UHoseya 9
1 Ungathokozi, we Israyeli; ungajabuli njengezinye izizwe. Ngoba ube ungathembekanga kuNkulunkulu wakho; uthanda umholo wesifebe ezizeni zonke zokubhulela.
Rejoice not, O Israel: rejoice not as the nations do: for thou hast committed fornication against thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.
2 Iziza lezikhamelo zewayini kakuyikunika abantu ukudla; iwayini elitsha lizabehlulekisa.
The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the wine shall deceive them.
3 Kabayikuhlala elizweni likaThixo; u-Efrayimi uzabuyela eGibhithe adle ukudla okungcolileyo e-Asiriya.
They shall not dwell in the Lord’s land: Ephraim is returned to Egypt, and hath eaten unclean things among the Assyrians.
4 Kabayikuthululela iminikelo yewayini kuThixo, lemihlatshelo yabo kayiyikumthokozisa. Imihlatshelo enje kubo izakuba njengesinkwa sabalilayo; bonke abayidlayo bazangcola. Ukudla lokhu kuzakuba ngokwabo; akuyikufika ethempelini likaThixo.
They shall not offer wine to the Lord, neither shall they please him: their sacrifices shall be like the bread of mourners: all that shall eat it shall be defiled: for their bread is life for their soul, it shall not enter into the house of the Lord.
5 Lizakwenzani ngosuku lwemikhosi yenu emisiweyo, ngensuku zamadili kaThixo na?
What will you do in the solemn day, in the day of the feast of the Lord?
6 Lanxa bengaphunyuka ekubhujisweni, iGibhithe izababutha, njalo iMemfisi izabangcwaba. Ingcebo yabo yesiliva izathathwa yimbabazane, njalo ameva azagcwala emathenteni abo.
For behold they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them together, Memphis shall bury them: nettles shall inherit their beloved silver, the bur shall be in their tabernacles.
7 Insuku zokujeziswa ziyeza, insuku zokwahlulelwa sezifikile. U-Israyeli kumele akwazi lokhu. Ngoba izono zenu zinengi kakhulu lenzondo yenu inkulu kakhulu, umphrofethi ubalwa njengesiwula umuntu oholwa ngomoya enziwe njengohlanya.
The days of visitation are come, the days of repaying are come: know ye, O Israel, that the prophet was foolish, the spiritual man was mad, for the multitude of thy iniquity, and the multitude of thy madness.
8 Umphrofethi, ekanye loNkulunkulu wami, ungumuntu olinda u-Efrayimi, kodwa imijibila imlindele kuzozonke izindlela zakhe, kanye lenzondo endlini kaNkulunkulu.
The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: the prophet is become a snare of ruin upon all his ways, madness is in the house of his God.
9 Batshone baphelela ekonakaleni, njengasezinsukwini zaseGibhiya. UNkulunkulu uzakukhumbula ukuxhwala kwabo abajezisele izono zabo.
They have sinned deeply, as in the days of Gabaa: he will remember their iniquity, and will visit their sin.
10 “Ekufumaneni kwami u-Israyeli kwakunjengokuthola amagrebisi enkangala; ekuboneni kwami okhokho benu, kwakunjengokubona izithelo zakuqala zomkhiwa. Kodwa ekufikeni kwabo kuBhali-Pheyori, bazinikela kulesosithombe esihlazisayo benyanyeka njengaleyonto ababeyithanda.
I found Israel like grapes in the desert, I saw their fathers like the firstfruits of the fig tree in the top thereof: but they went in to Beelphegor, and alienated themselves to that confusion, and became abominable, as those things were, which they loved.
11 Udumo luka-Efrayimi luzaphapha luhambe njengenyoni, akuyikuba lokuzala, lokukhulelwa, lokuthatha izisu.
As for Ephraim, their glory hath flown away like a bird from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.
12 Loba bangaze bondle abantwana, ngizabemuka bonke. Maye kubo, lapho sengibadelile!
And though they should bring up their children, I will make them without children among men: yea, and woe to them, when I shall depart from them.
13 Ngimbonile u-Efrayimi, njengeThire, ebekwe endaweni enhle. Kodwa u-Efrayimi uzakhuphela abantwana bakhe phandle kobulalayo.”
Ephraim, as I saw, was a Tyre founded in beauty: and Ephraim shall bring out his children to the murderer.
14 Baphe, Oh Thixo uzabaphani na? Baphe izibeletho eziphunzayo lamabele angelalutho.
Give them, O Lord. What wilt thou give them? Give them a womb without children, and dry breasts.
15 “Ngenxa yokuxhwala kwabo konke eGiligali, ngabazonda khonale. Ngenxa yezenzo zabo eziyizono, ngizabaxotsha endlini yami. Kangisayikubathanda futhi; bonke abakhokheli babo bangabahlamuki.
All their wickedness is in Galgal, for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their devices I will cast them forth out of my house: I will love them no more, all their princes are revolters.
16 U-Efrayimi udlekile, impande zabo zomile, kabatheli zithelo. Loba bengazala abantwana, ngizayibulala inzalo yabo abayithandayo.”
Ephraim is struck, their root is dried up, they shall yield no fruit. And if they should have issue, I will slay the best beloved fruit of their womb.
17 UNkulunkulu wami ubalile ngoba kabamlalelanga; bazakuba zinzulane phakathi kwezizwe.
My God will cast them away, because they hearkened not to him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.
