UHoseya 2
1 Khulumani kubafowenu lithi: Ami; lakubodadewenu lithi: Ruhama.
So call your brothers, My People, and your sisters, Compassion.
2 Phikisanani lonyoko, liphikise, ngoba kasuye umkami, lami kangisiyo indoda yakhe, ukuthi asuse ukuwula kwakhe phambi kwami, lokufeba kwakhe ngaphakathi kwamabele akhe,
Accuse, accuse your mother: for she is not my wife, and I will not be her husband. Let her put her acts of infidelity out of her sight, and her lovers from between her breasts,
3 hlezi ngimhlubule abe nqunu, ngimbeke abe njengosukwini lokuzalwa kwakhe, ngimenze afanane lenkangala, ngimbeke njengelizwe elomileyo, ngimbulale ngokoma.
else I will strip her bare, expose her as she was on the day of her birth, make her like the wilderness, let her become like a parched land, and let her die of thirst.
4 Labantwana bakhe kangiyikubahawukela, ngoba bangabantwana bobufebe.
And on her children I will have no pity, since they are children of adultery,
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 has become a prostitute, she who conceived them has behaved shamefully. She has said, “I will go after my lovers who gave me my bread and my water, my wool, my flax, my oil, and my drink.”
6 Ngakho, khangela, ngizabiya indlela yakho ngameva, ngimakhele umduli ukuze angatholi imikhondo yakhe.
That is why I am going to hedge up her ways with thorns, and build a wall about her, so that she cannot find her paths.
7 Alandele izithandwa zakhe, kodwa angazifici; uzazidinga, kodwa angazitholi. Abesesithi: Ngizahamba ngibuyele endodeni yami yokuqala, ngoba kwakungcono kimi ngalesosikhathi kulakhathesi.
She will pursue her lovers, but will not overtake them. She will seek them, but not find them. In time she will say, “I will go back to my first husband, I was better off then than now.”
8 Ngoba wayengazi ukuthi mina ngamnika amabele, lewayini elitsha, lamafutha, ngamandisela isiliva legolide, abalisebenzisela uBhali.
She herself did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the sweet wine, and the oil, who lavished on her silver and gold – that they used in worshipping 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 grain at the harvest, and my sweet wine in its season. I will withdraw my wool and my flax, given to cover her nakedness;
10 Khathesi sengizakwambula ihlazo lakhe emehlweni ezithandwa zakhe, njalo kungabi khona omophulayo esandleni sami.
and so I will strip her naked before her lovers, and no one shall deliver her out of my hand.
11 Sengizaqeda intokozo yakhe yonke, amadili akhe, ukuthwasa kwenyanga zakhe, lamasabatha akhe, lemikhosi yakhe yonke emisiweyo.
I will end all her celebrations, her yearly feasts, her new moons, and her 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 lay waste her vines and her fig trees, of which she says, “These are my wages which my lovers have given me.” I will make them a thicket, and the wild animals will eat them.
13 Njalo ngizaphindisela phezu kwakhe insuku zaboBhali, ayebatshisela ngazo impepha, ezicecisa ngamasongo akhe langamangqongqo akhe, walandela izithandwa zakhe, kodwa wangikhohlwa, itsho iNkosi.
In this way I will punish her for the days of the Baals, in which she made offerings to them, and decked herself with earrings and jewels, and went after her lovers, but forgot me, – declares the Lord.
14 Ngakho, khangela, ngizamhuga, ngimuse enkangala, ngikhulume enhliziyweni yakhe.
So I am going to court her, bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.
15 Ngibe sengimnika izivini zakhe kusukela lapho, lesihotsha seAkori, sibe ngumnyango wethemba. Njalo uzahlabela lapho njengensukwini zobutsha bakhe, lanjengosuku lokwenyuka kwakhe elizweni leGibhithe.
I will give her from there her vineyards, and the valley of Achor as a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the days when she came up from the land of Egypt.
16 Kuzakuthi ngalolosuku, itsho iNkosi, ungibize uthi: Ndoda yami; ungabe usangibiza ngokuthi: Bhali wami.
At that time, declares the Lord, you will call me your husband, and will no more call me your master.
17 Ngoba ngizasusa amabizo aboBhali emlonyeni wakhe, bangabe besakhunjulwa futhi ngebizo labo.
I will remove the name of the Baals from her mouth, their names never again uttered.
18 Langalolosuku ngizabenzela isivumelwano lenyamazana zeganga lenyoni zamazulu lezinto ezihuquzelayo zomhlaba; ngephule idandili, lenkemba, lempi kusuke emhlabeni, ngibalalise phansi bevikelekile.
On that day I will make for them a covenant with the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the creatures that crawl on the earth. I will break the bow and the sword, banish battle from the land, and I will make them lie down in safety.
19 Njalo ngizakugana ube ngowami kuze kube phakade, yebo, ngikugane ube ngowami ngokulunga langesahlulelo langothandolomusa langezihawu.
I will take you for my wife forever, I will take you for my wife in righteousness, in justice, in kindness, and in mercy.
20 Yebo, ngizakugana ube ngowami ngothembeko; njalo uzayazi iNkosi.
I will take you for my wife in faithfulness, and you will know the Lord.
21 Kuzakuthi ngalolosuku, ngizaphendula, itsho iNkosi, ngizaphendula amazulu, wona aphendule umhlaba,
On that day I will answer – declares the Lord, I will answer the empty skies, and they will answer the dry earth.
22 lomhlaba uphendule amabele lewayini elitsha lamafutha, khona kuphendule uJizereyeli.
The earth will answer with grain, and new wine and oil, and they will answer Jezreel,
23 Besengizihlanyelela yena emhlabeni, ngibe lomusa phezu kongazuzanga umusa, ngithi kwababengasibantu bami: Lina lingabantu bami; bona bathi: Nkulunkulu wami.
and I will plant her in the land. I will have compassion to No-Compassion, I will say to Not-My-People, “You are my people,” and they will say, “You are my God.”
