< Hosea 1 >
1 Neno la Bwana lililomjia Hosea mwana wa Beeri wakati wa utawala wa Uzia, Yothamu, Ahazi na Hezekia, wafalme wa Yuda, na wakati wa utawala wa Yeroboamu mwana wa Yehoashi, mfalme wa Israeli.
The word of the Lord that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of Israel.
2 Wakati Bwana alipoanza kuzungumza kupitia Hosea, Bwana alimwambia, “Nenda ukajitwalie mwanamke wa uzinzi na watoto wa uzinzi, kwa sababu nchi ina hatia ya uzinzi wa kupindukia kwa kumwacha Bwana.”
The beginning of the Lord’s conversation with Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea: “Go, take to yourself a wife of fornications, and make for yourself sons of fornications, because, by fornicating, the land will fornicate away from the Lord.”
3 Kwa hiyo alimwoa Gomeri binti Diblaimu, naye akachukua mimba na kumzalia Hosea mwana.
And he went out and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived and bore him a son.
4 Kisha Bwana akamwambia Hosea, “Mwite Yezreeli, kwa kuwa kitambo kidogo nitaiadhibu nyumba ya Yehu kwa ajili ya mauaji ya kule Yezreeli, nami nitaukomesha ufalme wa Israeli.
And the Lord said to him: “Call his name Jezreel because, after a little while, I will visit the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will put the kingdom of the house of Israel to rest.
5 Katika siku ile nitavunja upinde wa Israeli katika Bonde la Yezreeli.”
And in that day, I will crush the stronghold of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.”
6 Gomeri akachukua tena mimba akamzaa binti. Kisha Bwana akamwambia Hosea, “Mwite Lo-Ruhama, kwa maana sitaonyesha tena upendo kwa nyumba ya Israeli, kwamba nisije kabisa nikawasamehe.
And after a while, she conceived and bore a daughter. And he said to him: “Call her name, Without Mercy, for I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, but I will utterly forget them.
7 Hata hivyo nitaonyesha upendo kwa nyumba ya Yuda, nami nitawaokoa si kwa upinde, upanga au vita, wala kwa farasi na wapanda farasi, bali kwa njia ya Bwana Mungu wao.”
Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. And I will not save them by bow and sword and battle and horses and horsemen.”
8 Baada ya Gomeri kumwachisha Lo-Ruhama kunyonya, Gomeri alipata mwana mwingine.
And she weaned her, who was called Without Mercy. And she conceived and bore a son.
9 Kisha Bwana akasema, “Mwite Lo-Ami kwa maana ninyi si watu wangu, nami si Mungu wenu.
And he said: “Call his name, Not My People, for you are not my people, and I will not be yours.
10 “Hata hivyo Waisraeli watakuwa kama mchanga kando ya bahari, ambao hauwezi kupimika wala kuhesabiwa. Mahali pale walipoambiwa, ‘Ninyi si watu wangu,’ wao wataitwa ‘wana wa Mungu aliye hai.’
And the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which is without measure and cannot be numbered. And in the place where it will be said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ this will happen: it will be said to them, ‘You are the sons of the living God.’
11 Watu wa Yuda na watu wa Israeli wataunganishwa tena, nao watamchagua kiongozi mmoja nao watakwea watoke katika nchi, kwa kuwa siku ya Yezreeli itakuwa kuu sana.
And the sons of Judah, and the sons of Israel, will be gathered together. And they will place over themselves one head, and they will rise up from the earth, for great is the day of Jezreel.”