩrũmĩrĩra endwa ake, no akĩriganĩrwo nĩ niĩ.
I will punish my people for [all] the times that they burned incense to [honor] the idols of Baal. They decorated themselves with rings and jewelry, and they went to worship those [false gods/idols] that [they thought] [IRO] loved them, but they abandoned/forgot me! [That is what I], Yahweh, say.
14 “Nĩ ũndũ wa ũguo nĩngũmũguucĩrĩria na waara; ngũmũtongoria nginya werũ-inĩ, na ndĩmwarĩrie na ciugo cia wendo.
But listen! [Some day] I will persuade my people [to worship me again]; I will lead them [out] into the desert and speak kindly to them [there].
15 Kũu nĩkuo ngaamũcookeria mĩgũnda yake ya mĩthabibũ, na ndue Kĩanda kĩa Akori mũrango wa mwĩhoko. Kũu nĩkuo akaina o ta ũrĩa ainaga matukũ-inĩ ma ũnini wake, aine ta ũrĩa ainire mũthenya ũrĩa aambatire kuuma bũrũri wa Misiri.”
I will give their vineyards [back] to them, and I will cause Achor Valley, [which means ‘valley of trouble'], to become a valley where they will confidently expect [me to do good things for them]. They will (respond to/want to please) me there like they did long ago, when I freed them from [being slaves in] Egypt.
16 Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Mũthenya ũcio-rĩ, nĩũkanjĩta ‘Mũthuuri wakwa’; ndũkanjĩta rĩngĩ ‘Mwathi wakwa’.
At that time, they will say to me, ‘[It is as though] [MET] you are our husband.’ They will not say that I am their [master, like they considered that] Baal [was].
17 Nĩngeheria marĩĩtwa ma Baali kuuma mĩromo-inĩ yake; marĩĩtwa macio matikagwetwo rĩngĩ.
I will not allow them to speak [MTY] the names of Baal; they will never use those names again.
18 Mũthenya ũcio nĩngathondeka kĩrĩkanĩro na nyamũ cia gĩthaka, o na nyoni cia rĩera-inĩ, na ciũmbe iria ithiiagĩra gũkũ thĩ nĩ ũndũ wao. Ũta, na rũhiũ rwa njora, na mbaara nĩngaciniina bũrũri-inĩ, nĩgeetha othe makomage marĩ na thayũ.
At that time [it will be as though] I will make an agreement with [all] the wild animals and birds, and [even with] the little animals that scurry across the ground, so that they will never harm my people [again]. And I will remove from their nation all the weapons [for fighting] battles, [like] swords and bows [and arrows]. The result will be that my people will live peacefully and safely, and will not be afraid.
19 Nĩngakũũria ũtuĩke mũtumia wakwa nginya tene; ngaakũũria ũtuĩke wakwa ũhoro-inĩ wa ũthingu na wa kĩhooto, ngũũrie ndĩ na wendo na tha.
I will cause them to be [as though they are] [MET] my bride forever. I will be righteous and fair/just; I will faithfully love them and be kind to them.
20 Nĩngakũũria ũtuĩke wakwa na wĩhokeku, nawe nĩũgetĩkĩra Jehova.”
I will not abandon them, and they will realize [that I] Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do.]
21 Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Mũthenya ũcio-rĩ, nĩngacookia ũhoro; nĩngacookeria matu ũhoro, namo matu macookerie thĩ ũhoro;
At that time, [when they request me to do things for them], [I will do those things]. When they request clouds and rain to fall on their land, I will speak to the clouds, and rain will fall on the earth,
22 nayo thĩ ĩcookerie ngano, na ndibei ya mũhihano, na maguta ũhoro, nacio nĩigacookeria Jezireeli ũhoro.
and grain will grow, and the vineyards and the olive trees will grow in Jezreel [Valley].
23 Nĩngamũhaanda bũrũri-inĩ nĩ ũndũ wakwa mwene; nĩngonania wendo wakwa harĩ ũrĩa nderĩte atĩrĩ, ‘Niĩ ndikwendete’. Arĩa nderĩte atĩrĩ, ‘Inyuĩ mũtirĩ andũ akwa’, nĩngameera atĩrĩ, ‘Inyuĩ mũrĩ andũ akwa’; na mũndũ o mũndũ oige atĩrĩ, ‘Wee nĩwe Ngai wakwa.’”
[At that time], I will take care of the Israeli people [like a farmer plants and takes care of his crops] [MET]. I will love those people that I previously said were ones I did not love, and I previously said, ‘You are not my people,’ and [then] they will say to me, ‘You are our God.’”