UHoseya 10
1 UIsrayeli ulivini elithululwayo, lizenzela izithelo; njengobunengi bezithelo zakhe wandisa amalathi akhe; ngobuhle belizwe lakhe wenza insika zakhe eziyizithombe zibe zinhle.
“Israel was [like a large] healthy/luxuriant vine [MET] that produced [a lot of] grapes. But as the people became richer, they made more altars [at which to worship idols]. As the people prospered, they [built and] decorated sacred pillars [that they worshiped].
2 Iyehlukanisile inhliziyo yabo; khathesi bazakuba lecala; yona izabhidliza amalathi abo, ichithe insika zabo eziyizithombe.
They are deceitful; [so] now they are guilty and must be punished. [I], Yahweh, will tear down their altars and smash those pillars.
3 Ngoba khathesi bazakuthi: Kasilankosi; ngoba kasimesabanga uJehova; pho, inkosi izakwenzani kithi?
Then they will say, ‘It is because we did not revere Yahweh that we no [longer] have a king. But [even if we had] a king, he certainly could not [RHQ] do anything to help us.’
4 Bakhulume amazwi, befunga amanga besenza isivumelwano; ngakho isahlulelo sizahluma njengokhula oluyitshefu emifolweni yensimu.
They falsely promise [that they will do many things]; they solemnly promise and make agreements, but they do not do what they promise. So people accuse and sue [each other in the courts]; they are like [SIM] poisonous weeds [that grow] in a plowed field.
5 Abahlali beSamariya bazakwesaba ngenxa yethole leBeti-Aveni; ngoba abantu bayo bazalililela, labapristi balo ababethokoza ngalo, ngodumo lwalo, ngoba lusukile kulo.
The people who live in Samaria [city] are worried about [what may happen to the idol that resembles] a calf [that they set up] at Beth-Aven [town]. The people in Samaria will mourn, and the priests there will cry about it [if it is damaged or destroyed]. [Previously] they shouted joyfully about its being very great; but now it will not be great any more.
6 Yebo, lizathwalelwa eAsiriya, libe yisipho enkosini uJarebhi. UEfrayimi uzakuba lenhloni, loIsrayeli ayangeke ngenxa yeseluleko sakhe.
It will be taken to Assyria to be a gift for the great King [of Assyria]. [So the people of] Israel will be disgraced, and they will be ashamed because [they trusted in] that idol.
7 ISamariya iqunyiwe, lenkosi yayo injengebazelo ebusweni bamanzi.
The King of Samaria [and the other people in Samaria] will be gone; they will be like [SIM] a twig [that floats away] on the surface of the water [and disappears].
8 Lendawo eziphakemeyo zeAveni, isono sikaIsrayeli, kuzachithwa; ameva lokhula oluhlabayo kuzamila phezu kwamalathi abo. Njalo bazakuthi ezintabeni: Sisibekeleni; lemaqaqeni: Welani phezu kwethu.
The altars on the tops of hills [where the people worshiped idols] will be destroyed; those have been the places where the people of Israel sinned greatly. Thorns and weeds will grow and cover those altars. Then the people will plead to the mountains and hills, ‘Fall [down and] cover us [to protect us from God punishing us]!’
9 Kusukela ensukwini zeGibeya wonile, Israyeli; lapho bema; impi eGibeya emelene labantwana bobubi kayibaficanga.
[You people of] Israel, [ever since your ancestors did evil things] at Gibeah, you have continued to sin. [When the people at] [PRS] Gibeah [did evil things], the result was a war [in which thousands of people died].
10 Kusesiloyisweni sami ukubajezisa; izizwe zizabuthana zimelene labo, lapho ngizababopha ngenxa yeziphambeko zabo ezimbili.
[So now], when I want to, I will punish the Israeli people. Because of the many sins that they have committed, [the armies of other] nations will gather to attack them, and they will cause the Israeli people to become their slaves.
11 Njalo uEfrayimi ulithokazi elifundisiweyo, elithanda ukubhula, kodwa mina ngedlule phezu kwentamo yakhe yobuhle; ngigadise uEfrayimi, uJuda uzalima, uJakobe uzaziharela.
Israel is [like] [MET] a well-trained (heifer/young cow) that likes to thresh [grain]. [So now you will become slaves]. [It will be as though] I will put a yoke on your neck, and you will be forced to work hard for your enemies in their fields. [You people of] Israel and Judah [will be forced to go to Assyria]; there you [DOU] will pull plows to break up the ground [for planting seeds].
12 Zihlanyeleleni ekulungeni, livune emuseni; qhathani ingqatho yenu; ngoba sekuyisikhathi sokuyidinga iNkosi, ize ifike, inise ukulunga phezu kwenu.
[You plow your fields and plant your seeds] and harvest [your crops] [MET], [but what you need to do is] to act righteously and to faithfully love [me]; you need to repent [MET], because it is time to try to know [me], Yahweh; and if you do that, I will pour out [MET] many blessings on you.
13 Lilime inkohlakalo, lavuna isiphambeko, lidle izithelo zamanga; ngoba lithembele endleleni yenu, ebunengini bamaqhawe enu.
You [plant seeds and harvest the crops and eat them]; [but what I consider that you have really done is] that you have planted wicked things and harvested evil things and eaten [MET] the results [IDM] of the lies [that you have told]. [Instead of trusting in me, ] you have (depended on/trusted in) your own power and in your many soldiers.
14 Ngalokho kuzakuba khona ukuxokozela phakathi kwabantu bakho, lenqaba zakho zonke zizachithwa, njengalokhu uShalimani wachitha iBeti-Aribeli ngosuku lwempi; unina wachotshozwa phezu kwabantwana.
As a result, you will [soon] hear the roar of battle, and all your cities that have walls around them will be destroyed, like [SIM] Shalman’s [army] destroyed Beth-Arbel [city] in a battle, and the women [in that city] and their children were bashed to death.
15 Izakwenza njalo iBhetheli kini, ngenxa yobubi bobubi bakho; emadabukakusa inkosi yakoIsrayeli izaqunywa lokuqunywa.
[You people of] [APO] Bethel [city], that is what will happen to you, because you are very wicked. And when the sun rises [on that day], the King of Israel will be killed [in the battle].”
