< Koseya 2 >

1 “Mwogere ku baganda bammwe nti, ‘bantu bange,’ mwogere ne ku bannyinammwe nti, ‘baagalwa bange.’”
[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 Munenye nnyammwe, mumunenye, kubanga si mukazi wange, so nange siri bba. Aggyewo obukaba obuli mu maaso ge, n’obwenzi obuva wakati w’amabeere ge;
[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 nneme okumwambulira ddala ne mmulekeraawo nga bwe yali ku lunaku kwe yazaalibwa; ne mmufuula ng’eddungu, ne mmulekawo ng’ensi enkalu eteriiko ky’egasa, ne mmussa ennyonta.
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 Sirilaga kwagala kwange eri abaana be, kubanga baana ba bwenzi.
I will not pity the people, because they have [abandoned me] as [MET] prostitutes abandon their husbands.
5 Nnyabwe yakola obwenzi, n’abazaalira mu buwemu. Yayogera nti, “Ndigenda eri baganzi bange abampa emmere n’amazzi, n’ebimbugumya n’ebyokwambala, n’amafuta n’ekyokunywa.”
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 Kyendiva nziba ekkubo lye n’amaggwa, ne mmuzimbako bbugwe okumwetooloola, aleme okulaba ekkubo wayitira.
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 Aligezaako okugoberera baganzi be abakwate, naye talibatuukako, alibanoonya naye talibalaba. Oluvannyuma alyogera nti, “Naagenda eri bba wange eyasooka, kubanga mu biro ebyo nabanga bulungi okusinga bwe ndi kaakano.”
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 Tajjukira nga nze namuwanga eŋŋaano, ne wayini n’amafuta, era eyamuwa effeeza ne zaabu bye baakozesanga okuweerezanga 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 “Kyendiva neddiza emmere yange ey’empeke ng’eyengedde, ne wayini wange ng’atuuse; era nzija kumuggyako ebyambalo byange eby’ebbugumu n’ebyambalo byange ebya bulijjo, bye yayambalanga.
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 Era kyenaava nyanika obukaba bwe mu maaso ga baganzi be, so tewaliba amuwonya mu mukono gwange.
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 Ndikomya ebinyumu bye byonna, n’embaga ze eza buli mwaka, n’embaga ze ez’emyezi egyakaboneka, ne ssabbiiti ze, n’enkuŋŋaana ze zonna entukuvu.
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 Ndizikiriza emizabbibu gye n’emitiini gye, gye yayogerako nti, ‘Guno gwe musaala baganzi bange gwe bansasula.’ Ndibizisa, era n’ensolo ez’omu nsiko ziribyonoona.
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 Ndimubonereza olw’ennaku ze yayotereza obubaane eri Babaali, ne yeeyambaza empeta n’ebintu eby’omuwendo ennyo, n’agenda eri baganzi be, naye nze n’aneerabira,” bw’ayogera Mukama.
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 Kale kyendiva musendasenda, ne mmutwala mu ddungu, ne njogera naye n’eggonjebwa.
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 Era eyo ndimuddiza ennimiro ze ez’emizabbibu, ne nfuula Ekiwonvu kya Akoli oluggi olw’essuubi. Alimpuliriza nga bwe yampulirizanga mu nnaku ez’obuvubuka bwe, era nga mu biro bye yaviira mu nsi ya 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 “Ku lunaku olwo,” bw’ayogera Mukama, “olimpita nti, ‘mwami wange;’ toliddayo nate kumpita, ‘Mukama wange.’”
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 Ndiggya amannya ga Babaali mu kamwa ke, so taliddayo nate okwasanguza amannya gaabwe.
I will not allow them to speak [MTY] the names of Baal; they will never use those names again.
18 Ku lunaku olwo ndibakolera endagaano n’ensolo ez’omu nsiko n’ennyonyi ez’omu bbanga, n’ebyewalula ku ttaka, era ndiggyawo obusaale, n’ekitala, n’entalo mu nsi, bonna ne batuula mirembe.
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 Era ndikwogereza ennaku zonna, ndikwogereza mu butuukirivu, ne mu mazima, ne mu kwagala ne mu kusaasira.
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 Ndikwogereza mu bwesigwa, era olimanya Mukama.
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 “Ku lunaku olwo, ndyanukula eggulu, nalyo ne lyanukula ensi;
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 ensi erimeramu emmere ey’empeke, ne wayini n’amafuta, nabyo ne bifunibwa Yezuleeri,” bw’ayogera Mukama.
and grain will grow, and the vineyards and the olive trees will grow in Jezreel [Valley].
23 “Ndimwesimbira mu nsi, ndisaasira oyo eyayitibwanga nti, atasaasirwa, era ndigamba abataali bantu bange nti, ‘Bantu bange,’ era nabo balyogera nti, ‘Ggwe Katonda wange.’”
[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.’”

< Koseya 2 >