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.

Yahweh said to me, “Go again, love a woman, loved by her husband, but who is an adulteress. Love her just as I, Yahweh, love the people of Israel, although they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”

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

So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a lethek of barley.

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

I said to her, “You must live with me many days. You will not be a prostitute or belong to any other man. In the same way, I will be with you.”

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

For the people of Israel will live for many days without a king, prince, sacrifice, stone pillar, ephod or household idols.

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

Afterward the people of Israel will return and seek Yahweh their God and David their king, and in the last days, they will come trembling before Yahweh and his goodness.