UHoseya 3

1 UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Hamba, utshengisele uthando lwakho kumkakho futhi, lanxa nje ethandwa ngomunye njalo eyisifebekazi. Mthande njengoThixo ethanda abako-Israyeli, lanxa baphendukela kwabanye onkulunkulu njalo bethanda amakhekhe ezithelo ezonyisiweyo.”

And the Lord said to me, Give your love again to a woman who has a lover and is false to her husband, even as the Lord has love for the children of Israel, though they are turned to other gods and are lovers of grape-cakes.

2 Ngakho ngamthenga ngamashekeli esiliva alitshumi lanhlanu langokwakuphosa kube lihomeri leletheki lebhali.

So I got her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley;

3 Ngasengisithi kuye, “Uzahlala lami insuku ezinengi; akumelanga ube yisifebe loba wembathe lenye indoda, lami ngizahlala lawe.”

And I said to her, You are to be mine for a long space of time; you are not to be false to me, and no other man is to have you for his wife; and so will I be to you.

4 Ngoba abako-Israyeli bazahlala insuku ezinengi bengelankosi kumbe inkosana, bengelamhlatshelo kumbe amatshe angcwele, bengelasembatho semahlombe kumbe isithombe.

For the children of Israel will for a long time be without king and without ruler, without offerings and without pillars, and without ephod or images.

5 Muva abako-Israyeli bazaphenduka bamdinge uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo kanye loDavida inkosi yabo. Bazakuza kuThixo beqhaqhazela kanye lasezibusisweni zakhe ensukwini zokucina.

And after that, the children of Israel will come back and go in search of the Lord their God and David their king; and they will come in fear to the Lord and to his mercies in the days to come.