< UHoseya 9 >
1 Ungajabuli, wena Israyeli, kube yinjabulo, njengezizwe, ngoba uwulile usuka kuNkulunkulu wakho; uthanda umvuzo wobuwule emabaleni wonke okubhulela amabele.
2 Ibala lokubhulela lesikhamelo sewayini kakuyikubondla, lewayini elitsha lizabakhohlisa.
3 Kabayikuhlala elizweni leNkosi, kodwa uEfrayimi uzabuyela eGibhithe, badle okungcolileyo eAsiriya.
4 Kabayikuthululela iwayini eNkosini, kabayikuyithokozisa; imihlatshelo yabo izakuba njengesinkwa sokulila kubo; bonke abasidlayo bazangcola; ngoba isinkwa sabo ngesomphefumulo wabo, kasiyikufika endlini yeNkosi.
5 Lizakwenzani ngosuku lomkhosi omisiweyo, langosuku lwedili leNkosi?
6 Ngoba khangela, bahambile ngenxa yokuchitheka, iGibhithe izababutha, iMofi ibangcwabe, izindawo zabo eziloyisekayo zesiliva, ukhula oluhlabayo luzakudla ilifa lazo, ameva abe semathenteni abo.
7 Insuku zokuhanjelwa sezifikile, insuku zempindiselo sezifikile; uIsrayeli uzakwazi; umprofethi uyisithutha, umuntu womoya uyahlanya, ngenxa yobunengi bobubi benu, lenzondo enkulu.
8 Umlindi wakoEfrayimi uloNkulunkulu wami, kodwa umprofethi uyisifu somthiyi wenyoni endleleni zakhe zonke, inzondo endlini kaNkulunkulu wakhe.
9 Bazonakalisile ngokujulileyo njengensukwini zeGibeya. Uzakhumbula ububi babo, ajezise izono zabo.
10 Ngamthola uIsrayeli njengezithelo zevini enkangala, ngababona oyihlo njengezithelo zokuqala emkhiweni ekuqaleni kwazo. Kodwa bona baya eBhali-Peyori, bazehlukanisela lelohlazo, baba ngokunengekayo njengokuthanda kwabo.
11 NgoEfrayimi, udumo lwabo luzaphapha luhambe njengenyoni, kusukela ekuzalweni, njalo kusukela esiswini, njalo kusukela ekumithweni.
12 Loba bekhulisa abantwana babo, kube kanti ngizabenza bafelwe, kungasali muntu. Yebo-ke, maye kubo ekusukeni kwami kubo!
13 UEfrayimi, njengokubona kwami iTire, uhlanyelwe endaweni yokuhlala; kodwa uEfrayimi uzakhuphela abantwana bakhe kumbulali.
14 Banike, Nkosi! Uzanikani? Banike isizalo esiphunzayo, lamabele omileyo.
15 Bonke ububi babo buseGiligali, ngoba ngabazonda khona, ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zabo, ngizabaxotsha endlini yami, kangisayikubathanda; zonke iziphathamandla zabo zingabahlamuki.
16 UEfrayimi utshayiwe; impande yabo yomile, kabayikuthela isithelo; yebo loba bezala, ngizabulala izithelo zesizalo sabo ezithandekayo.
17 UNkulunkulu wami uzabala, ngoba kabamlaleli; bazakuba ngabazulayo phakathi kwezizwe.