UHoseya 2

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

Say to your brothers, 'My people!' and to your sisters, 'You have been shown compassion.'”

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

Bring a lawsuit against your mother, bring a lawsuit, for she is not my wife, and neither am I her husband. Let her put away her prostitution from before herself, and her acts of adultery from between her breasts.

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

If not, I will strip her naked and show her nakedness as on the day that she was born. I will make her like the wilderness, like a parched land, and I will make her die from thirst.

4 Labantwana bakhe kangiyikubahawukela, ngoba bangabantwana bobufebe.

I will not have any mercy on her children, for 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 has been a prostitute, and she who conceived them has acted shamefully. She said, “I will go after my lovers, for they give me my bread and water, my wool and flax, my oil and drink.”

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

Therefore I will build up a hedge to block her way with thorns. I will build up a wall against her so she cannot find her way.

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 she will not overtake them. She will seek them, but she will not find them. Then she will say, “I will return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than it is now.”

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

For she had not known that it was I who gave her the grain, the new wine and the oil, and who lavished on her silver and gold, which they then used for 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 her grain at harvest time, and my new wine in its season. I will take back my wool and flax that were used to cover her nakedness.

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

Then I will strip her naked in the sight of her lovers, and no one will rescue her out of my hand.

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

I will also cause all her celebrations to cease— her feasts, her new moon celebrations, her Sabbaths, and all her appointed 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 her fig trees, of which she has said, 'These are the wages that my lovers gave me.' I will make them a forest, and the animals of the field 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.

I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals, when she burned incense to them, when she adorned herself with her rings and jewelry, and she went after her lovers and forgot me— this is Yahweh's declaration.”

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

So I am going to win her back. I will 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 back her vineyards, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope. She will answer me there as she did in the days of her youth, as in the days that she came out of the land of Egypt.

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

“It will be in that day—this is Yahweh's declaration— that you will call me, 'My husband,' and you will no longer call me, 'My Baal.'

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

For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth; their names will not be remembered anymore.”

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 a covenant for them with the beasts in the fields, with the birds in the sky, and with the crawling things on the ground. I will drive away the bow, the sword, and the battle from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety.

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

I will promise to be your husband forever. I will promise to be your husband in righteousness, justice, covenant faithfulness, and mercy.

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

I will pledge myself to you in faithfulness, and you will know Yahweh.

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

On that day, I will answer—this is Yahweh's declaration— 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, the new wine and the 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.

I will plant her for myself in the land, and I will have mercy on Lo-Ruhamah. I will say to Lo-Ammi, 'You are Ammi Attah,' and they will say to me, 'You are my God.'”