Hosea 12
1 Efraimu anajilisha upepo; hufukuzia upepo wa mashariki kutwa nzima na kuzidisha uongo na jeuri. Anafanya mkataba na Ashuru na kutuma mafuta ya zeituni Misri.
[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 Bwana analo shtaka dhidi ya Yuda, atamwadhibu Yakobo kwa kadiri ya njia zake na kumlipa kwa kadiri ya matendo yake.
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 Yakobo akiwa tumboni alishika kisigino cha kaka yake; kama mwanadamu, alishindana na Mungu.
[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 Alishindana na malaika na kumshinda; alilia na kuomba upendeleo wake. Alimkuta huko Betheli na kuzungumza naye huko:
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 Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Bwana ndilo jina lake!
[That was] the Commander of the armies of angels whose name is Yahweh [who talked with him]!
6 Lakini ni lazima urudi kwa Mungu wako; dumisha upendo na haki, nawe umngojee Mungu wako siku zote.
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 Mfanyabiashara hutumia vipimo vya udanganyifu; hupenda kupunja.
The merchants [among you] use scales that do not weigh correctly; they love/like to cheat people.
8 Efraimu hujisifu akisema, “Mimi ni tajiri sana; nimetajirika. Pamoja na utajiri wangu wote hawatakuta ndani yangu uovu wowote au dhambi.”
[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 “Mimi ndimi Bwana Mungu wenu niliyewaleta kutoka Misri; nitawafanya mkae tena kwenye mahema, kama vile katika siku za sikukuu zenu zilizoamriwa.
“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 Niliongea na manabii, nikawapa maono mengi na kusema mifano kupitia wao.”
[Many times] I spoke to the prophets, and I gave them many visions, and I gave them parables to tell [to the people].”
11 Je, Gileadi si mwovu? Watu wake hawafai kitu! Je, hawatoi dhabihu za mafahali huko Gilgali? Madhabahu zao zitakuwa kama malundo ya mawe katika shamba lililolimwa.
[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 Yakobo alikimbilia katika nchi ya Aramu; Israeli alitumika ili apate mke, ili aweze kulipa kwa ajili yake alichunga kondoo.
[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 Bwana alimtumia nabii kumpandisha Israeli kutoka Misri, kwa njia ya nabii alimtunza.
[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 Lakini Efraimu amemchochea sana hasira; Bwana wake ataleta juu yake hatia yake ya kumwaga damu naye atamlipiza kwa ajili ya dharau yake.
[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.
