UHoseya 7
1 Lapho bengingelapha uIsrayeli, khona isiphambeko sikaEfrayimi sembulwa, lobubi beSamariya; ngoba benza amanga, lesela liyangena, leviyo labaphangi liyaphanga ngaphandle.
When I was about to deliver my people from captivity, When I would have healed Israel, Then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, And the wickedness of Samaria; For they practise fraud, And the thief entereth in, And the band of robbers spoileth without.
2 Njalo kabangatsho enhliziyweni yabo ukuthi ngiyabukhumbula bonke ububi babo. Khathesi izenzo zabo zibahanqile, ziphambi kobuso bami.
And they think not in their hearts, That I remember all their wickedness. Now shall their doings encompass them; They are before my face.
3 Bayayithokozisa inkosi ngobubi babo, leziphathamandla ngamanga abo.
With their wickedness they gladden the king, And with their falsehoods the princes; All of them are adulterers;
4 Bonke bayafeba; banjengeziko elibaselwa ngumphekizinkwa, oyekela ukukhwezela umlilo kusukela ekuxoveni inhlama kuze kube sekubileni kwayo.
They are as an oven heated by the baker; He ceaseth to stir the fire, Until the dough which he hath kneaded be leavened.
5 Kulusuku lwenkosi yethu; iziphathamandla ziyigulise ngokutshisa kwewayini; yelulela isandla sayo kanye labaklolodayo.
On the feast-day of our king, the princes are sick with the heat of wine, And he stretcheth out his hand with revilers.
6 Ngoba zalungisa inhliziyo yazo njengeziko ngokucathamela kwazo; umphekizinkwa wazo ulala ubusuku bonke; ekuseni libhebhe njengomlilo olelangabi.
For they make ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait; All night the baker sleepeth; In the morning it gloweth like a flaming fire.
7 Zonke ziyatshisa njengeziko; zidle abehluleli bazo; amakhosi azo wonke awile; kakulamuntu phakathi kwazo ongibizayo.
They all glow as an oven; They have devoured their judges; All their kings have fallen; And none among them calleth upon me.
8 UEfrayimi yena uzihlanganise lezizwe; uEfrayimi uliqebelengwana elingaphendulwanga.
Ephraim hath mixed himself with the nations; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9 Abezizwe badla amandla akhe, kodwa yena kazi. Yebo, inwele ezimpunga zihlakazekile phezu kwakhe, kodwa yena kazi.
Strangers have devoured his strength, And he knoweth it not; Yea, gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, Yet he knoweth it not.
10 Lokuzigqaja kukaIsrayeli kuyafakaza ebusweni bakhe, kodwa kababuyeli eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo, kabayidingi ngakho konke lokhu.
The pride of Israel testifieth to his face; Yet do not they return to Jehovah their God, Nor seek him, for all this.
11 Njalo uEfrayimi unjengejuba eliyisiphukuphuku elingelangqondo; bakhalela iGibhithe, baye eAsiriya.
Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding; They call upon Egypt; they go to Assyria.
12 Lapho behamba ngizakwendlala imbule lami phezu kwabo, ngibehlise njengenyoni zamazulu, ngibajezise njengokwezwakala ebandleni labo.
When they go, I will spread my net over them; As birds of heaven will I bring them down. I will chastise them, as hath been proclaimed in their congregation.
13 Maye kubo, ngoba babalekile kimi! Incithakalo kubo, ngoba baphambukile bemelene lami. Lanxa mina bengingabahlenga, kube kanti bona baqamba amanga bemelene lami.
Woe to them, for they have wandered from me! Destruction upon them, for they have rebelled against me! Though I myself would redeem them, they speak falsely to me.
14 Kabakhaleli-ke kimi ngenhliziyo yabo, lapho beqhinqa isililo emibhedeni yabo; babuthana ngenxa yamabele lewayini elitsha, bayaphambuka bemelene lami.
They cry not to me from their heart, But howl upon their beds; For corn and wine they assemble themselves; They rebel against me.
15 Lanxa mina ngibalaya ngiqinisa izingalo zabo, kanti baceba okubi bemelene lami.
I have chastened them; I have also strengthened their arms; Yet do they devise evil against me.
16 Bayaphenduka kodwa kunge koPhezukonke; banjengedandili elikhohlisayo; iziphathamandla zabo ziwa ngenkemba ngenxa yentukuthelo yolimi lwabo. Lokhu kuzakuba yinhlekisa yabo elizweni leGibhithe.
They return, but not to the Most High; They are like a deceitful bow; Their princes shall fall by the sword for the haughtiness of their tongues; This shall be their reproach in the land of Egypt.
