UHoseya 9
1 Ungathokozi, we Israyeli; ungajabuli njengezinye izizwe. Ngoba ube ungathembekanga kuNkulunkulu wakho; uthanda umholo wesifebe ezizeni zonke zokubhulela.
Rejoice not, O Israel, Exult not, like the nations! For thou committest fornication, forsaking thy God! Thou lovest hire on every corn-floor.
2 Iziza lezikhamelo zewayini kakuyikunika abantu ukudla; iwayini elitsha lizabehlulekisa.
The floor and the vat shall not feed them, And the new wine shall deceive them.
3 Kabayikuhlala elizweni likaThixo; u-Efrayimi uzabuyela eGibhithe adle ukudla okungcolileyo e-Asiriya.
They shall not dwell in the land of Jehovah; To Egypt shall Ephraim go back, And eat unclean things in Assyria.
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 pour out no offerings of wine to Jehovah, Nor shall their sacrifices please him; They shall be to them as the bread of mourners; All that eat thereof shall be polluted. Their bread shall be for their own hunger; It shall not come into the house of Jehovah.
5 Lizakwenzani ngosuku lwemikhosi yenu emisiweyo, ngensuku zamadili kaThixo na?
What will ye do in the festal day, In the day of the feast of Jehovah?
6 Lanxa bengaphunyuka ekubhujisweni, iGibhithe izababutha, njalo iMemfisi izabangcwaba. Ingcebo yabo yesiliva izathathwa yimbabazane, njalo ameva azagcwala emathenteni abo.
For, behold, they go forth from a wasted land; Egypt shall gather them; Memphis shall bury them; The precious places of their silver, Nettles shall possess them; Thorns shall spring up in their habitations.
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 retribution are come— Israel shall know that the prophet was foolish, That the man of the spirit was mad— For the greatness of` thy iniquity, and thy great hatred.
8 Umphrofethi, ekanye loNkulunkulu wami, ungumuntu olinda u-Efrayimi, kodwa imijibila imlindele kuzozonke izindlela zakhe, kanye lenzondo endlini kaNkulunkulu.
If Ephraim seek an answer from my God, The prophet is as the snare of the fowler in all his ways, A net in the house of his God.
9 Batshone baphelela ekonakaleni, njengasezinsukwini zaseGibhiya. UNkulunkulu uzakukhumbula ukuxhwala kwabo abajezisele izono zabo.
They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their iniquity; He will requite their sins.
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 as grapes in the wilderness; As the early fruit on the fig-tree, at its first time of bearing, I saw your fathers. But they went to Baal Peor, And separated themselves to shame, And had abominable idols according to their love.
11 Udumo luka-Efrayimi luzaphapha luhambe njengenyoni, akuyikuba lokuzala, lokukhulelwa, lokuthatha izisu.
The glory of Ephraim shall fly away as a bird; They shall not bring forth, nor bear in the womb, nor conceive;
12 Loba bangaze bondle abantwana, ngizabemuka bonke. Maye kubo, lapho sengibadelile!
Yea, if they bring up children, I will utterly bereave them; Yea, woe to them when I depart from them!
13 Ngimbonile u-Efrayimi, njengeThire, ebekwe endaweni enhle. Kodwa u-Efrayimi uzakhuphela abantwana bakhe phandle kobulalayo.”
I have seen Ephraim planted, like Tyre, in a rich pasture, Yet shall Ephraim bring out his children to the murderer.
14 Baphe, Oh Thixo uzabaphani na? Baphe izibeletho eziphunzayo lamabele angelalutho.
Give them, O Jehovah! What wilt thou give them? Give them a miscarrying womb, 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 Gilgal; Yea, there have I hated them for the wickedness of their doings; I will drive them from 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 smitten; Their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit; Yea, though they should beget children, I will destroy the beloved fruit of the womb.
17 UNkulunkulu wami ubalile ngoba kabamlalelanga; bazakuba zinzulane phakathi kwezizwe.
My God shall cast them away, Because they have not hearkened to him, And they shall be wanderers among the nations.
