Hosea 2
1 “Waambie ndugu zako, ‘Watu wangu,’ na pia waambie dada zako, ‘Wapendwa wangu.’
[At that time, ] you will say to your fellow-Israeli men, “[You are] God’s people,” and [you will say] to your fellow-Israeli women, “You are ones whom God loves.”
2 “Mkemeeni mama yenu, mkemeeni, kwa maana yeye si mke wangu, nami si mume wake. Aondoe sura ya uzinzi katika uso wake na uzinzi kati ya matiti yake.
[Yahweh also said to me], “I want you to accuse the Israeli people. [It is as though] [MET] this nation is your mother, but this nation is [no longer as though it is] [MET] my wife, and it is [no longer as though] [MET] I am its husband. Tell the Israeli people that they must stop [acting like] a prostitute [by worshiping other gods]; they must stop showing by their behavior that they (are unfaithful to/have abandoned) [me] [MET].
3 Kama sivyo nitamvua nguo zake awe uchi na kumwacha uchi kama siku ile aliyozaliwa. Nitamfanya kama jangwa, nitamgeuza awe nchi ya kiu, nami nitamuua kwa kiu.
If they do not do that, I will not give them [food and] clothes [as a husband should give to his wife]; I will take away those things, and I will cause their nation to become [as deserted] as it was on the day that I [brought their ancestors out of Egypt and caused them to become a nation] [MET]. I will cause their country to be like [SIM] a desert; there will be no rain to water the ground [MET].
4 Sitaonyesha upendo wangu kwa watoto wake, kwa sababu ni watoto wa uzinzi.
I will not pity the people, because they have [abandoned me] as [MET] prostitutes abandon their husbands.
5 Mama yao amekosa uaminifu na amewachukua mimba katika aibu. Gomeri alisema, ‘Nitawaendea wapenzi wangu, ambao hunipa chakula changu na maji yangu, sufu yangu na kitani yangu, mafuta yangu na kinywaji changu.’
Their parents are like prostitutes [MET]: they have been unfaithful [to me], and they have done [very] disgraceful things. They said, ‘We will run to [our idols/gods] who love us; [they are the ones] who give us food and water and wool and linen and [olive] oil, and [wine to] drink.’
6 Kwa hiyo mimi Mungu nitaizuia njia yake kwa vichaka vya miiba, nitamjengea ukuta ili kwamba asiweze kutoka.
So [it will be as though] [MET] I am blocking their road with thornbushes, and putting put a wall around them so that they do not know which way to go.
7 Gomeri atawafuatia wapenzi wake lakini hatawapata; atawatafuta lakini hatawapata. Kisha atasema, ‘Nitarudi kwa mume wangu kama kwanza, kwa maana nilikuwa na hali njema zaidi kuliko sasa.’
They will run to their idols/gods that [they think] love them, but they will not find them. They will search for their false gods, but they will not find them. Then they will say, ‘[Perhaps] we should return to [Yahweh], whom we worshiped previously [MET], because things were better for us then than they are now.’
8 Gomeri hajakubali kuwa mimi ndiye niliyempa nafaka, divai mpya na mafuta, niliyemwongezea fedha na dhahabu waliyoitumia kwa kumtumikia Baali.
But they do not realize that I, [Yahweh], am the one who gave them grain and wine and [olive] oil; I am the one who gave them silver and gold which they used to worship Baal.
9 “Kwa hiyo nitachukua nafaka yangu wakati itakapokomaa na divai yangu mpya wakati itakapokuwa tayari. Nitamnyangʼanya sufu yangu na kitani yangu iliyokusudiwa kufunika uchi wake.
Therefore I will return and take my grain and grapes from them when they are ripe. I will take from them the wool and linen that I gave to them [to make their clothes] [MTY].
10 Basi sasa nitaufunua ufisadi wake mbele ya wapenzi wake; hakuna yeyote atakayemtoa mikononi mwangu.
I will show those false gods/idols that what my people are doing is disgusting [MET], and no one will be able to hinder me from [punishing them].
11 Nitakomesha furaha na macheko yake yote: sikukuu zake za mwaka, sikukuu za Miandamo ya Mwezi, siku zake za Sabato, sikukuu zake zote zilizoamriwa.
I will cause their religious celebrations to cease, the festivals that they celebrate every year and at every new moon and on their (Sabbath days/weekly days of rest). I will cause all their religious celebrations to cease.
