< Hosea 4 >

1 Iguai ũhoro wa Jehova, inyuĩ andũ a Isiraeli, tondũ Jehova nĩekũmũthitanga, inyuĩ mũtũũraga thĩinĩ wa bũrũri ũyũ: “Nĩ ũndũ-rĩ, gũtirĩ na wĩhokeku kana wendo, kana kũmenya Ngai thĩinĩ wa bũrũri ũyũ.
Hear the word of the Lord, people of Israel, for the Lord has an accusation against the inhabitants of the land! “There is no faithfulness, no loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land.
2 Kĩrĩa kũrĩ no kũrumana, na kũheenania, na ũragani, na ũici, na ũtharia; maũndũ macio makaingĩha mũno, na ũiti wa thakame ũkarũmĩrĩra ũiti wa thakame.
Instead there is only cursing, lying, murdering, stealing, and adultery. They commit violence, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3 Nĩ ũndũ wa gĩtũmi kĩu bũrũri nĩũracakaya, na arĩa othe matũũraga thĩinĩ waguo makahinyara; nyamũ cia gĩthaka, na nyoni cia rĩera-inĩ, na thamaki cia iria-inĩ nĩgũkua irakua.
As a result the land dries up, and everyone who lives there is wasting away, along with the wild animals and the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea—they are all dying.
4 “No rĩrĩ, ndũkareke mũndũ arehe thitango, mũndũ ndagathitange ũrĩa ũngĩ, nĩgũkorwo andũ anyu mahaana andũ arĩa mathitangaga mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai.
But no one should accuse or blame anyone else. My quarrel is with you the priests—you are the ones responsible.
5 Mũhĩngagwo mũthenya na ũtukũ, na anabii makahĩngwo hamwe na inyuĩ. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩnganiina maitũguo.
Consequently you will stumble in daylight, and the prophet will stumble together with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother.
6 Andũ akwa maniinagwo nĩ ũndũ wa kwaga ũmenyo. “Tondũ nĩmũregete ũmenyo, o na niĩ nĩndĩmũregete mũtuĩke athĩnjĩri-Ngai akwa; tondũ nĩmũtiganĩirie watho wa Ngai wanyu, o na niĩ nĩngatiganĩria ciana cianyu.
My people are dying because they don't know me. Because you have refused to know me, I refuse to accept you as my priests. You have forgotten my teachings, so I will forget your children.
7 O ũrĩa athĩnjĩri-Ngai maingĩhaga, noguo maakĩragĩrĩria kũnjĩhĩria; nao magĩkũũrania riiri wao na kĩndũ gĩa thoni.
The more there were of them, the more they sinned against me, so I will change their glory into shame.
8 Mehũũnagia na mehia ma andũ akwa, na magakenera waganu wao.
They feed on the sin of my people, greedy for their iniquity.
9 Na nĩgũgatuĩka atĩrĩ: O ta ũrĩa andũ makaahaana, no taguo athĩnjĩri-Ngai makaahaana. Nĩngamaherithia othe nĩ ũndũ wa mĩthiĩre yao, na ndĩmarĩhe kũringana na ciĩko ciao.
So it will be for the people like the priests: I will punish them for what they have done, repaying them for their actions.
10 “Makaarĩĩaga no matikahũũna, makaahũũraga ũmaraya no matikaingĩha, tondũ nĩmatiganĩirie Jehova nĩguo meheane
They will eat, but they will not be satisfied; they will engage in prostitution, but they will not prosper because they have given up on the Lord to go and prostitute themselves to other gods.
11 kũrĩ ũmaraya, na kũnyua ndibei ĩrĩa ngũrũ na ya mũhihano, iria cieheragia ũmenyo
They destroy their minds with old wine and new wine.
12 wa andũ akwa. Mahooyaga kĩrĩra kuuma kũrĩ mũhianano mũicũhie, naruo rũthanju rwa ũragũri rũkamacookeria ũhoro. Roho wa ũmaraya nĩũmahĩtithagia njĩra; makaaga kwĩhokeka kũrĩ Ngai wao.
My people consult their wooden idols and their divining rods give them answers, for a spirit of prostitution makes them go astray. Prostituting themselves, they have deserted their God.
13 Marutagĩra igongona irĩma igũrũ, na magacinĩra maruta ma njino tũrĩma-inĩ, na rungu rwa mũtĩ wa mũgandi, na wa mũribina, o na mũceceni, tondũ kĩĩruru kĩayo nĩ kĩega. Nĩkĩo airĩtu anyu mahũũraga ũmaraya, na atumia a ariũ anyu magatharia.
They offer sacrifices on the tops of mountains; they burn incense in the hills under the oak, poplar, and terebinth trees where the shade is pleasant. That's the reason why your daughters practice prostitution and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14 “Ndikaherithia airĩtu anyu maahũũra ũmaraya, kana herithie atumia a ariũ anyu maatharia, tondũ arũme o ene mathiiaga thiritũ na maraya, na makarutaga igongona hamwe na maraya ma mahooero-inĩ: nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ matarĩ ũmenyo nĩmakanangĩka!
I will not punish your daughters when they practice prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because you men visit whores and sacrifice with temple prostitutes. A people who lack understanding end up in disaster.
15 “Atĩrĩ wee Isiraeli, o na gũtuĩka nĩũtharagia-rĩ, Juda nĩagĩtige kwĩhia. “Ndũgathiĩ Giligali; o na ndũkambate Bethi-Aveni. Na ndũkehĩte uuge atĩrĩ, ‘Ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa Jehova atũũraga muoyo!’
Though you, Israel, have become a prostitute, may Judah not offend in the same way and not enter Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, nor swear saying, ‘the Lord lives.’
16 Andũ a Isiraeli mangʼathĩtie o ta moori ngʼathia. Kũngĩhoteka atĩa Jehova amarĩithie ta tũgondu tũrĩ nyeki-inĩ nduru?
For Israel is as stubborn as a stubborn cow. Should the Lord then take care of them like a lamb in a wide pasture?
17 Efiraimu nĩegwatanĩtie na mĩhianano; tiganai nake!
Ephraim is bewitched by idols, so leave him alone!
18 O na rĩrĩa kĩndũ kĩao gĩa kũnyua gĩthirĩte-rĩ, no mathiiaga na mbere na ũmaraya wao; aathani ao nĩmendete mũno njĩra cia thoni.
Once the leaders finish drinking, they go off and find prostitutes to sleep with. They love their shameful acts more than honor.
19 Kĩhuhũkanio kĩnene gĩkaamahaata kĩmombũkie, na magongona mao nĩmakamaconorithia.
A wind will carry them away; they will be ashamed of their pagan worship.

< Hosea 4 >