UHoseya 3

1 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Hamba futhi, uthande owesifazana, othandwe ngumngane wakhe kanti uyafeba, njengeNkosi ithanda abantwana bakoIsrayeli, kodwa bakhangela kwabanye onkulunkulu, bethanda izinkwa zezithelo zevini ezonyisiweyo.

And the Lord said to me: Go yet again, and love a woman beloved of her friend, and an adulteress: as the Lord loveth the children of Israel, and they look to strange gods, and love the husks of the grapes.

2 Ngasengizithengela yena ngezinhlamvu zesiliva ezilitshumi lanhlanu, lehomeri yebhali lengxenye yehomeri yebhali.

And I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a core of barley, and for half a core of barley.

3 Ngasengisithi kuye: Uzahlala ungowami insuku ezinengi; ungawuli, ungabi ngowenye indoda, ngokunjalo lami ngizakuba ngowakho.

And I said to her: Thou shalt wait for me many days: thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt be no man’s, and I also will wait for thee.

4 Ngoba abantwana bakoIsrayeli bazahlala insuku ezinengi bengelankosi, bengelasiphathamandla, bengelamhlatshelo, bengelansika eyisithombe, bengela-efodi lamatherafi.

For the children of Israel shall sit many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without altar, and without ephod, and without theraphim.

5 Emva kwalokho abantwana bakoIsrayeli bazaphenduka, badinge iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo, loDavida inkosi yabo; bayesabe iNkosi lokulunga kwayo ekucineni kwezinsuku.

And after this the children of Israel shall return, and shall seek the Lord their God, and David their king: and they shall fear the Lord, and his goodness in the last days.