12 Nitaiharibu mizabibu yake na mitini yake, ambayo alisema yalikuwa malipo yake kutoka kwa wapenzi wake; nitaifanya kuwa kichaka, nao wanyama pori wataila.
I will destroy [all] their grapevines and fig trees, which they said were what their [idols/gods] who loved them paid them for worshiping those idols. I will cause those places to become a desert, and wild animals will eat the fruit [that remains].
13 Nitamwadhibu kwa ajili ya siku alizowafukizia uvumba Mabaali; alipojipamba kwa pete na kwa vito vya thamani, na kuwaendea wapenzi wake, lakini mimi alinisahau,” asema Bwana.
I will punish my people for [all] the times that they burned incense to [honor] the idols of Baal. They decorated themselves with rings and jewelry, and they went to worship those [false gods/idols] that [they thought] [IRO] loved them, but they abandoned/forgot me! [That is what I], Yahweh, say.
14 “Kwa hiyo sasa nitamshawishi; nitamwongoza hadi jangwani na kuzungumza naye kwa upole.
But listen! [Some day] I will persuade my people [to worship me again]; I will lead them [out] into the desert and speak kindly to them [there].
15 Huko nitamrudishia mashamba yake ya mizabibu, nami nitalifanya Bonde la Akori mlango wa matumaini. Huko ataimba kama alivyofanya katika siku za ujana wake, kama siku zile alizotoka Misri.
I will give their vineyards [back] to them, and I will cause Achor Valley, [which means ‘valley of trouble'], to become a valley where they will confidently expect [me to do good things for them]. They will (respond to/want to please) me there like they did long ago, when I freed them from [being slaves in] Egypt.
16 “Katika siku ile,” asema Bwana, “utaniita mimi ‘Mume wangu’; hutaniita tena mimi ‘Bwana wangu.’
At that time, they will say to me, ‘[It is as though] [MET] you are our husband.’ They will not say that I am their [master, like they considered that] Baal [was].
17 Nitaondoa majina ya Mabaali kutoka midomoni mwake, wala hataomba tena kwa majina yao.
I will not allow them to speak [MTY] the names of Baal; they will never use those names again.
18 Katika siku ile nitafanya Agano kwa ajili yao na wanyama wa kondeni, na ndege wa angani, na viumbe vile vitambaavyo ardhini. Upinde, upanga na vita, nitaondolea mbali katika nchi, ili kwamba wote waweze kukaa salama.
At that time [it will be as though] I will make an agreement with [all] the wild animals and birds, and [even with] the little animals that scurry across the ground, so that they will never harm my people [again]. And I will remove from their nation all the weapons [for fighting] battles, [like] swords and bows [and arrows]. The result will be that my people will live peacefully and safely, and will not be afraid.
19 Nitakuposa uwe wangu milele; nitakuposa kwa uadilifu na haki, kwa upendo na huruma.
I will cause them to be [as though they are] [MET] my bride forever. I will be righteous and fair/just; I will faithfully love them and be kind to them.
20 Nitakuposa kwa uaminifu, nawe utamkubali Bwana.
I will not abandon them, and they will realize [that I] Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do.]
21 “Katika siku ile nitajibu,” asema Bwana, “nitajibu kwa anga, nazo anga zitajibu kwa nchi;
At that time, [when they request me to do things for them], [I will do those things]. When they request clouds and rain to fall on their land, I will speak to the clouds, and rain will fall on the earth,
22 nayo nchi itajibu kwa nafaka, divai mpya na mafuta, navyo vitajibu kwa Yezreeli.
and grain will grow, and the vineyards and the olive trees will grow in Jezreel [Valley].
23 Nitampanda katika nchi kwa ajili yangu mwenyewe; nami nitaonyesha pendo langu kwake yule ambaye nilimwita, ‘Si mpenzi wangu.’ Nitawaambia wale walioitwa, ‘Sio watu wangu,’ ‘Ninyi ni watu wangu’; nao watasema, ‘Wewe ndiwe Mungu wangu.’”
[At that time], I will take care of the Israeli people [like a farmer plants and takes care of his crops] [MET]. I will love those people that I previously said were ones I did not love, and I previously said, ‘You are not my people,’ and [then] they will say to me, ‘You are our God.’”
