UHoseya 9
1 Ungathokozi, we Israyeli; ungajabuli njengezinye izizwe. Ngoba ube ungathembekanga kuNkulunkulu wakho; uthanda umholo wesifebe ezizeni zonke zokubhulela.
'Rejoice not, O Israel, be not joyful like the peoples, For thou hast gone a-whoring from thy God, Thou hast loved a gift near all floors of corn.
2 Iziza lezikhamelo zewayini kakuyikunika abantu ukudla; iwayini elitsha lizabehlulekisa.
Floor and wine-press do not delight them, And new wine doth fail in her,
3 Kabayikuhlala elizweni likaThixo; u-Efrayimi uzabuyela eGibhithe adle ukudla okungcolileyo e-Asiriya.
They do not abide in the land of Jehovah, And turned back hath Ephraim [to] Egypt, And in Asshur an unclean thing 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 pour not out wine to Jehovah, Nor are they sweet to Him, Their sacrifices [are] as bread of mourners to them, All eating it are unclean: For their bread [is] for themselves, It doth not come into the house of Jehovah.
5 Lizakwenzani ngosuku lwemikhosi yenu emisiweyo, ngensuku zamadili kaThixo na?
What do ye at the day appointed? And at the day of Jehovah's festival?
6 Lanxa bengaphunyuka ekubhujisweni, iGibhithe izababutha, njalo iMemfisi izabangcwaba. Ingcebo yabo yesiliva izathathwa yimbabazane, njalo ameva azagcwala emathenteni abo.
For, lo, they have gone because of destruction, Egypt gathereth them, Moph burieth them, The desirable things of their silver, Nettles possess them — a thorn [is] 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 in have the days of inspection, Come in have the days of recompence, Israel doth know! a fool [is] the prophet, Mad [is] the man of the Spirit, Because of the abundance of thine iniquity, And great [is] the hatred.
8 Umphrofethi, ekanye loNkulunkulu wami, ungumuntu olinda u-Efrayimi, kodwa imijibila imlindele kuzozonke izindlela zakhe, kanye lenzondo endlini kaNkulunkulu.
Ephraim is looking [away] from My God, The prophet! a snare of a fowler [is] over all his ways, Hatred [is] in the house of his God.
9 Batshone baphelela ekonakaleni, njengasezinsukwini zaseGibhiya. UNkulunkulu uzakukhumbula ukuxhwala kwabo abajezisele izono zabo.
They have gone deep — have done corruptly, As [in] the days of Gibeah, He doth remember their iniquity, He doth inspect 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.
As grapes in a wilderness I found Israel, As the first-fruit in a fig-tree, at its beginning, I have seen your fathers, They — they have gone in [to] Baal-Peor, And are separated to a shameful thing, And are become abominable like their love.
11 Udumo luka-Efrayimi luzaphapha luhambe njengenyoni, akuyikuba lokuzala, lokukhulelwa, lokuthatha izisu.
Ephraim [is] as a fowl, Fly away doth their honour, without birth, And without womb, and without conception.
12 Loba bangaze bondle abantwana, ngizabemuka bonke. Maye kubo, lapho sengibadelile!
For though they nourish their sons, I have made them childless — without man, Surely also, woe to them, when I turn aside from them.
13 Ngimbonile u-Efrayimi, njengeThire, ebekwe endaweni enhle. Kodwa u-Efrayimi uzakhuphela abantwana bakhe phandle kobulalayo.”
Ephraim! when I have looked to the rock, Is planted in comeliness, And Ephraim [is] to bring out unto a slayer his sons.
14 Baphe, Oh Thixo uzabaphani na? Baphe izibeletho eziphunzayo lamabele angelalutho.
Give to them, Jehovah — what dost Thou give? Give to them 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 evil [is] in Gilgal, Surely there I have hated them, Because of the evil of their doings, Out of My house I do drive them, I add not to love them, all their heads [are] apostates.
16 U-Efrayimi udlekile, impande zabo zomile, kabatheli zithelo. Loba bengazala abantwana, ngizayibulala inzalo yabo abayithandayo.”
Ephraim hath been smitten, Their root hath dried up, fruit they yield not, Yea, though they bring forth, I have put to death the desired of their womb.
17 UNkulunkulu wami ubalile ngoba kabamlalelanga; bazakuba zinzulane phakathi kwezizwe.
Reject them doth my God, Because they have not hearkened to Him, And they are wanderers among nations!
