UHoseya 2

1 Khulumani kubafowenu lithi: Ami; lakubodadewenu lithi: Ruhama.

“On that day you will call your brothers Ammi, and you will call your sisters Ruhamah.

2 Phikisanani lonyoko, liphikise, ngoba kasuye umkami, lami kangisiyo indoda yakhe, ukuthi asuse ukuwula kwakhe phambi kwami, lokufeba kwakhe ngaphakathi kwamabele akhe,

Condemn your mother, condemn her because she is not my wife and I am not her husband. Tell her to stop looking like a prostitute—get rid of the makeup and the provocative clothing.

3 hlezi ngimhlubule abe nqunu, ngimbeke abe njengosukwini lokuzalwa kwakhe, ngimenze afanane lenkangala, ngimbeke njengelizwe elomileyo, ngimbulale ngokoma.

Otherwise I will strip her naked as the day she was born, and make her like a desert, a barren land, and let her die of thirst.

4 Labantwana bakhe kangiyikubahawukela, ngoba bangabantwana bobufebe.

I will have no pity on her children because they are children of prostitution.

5 Ngoba unina uwulile, owabazalayo wenzile ihlazo; ngoba wathi: Ngizazilandela izithandwa zami, ezingipha ukudla kwami, lamanzi ami, uboya bezimvu bami, lefilakisi yami, amafutha ami, lokunathwayo kwami.

For their mother was a prostitute who conceived them in a shameful way. She said, ‘I'll run after my lovers who give me my food and water, my wool and flax and olive oil, and my drink.’

6 Ngakho, khangela, ngizabiya indlela yakho ngameva, ngimakhele umduli ukuze angatholi imikhondo yakhe.

That is why I am going to block her path with thorn bushes, and build a stone wall to stop her so she won't find her way.

7 Alandele izithandwa zakhe, kodwa angazifici; uzazidinga, kodwa angazitholi. Abesesithi: Ngizahamba ngibuyele endodeni yami yokuqala, ngoba kwakungcono kimi ngalesosikhathi kulakhathesi.

When she runs after her lovers she won't catch up with them; she'll look for them but she won't find them. Then she'll say, ‘Let me go back to my former husband, because it was better for me then than now.’

8 Ngoba wayengazi ukuthi mina ngamnika amabele, lewayini elitsha, lamafutha, ngamandisela isiliva legolide, abalisebenzisela uBhali.

She doesn't consider that it was me who gave her grain, new wine, and olive oil; the silver and the gold which I gave her abundantly that they made into an idol of Baal.

9 Ngakho ngizabuyela, ngithathe amabele ami ngesikhathi sawo, lewayini lami elitsha ngesikhathi salo esimisiweyo, ngihluthune uboya bezimvu bami lefilakisi yami okwembesa ubunqunu bakhe.

So I will take back my ripened grain and my new wine I gave at harvest time. I will take back my wool and my flax I provided to cover her nakedness.

10 Khathesi sengizakwambula ihlazo lakhe emehlweni ezithandwa zakhe, njalo kungabi khona omophulayo esandleni sami.

I will strip her naked while her lovers watch; no one will be able to rescue her from me.

11 Sengizaqeda intokozo yakhe yonke, amadili akhe, ukuthwasa kwenyanga zakhe, lamasabatha akhe, lemikhosi yakhe yonke emisiweyo.

I will put a stop to all her festivities: her feasts, new moon celebrations, special Sabbaths—all her festivals.

12 Sengizachitha ivini lakhe lomkhiwa wakhe, atsho ngakho ukuthi: Lokhu kungumvuzo wobuwule bami izithandwa zami ezinginike khona; kodwa ngizakwenza kube ligusu, ukuze inyamazana zeganga zikudle.

I will destroy her vines and fig trees that she said were given to her as payment for being a prostitute. I will turn them into scrub-land; only wild animals will eat the remaining fruit.

13 Njalo ngizaphindisela phezu kwakhe insuku zaboBhali, ayebatshisela ngazo impepha, ezicecisa ngamasongo akhe langamangqongqo akhe, walandela izithandwa zakhe, kodwa wangikhohlwa, itsho iNkosi.

I will punish her for all the times she offered incense to Baal, dressing herself up, putting on rings and jewelry, going after her lovers, but forgetting about me, declares the Lord.

14 Ngakho, khangela, ngizamhuga, ngimuse enkangala, ngikhulume enhliziyweni yakhe.

See what I'm going to do! I will win her back, taking her into the desert where I will speak to her heart-to-heart.

15 Ngibe sengimnika izivini zakhe kusukela lapho, lesihotsha seAkori, sibe ngumnyango wethemba. Njalo uzahlabela lapho njengensukwini zobutsha bakhe, lanjengosuku lokwenyuka kwakhe elizweni leGibhithe.

There I will return her vineyards to her and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond to me as she did when she was young, as in the time when she left the land of Egypt.

16 Kuzakuthi ngalolosuku, itsho iNkosi, ungibize uthi: Ndoda yami; ungabe usangibiza ngokuthi: Bhali wami.

Then on that day, says the Lord, you will call me ‘my husband’ and not ‘my Baal.’

17 Ngoba ngizasusa amabizo aboBhali emlonyeni wakhe, bangabe besakhunjulwa futhi ngebizo labo.

I will stop her appealing to the Baals—their names won't be mentioned ever again.

18 Langalolosuku ngizabenzela isivumelwano lenyamazana zeganga lenyoni zamazulu lezinto ezihuquzelayo zomhlaba; ngephule idandili, lenkemba, lempi kusuke emhlabeni, ngibalalise phansi bevikelekile.

At that time I will make a solemn agreement with the wild animals and the birds of the sky and the creeping things of the ground. I will do away with the bow and the sword; I will abolish war from the land so you can lie down in safety.

19 Njalo ngizakugana ube ngowami kuze kube phakade, yebo, ngikugane ube ngowami ngokulunga langesahlulelo langothandolomusa langezihawu.

I will make you my wife forever; I will make you my wife in goodness and justice and love and mercy.

20 Yebo, ngizakugana ube ngowami ngothembeko; njalo uzayazi iNkosi.

I will be faithful to you, my wife, and you will know me as the Lord.

21 Kuzakuthi ngalolosuku, ngizaphendula, itsho iNkosi, ngizaphendula amazulu, wona aphendule umhlaba,

On that day, declares the Lord, I will answer the heavens and they will answer the earth.

22 lomhlaba uphendule amabele lewayini elitsha lamafutha, khona kuphendule uJizereyeli.

The earth will answer the grain, and the new wine, and the olive oil, and they shall answer, ‘Jezreel’ (God sows).

23 Besengizihlanyelela yena emhlabeni, ngibe lomusa phezu kongazuzanga umusa, ngithi kwababengasibantu bami: Lina lingabantu bami; bona bathi: Nkulunkulu wami.

I will ‘sow’ her for myself in the earth. I will love Lo-ruhamah (unloved) and I will say ‘you are my people’ to Lo-ammi (not my people), and they will say ‘You are my God.’”