UHoseya 6

1 “Wozani sibuyele kuThixo. Usesidabule saba yizicucu kodwa uzaselapha; usilimazile kodwa uzawabopha amanxeba ethu.

'Come, and we turn back unto Jehovah, For He hath torn, and He doth heal us, He doth smite, and He bindeth us up.

2 Emva kwensuku ezimbili uzasivuselela; ngosuku lwesithathu uzasibuyisela ukuze sihlale lapho akhona.

He doth revive us after two days, In the third day He doth raise us up, And we live before Him.

3 Kasimamukeleni uThixo; kasiqiniseni ukumamukela. Ngoqotho njengoba ilanga liphuma, uzabonakala; uzakuza kithi njengezulu lebusika, lanjengezulu lentwasa elithambisa umhlaba.”

And we know — we pursue to know Jehovah, As the dawn prepared is His going forth, And He cometh in as a shower to us, As gathered rain — sprinkling earth.'

4 “Ngingenzani ngawe, Efrayimi na? Ngingenzani ngawe, Juda na? Uthando lwenu lunjengenkungu yekuseni, lunjengamazolo ekuseni anyamalalayo.

What do I do to thee, O Ephraim? What do I do to thee, O Judah? Your goodness [is] as a cloud of the morning, And as dew rising early — going.

5 Ngakho ngaliqumaquma ngabaphrofethi bami, ngalibulala ngamazwi omlomo wami; ukwahlulela kwami kwaphazima njengombane phezu kwenu.

Therefore I have hewed by prophets, I have slain them by sayings of My mouth, And My judgments to the light goeth forth.

6 Ngoba mina ngifuna isihawu, hatshi umhlatshelo, lokwamukela uNkulunkulu kuleminikelo yokutshiswa.

For kindness I desired, and not sacrifice, And a knowledge of God above burnt-offerings.

7 Njengo-Adamu, sebesephule isivumelwano babengathembekanga khonale.

And they, as Adam, transgressed a covenant, There they dealt treacherously against me.

8 IGiliyadi lidolobho labantu abaxhwalileyo. Lingcolile ngezinyathelo zegazi

Gilead [is] a city of workers of iniquity, Slippery from blood.

9 Njengezigebenga zicathamela umuntu, zenzanjalo izigangi zabaphristi; zibulala abantu emgwaqweni oya eShekhemu zisenza izinto ezimbi.

And as bands do wait for a man, A company of priests do murder — the way to Shechem, For wickedness they have done.

10 Sengibone into etshaqisayo endlini ka-Israyeli. U-Efrayimi uwela khonapho, lo-Israyeli ungcolisiwe.

In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing, There [is] the whoredom of Ephraim — defiled is Israel.

11 Lakuwe futhi Juda, ukuvuna sekulungiselwe. Lapho ngingabuyisela inotho yabantu bami.

Also, O Judah, appointed is a harvest to thee, In My turning back [to] the captivity of My people!