Hooseʼaa 12
1 Efreem bubbee nyaata; inni guyyaa guutuu bubbee baʼa biiftuu duukaa fiiga; sobaa fi gooliis ni baayʼisa. Inni Asoor wajjin walii galtee godhatee biyya Gibxiitti zayitii ejersaa erga.
[The leaders of] Israel are constantly wavering [about seeking help from other countries]. [Seeking their help is as useless as] [MET] chasing the wind. They pile up their lies and violent acts. [First, ] they make a treaty with Assyria, and [then they] send olive oil to [the rulers of] Egypt [to seek their help].
2 Waaqayyo waan Yihuudaa himatu qaba; inni akkuma amala isaatti Yaaqoobin adaba; akkuma hojii isaattis gatii isaa kennaaf.
Yahweh [says that he] will bring accusations against [the leaders of] Judah, and that he will punish [the descendants of] Jacob for what they have done.
3 Inni gadameessa keessatti koomee obboleessa isaa qabe; erga guddatee immoo Waaqa wajjin walʼaansoo qabe.
[When Jacob was] in his mother’s womb, he grabbed his brother [Esau’s] heel [because he wanted to be born first]. When Jacob grew up, he wrestled with God.
4 Inni ergamaa Waaqaa wajjin walʼaansoo qabee moʼate; booʼees surraa kadhate. Inni Beetʼeelitti isa argatee achitti isa wajjin haasaʼe.
He struggled with [the one who had appeared to him in the form of] an angel, and Jacob defeated him, but [then] he cried and asked the angel to bless him. [Later], God came to Jacob at Bethel and talked with him there.
5 Waaqayyo Waaqa Waan Hunda Dandaʼu, maqaan isaa Waaqayyo!
[That was] the Commander of the armies of angels whose name is Yahweh [who talked with him]!
6 Ati garuu Waaqa keetti deebiʼi; jaalalaa fi murtii qajeelaa jabeessii yeroo hunda Waaqa kee eeggadhu.
But you [people of Israel] must return to your God! You must faithfully love [him], and you must do what is fair/just and always depend on him.
7 Daldalaan madaalii sobaa ofi harkaa qabu nama gowwoomsuu jaallata.
The merchants [among you] use scales that do not weigh correctly; they love/like to cheat people.
8 Efreem akkana jedhee boona; “Ani akka malee sooressa; qabeenya guddaa argadheera. Isaan qabeenya koo kana hunda keessatti iyyuu balleessaa yookaan cubbuu tokko illee narratti argachuu hin dandaʼan.”
[The people of] Israel boast, saying “We are [very] rich [DOU]; and we got all that money by our own efforts, and without committing any sin.”
9 “Ani Waaqayyo Waaqa kee kan biyya Gibxii si baasee dha; ani akka ati akkuma guyyaa ayyaanota kee kanneen murteeffaman sanaatti deebitee dunkaana keessa jiraattu sin godha.
“I am Yahweh your God, [the one who brought your ancestors] out of Egypt. [And some day] I will force you to live in tents again [like your ancestors did] when [they celebrated] the Festival [of Living in Temporary Shelters].
10 Ani raajotatti dubbadhee mulʼata hedduu kenneefii karaa isaaniitiin fakkeenyaan nan dubbadhe.”
[Many times] I spoke to the prophets, and I gave them many visions, and I gave them parables to tell [to the people].”
11 Giliʼaad hamaadhaa? Sabni ishee faayidaa hin qabu! Isaan Gilgaal keessatti korma qaluu? Iddoon aarsaa isaanii akkuma tuullaa dhagaa isa lafa qotiisaa kan qotame irra jiruu ni taʼa.
[The people of] Gilead [city] are [RHQ] extremely wicked; they are worthless. The people sacrifice bulls in Gilgal [city], but their altars will [soon] become like [SIM] piles of stone [at the edge of] a plowed field.
12 Yaaqoob gara Sooriyaatti baqate; Israaʼel niitii argachuuf nama tajaajile; gabbara ishee baasuufis hoolota tikse.
[Your ancestor] Jacob fled [from his brother Esau] and went to northwest Mesopotamia. He worked [for his uncle Laban for many years] to get a wife; he took care of [his uncle’s] sheep [to pay] for her.
13 Waaqayyo biyya Gibxiitii Israaʼelin baasuuf raajiitti fayyadame; inni karuma raajii sanaatiin isa kunuunse.
[Many years later, ] Yahweh enabled a prophet to bring the [ancestors of you] people of Israel here from Egypt; that prophet, [Moses], took care of them.
14 Efreem garuu aarii isaa guddicha kakaase; Gooftaan isaa yakka dhiiga namaa dhangalaasuu sana isumatti deebisa; arrabsoo isaas matuma isaatti deebisa.
[But now the people of] Israel have caused [Yahweh] to become very angry; Yahweh says that they deserve to die because they caused [many others] to die [MTY]; he will pay them back for the sins that they have committed against him and for insulting him.
