UHoseya 9
1 Ungathokozi, we Israyeli; ungajabuli njengezinye izizwe. Ngoba ube ungathembekanga kuNkulunkulu wakho; uthanda umholo wesifebe ezizeni zonke zokubhulela.
Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation, like the peoples, for thou hast gone away unchastely from beside thy God, —thou hast loved a present, upon all the threshing-floors of corn!
2 Iziza lezikhamelo zewayini kakuyikunika abantu ukudla; iwayini elitsha lizabehlulekisa.
Threshing-floor and wine-vat, will not feed them, and, new wine, will deny them.
3 Kabayikuhlala elizweni likaThixo; u-Efrayimi uzabuyela eGibhithe adle ukudla okungcolileyo e-Asiriya.
They shall not dwell in the land of Yahweh, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and, in Assyria—that which is unclean, shall they eat.
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 pour out to Yahweh—wine, neither shall they be pleasing to him, their sacrifices, are as the food of mourning to them, all that eat thereof, shall defile themselves, because, their food for their appetite, entereth not into the house of Yahweh.
5 Lizakwenzani ngosuku lwemikhosi yenu emisiweyo, ngensuku zamadili kaThixo na?
What will ye do, for the day of appointed meeting? and in the day of the festival of Yahweh?
6 Lanxa bengaphunyuka ekubhujisweni, iGibhithe izababutha, njalo iMemfisi izabangcwaba. Ingcebo yabo yesiliva izathathwa yimbabazane, njalo ameva azagcwala emathenteni abo.
For, though they have gone from destruction, yet, Egypt, shall gather them, Memphis, shall bury them, —as for their silver favorites! thistles, shall possess them, thorns in their tents.
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.
Come are the days of visitation, come are the days of recompense, Let Israel know! The prophet is foolish, the man of the spirit doth rave, because of the greatness of thine iniquity, therefore great is the prosecution.
8 Umphrofethi, ekanye loNkulunkulu wami, ungumuntu olinda u-Efrayimi, kodwa imijibila imlindele kuzozonke izindlela zakhe, kanye lenzondo endlini kaNkulunkulu.
The watchman of Ephraim, [should have been] with my God: As for the prophet, the snare of the fowler, is on all his ways, a prosecution [awaiteth him], in the house of his God.
9 Batshone baphelela ekonakaleni, njengasezinsukwini zaseGibhiya. UNkulunkulu uzakukhumbula ukuxhwala kwabo abajezisele izono zabo.
They have deeply corrupted themselves, like the days of Gibeah: he will call to mind their iniquity, he will punish 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.
Like grapes in the desert, found I Israel, like the first-ripe in the fig-tree when it is young, saw I your fathers, —they, entered Baal-peor, and devoted themselves to the Shameful Thing, Then became their abominations like their lusts.
11 Udumo luka-Efrayimi luzaphapha luhambe njengenyoni, akuyikuba lokuzala, lokukhulelwa, lokuthatha izisu.
As for Ephraim! like a bird, did their glory, fly away, —no birth, and none with child, no conception.
12 Loba bangaze bondle abantwana, ngizabemuka bonke. Maye kubo, lapho sengibadelile!
Yea, though they rear their children, yet will I make them childless, till there be no human being, —for it is, nothing less than woe, to them when I depart from them!
13 Ngimbonile u-Efrayimi, njengeThire, ebekwe endaweni enhle. Kodwa u-Efrayimi uzakhuphela abantwana bakhe phandle kobulalayo.”
Ephraim! just as I provided for Tyre, was planted in a meadow, —yet, Ephraim, must needs bring forth for a murderer his children.
14 Baphe, Oh Thixo uzabaphani na? Baphe izibeletho eziphunzayo lamabele angelalutho.
Give them, O Yahweh—what wilt thou give? Give them, a miscarrying womb, and breasts dried up.
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 come to hate them, For the wickedness of their doings—out of my house, will I drive them forth, —no more will I love them, all their rulers, are unruly.
16 U-Efrayimi udlekile, impande zabo zomile, kabatheli zithelo. Loba bengazala abantwana, ngizayibulala inzalo yabo abayithandayo.”
Smitten is Ephraim, their root, hath dried up, fruit, shall they not bear, —yea, though they do bring forth, yet will I slay the darlings of their womb.
17 UNkulunkulu wami ubalile ngoba kabamlalelanga; bazakuba zinzulane phakathi kwezizwe.
My God will reject them, because they hearkened not unto him, —that they may become wanderers throughout the nations.
