< 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 unto me: 'Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend and an adulteress, even as the LORD loveth the children of Israel, though they turn unto other gods, and love cakes of raisins.
2 Ngasengizithengela yena ngezinhlamvu zesiliva ezilitshumi lanhlanu, lehomeri yebhali lengxenye yehomeri yebhali.
So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley;
3 Ngasengisithi kuye: Uzahlala ungowami insuku ezinengi; ungawuli, ungabi ngowenye indoda, ngokunjalo lami ngizakuba ngowakho.
and I said unto her: 'Thou shalt sit solitary for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be any man's wife; nor will I be thine.'
4 Ngoba abantwana bakoIsrayeli bazahlala insuku ezinengi bengelankosi, bengelasiphathamandla, bengelamhlatshelo, bengelansika eyisithombe, bengela-efodi lamatherafi.
For the children of Israel shall sit solitary many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim;
5 Emva kwalokho abantwana bakoIsrayeli bazaphenduka, badinge iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo, loDavida inkosi yabo; bayesabe iNkosi lokulunga kwayo ekucineni kwezinsuku.
afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall come trembling unto the LORD and to His goodness in the end of days.

< UHoseya 3 >