Hosea 12
1 Efraima homan-drivotra sady manenjika ny rivotra avy any atsinanana, mandritra ny andro dia ataony betsaka ny lainga sy ny fandozana; Manao fanekena amin’ ny Asyriana izy, ary diloilo no entina ho any Egypta.
[The leaders of] Israel are constantly wavering [about seeking help from other countries]. [Seeking their help is as useless as] [MET] chasing the wind. They pile up their lies and violent acts. [First, ] they make a treaty with Assyria, and [then they] send olive oil to [the rulers of] Egypt [to seek their help].
2 Manana ady amin’ i Joda koa Jehovah ary tsy maintsy mamaly an’ i Jakoba araka ny alehany, ka hatsingeriny aminy ny nataony.
Yahweh [says that he] will bring accusations against [the leaders of] Judah, and that he will punish [the descendants of] Jacob for what they have done.
3 Fony mbola tany am-bohoka dia nihazona ny ombelahin-tongotry ny rahalahiny izy, ary rehefa lehibe izy, dia nitolona tamin’ Andriamanitra;
[When Jacob was] in his mother’s womb, he grabbed his brother [Esau’s] heel [because he wanted to be born first]. When Jacob grew up, he wrestled with God.
4 Eny, nitolona tamin’ Ilay Anjely izy ka nahery; Nitomany izy sady nifona taminy; Nahita azy tao Betela Izy, ary tao no niresahany tamintsika;
He struggled with [the one who had appeared to him in the form of] an angel, and Jacob defeated him, but [then] he cried and asked the angel to bless him. [Later], God came to Jacob at Bethel and talked with him there.
5 Jehovah, Andriamanitry ny maro, Jehovah no hahatsiarovana Azy.
[That was] the Commander of the armies of angels whose name is Yahweh [who talked with him]!
6 Koa miverena amin’ Andriamanitrao ianao; Tandremo ny famindram-po sy ny rariny. Ary miandrasa an’ Andriamanitrao mandrakariva.
But you [people of Israel] must return to your God! You must faithfully love [him], and you must do what is fair/just and always depend on him.
7 Kanana eny an-tànany misy mizana miangatra, ny manambaka no tiany.
The merchants [among you] use scales that do not weigh correctly; they love/like to cheat people.
8 Fa hoy Efraima: Fiharian-karena ihany no efa nataoko, nahazo fananana aho; Ny asako rehetra tsy misy hahatonga fahotana na heloka amiko.
[The people of] Israel boast, saying “We are [very] rich [DOU]; and we got all that money by our own efforts, and without committing any sin.”
9 Nefa Izaho no Jehovah Andriamanitrao hatrany amin’ ny tany Egypta; Ary mbola hampiditra anao an-day indray Aho tahaka ny tamin’ ny fotoam-pivavahana.
“I am Yahweh your God, [the one who brought your ancestors] out of Egypt. [And some day] I will force you to live in tents again [like your ancestors did] when [they celebrated] the Festival [of Living in Temporary Shelters].
10 Efa niteny tamin’ ny mpaminany koa Aho, sady Izaho no nahabetsaka ny fahitana, ary ny mpaminany dia nampilazaiko ohatra.
[Many times] I spoke to the prophets, and I gave them many visions, and I gave them parables to tell [to the people].”
11 Raha tena heloka Gileada, dia ho tonga zava-poana tokoa izy; Tany Gilgala no namonoany omby betsaka ho fanatitra, koa ny alitarany dia ho toy ny korontam-bato eny am-bavasa any an-tsaha.
[The people of] Gilead [city] are [RHQ] extremely wicked; they are worthless. The people sacrifice bulls in Gilgal [city], but their altars will [soon] become like [SIM] piles of stone [at the edge of] a plowed field.
12 Jakoba nandositra ho any amin’ ny tany Syria, Isiraely nanompo hahazoany vady, eny, ny hahazoany vady no niandrasany ondry aman’ osy.
[Your ancestor] Jacob fled [from his brother Esau] and went to northwest Mesopotamia. He worked [for his uncle Laban for many years] to get a wife; he took care of [his uncle’s] sheep [to pay] for her.
13 Mpaminany no nentin’ i Jehovah nitondra ny Isiraely nivoaka avy tany Egypta, ary mpaminany koa no nentina niahy azy
[Many years later, ] Yahweh enabled a prophet to bring the [ancestors of you] people of Israel here from Egypt; that prophet, [Moses], took care of them.
14 Nanao izay nahatezitra indrindra Efraima, ka dia havelan’ ny Tompony ho eo aminy ny ràny, ary hatsingeriny aminy ny vava ratsy nataony.
[But now the people of] Israel have caused [Yahweh] to become very angry; Yahweh says that they deserve to die because they caused [many others] to die [MTY]; he will pay them back for the sins that they have committed against him and for insulting him.
