< 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, ye children of Israel; for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; because there is no truth, nor kindness, nor 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.
There is false swearing, and lying, and murdering, and stealing, and committing adultery: they break the bounds, and blood toucheth on blood.
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.
Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the heaven; yea, also the fishes of the sea shall perish.
4 “No rĩrĩ, ndũkareke mũndũ arehe thitango, mũndũ ndagathitange ũrĩa ũngĩ, nĩgũkorwo andũ anyu mahaana andũ arĩa mathitangaga mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai.
Yet let no man strive, let no man reprove another: and thy people are contentious equally with the priest.
5 Mũhĩngagwo mũthenya na ũtukũ, na anabii makahĩngwo hamwe na inyuĩ. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩnganiina maitũguo.
Therefore shalt thou stumble in the daytime, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy 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 destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, so will I also reject thee, that thou shalt not be a priest to me; and as thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, so will I myself also forget thy children.
7 O ũrĩa athĩnjĩri-Ngai maingĩhaga, noguo maakĩragĩrĩria kũnjĩhĩria; nao magĩkũũrania riiri wao na kĩndũ gĩa thoni.
The more they increased, the more did they sin against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
8 Mehũũnagia na mehia ma andũ akwa, na magakenera waganu wao.
The sin-offering of my people do they eat, and for their iniquity doth the soul of each one of them long.
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.
Therefore shall the same befall both people and priest: and I will punish every one of them for his ways, and recompense every one for his doings.
10 “Makaarĩĩaga no matikahũũna, makaahũũraga ũmaraya no matikaingĩha, tondũ nĩmatiganĩirie Jehova nĩguo meheane
And they will eat, and shall not be satisfied; they will commit lewdness, and they shall not increase; because the Lord have they forsaken [not] keeping [his law].
11 kũrĩ ũmaraya, na kũnyua ndibei ĩrĩa ngũrũ na ya mũhihano, iria cieheragia ũmenyo
Lewdness and wine and new wine take away the heart.
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 ask counsel of their stick of wood, and their staff shall tell them [the future]: for the spirit of lewdness hath caused them to err, and they are gone astray unfaithful to 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.
Upon the tops of the mountains do they sacrifice, and upon the hills burn they incense, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because their shadow is good: therefore will your daughters play the harlot, and your daughter-in-law will 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 cannot inflict punishment on your daughters when they play the harlot, nor on your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for they themselves associate with lewd women, and with harlots do they sacrifice: and so doth the people that doth not understand stumble.
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!’
Yet though thou play the harlot, O Israel, let not Judah offend: and come not ye unto Gilgal, nor go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As the Lord liveth.
16 Andũ a Isiraeli mangʼathĩtie o ta moori ngʼathia. Kũngĩhoteka atĩa Jehova amarĩithie ta tũgondu tũrĩ nyeki-inĩ nduru?
For like an untamable cow is Israel disobedient: now would the Lord have fed them as a sheep in a wide pasture.
17 Efiraimu nĩegwatanĩtie na mĩhianano; tiganai nake!
Ephraim is bound to idols: let 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.
Their drinking bout will come to an end: while they are so often guilty of lewdness, their rulers love, prepare themselves but shame.
19 Kĩhuhũkanio kĩnene gĩkaamahaata kĩmombũkie, na magongona mao nĩmakamaconorithia.
The wind seizeth fast on them with its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

< Hosea 4 >