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.

Then Yahweh said to me, “Go and show to your wife that you still love her, even though she has been committing adultery with another man who loves her. [That will show that] I still love the people of Israel, even though they worship other gods/idols and eat raisin cakes [in feasts that honor those gods].”

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

[My wife had become a slave, ] but I bought her for (6 ounces/179 grams) of silver and ten bushels of barley.

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

Then I said to her, “You must wait for many days [before we sleep together] [EUP]. During that time, you must not be a prostitute, and you must not have sex with any other man; but I will live with you.”

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

[Our doing that will show that] in the same way, the people of Israel will not have a king and [other] leaders for many years. They will not offer sacrifices or [have sacred stone] pillars, no sacred vest [for the Supreme Priest], and no idols!

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

But later, the people of Israel will return to Yahweh their God and [be guided by him and] by a king who is a descendant of [King] David. In the last/future days they will come to Yahweh, revering him and trembling [in his presence], and he will bless them.