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.
[I am] Hosea, the son of Beeri. Yahweh gave me these messages [at various times] during the years that Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were the kings of Judah, and Jeroboam the son of Jehoash was the 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.”
When Yahweh first [began to] give messages to me [to tell to the people of Israel], he said to me, “Go and marry a prostitute. But [some of] her children will be born as a result of her having sex with men to whom she is not married. That will illustrate how the people of Israel have turned away from me and worship (idols/other gods).”
3 Kwa hiyo alimwoa Gomeri binti Diblaimu, naye akachukua mimba na kumzalia Hosea mwana.
So I married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. She became pregnant and gave birth to my 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.
Yahweh said to me, “Give him the name Jezreel, [which means ‘God scatters’], because I will soon punish the descendants [MTY] of [King] Jehu [by scattering them], because he killed many of my people at Jezreel [town]. [Some day] I will end the kingdom of Israel,
5 Katika siku ile nitavunja upinde wa Israeli katika Bonde la Yezreeli.”
by destroying the power [MTY] of [the army of] Israel in Jezreel Valley.”
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.
[Later] Gomer became pregnant [again], and she gave birth to a daughter. Yahweh said to me “Give her the name Lo-ruhamah, [which means ‘not loved],’ because I will no longer [show that I] love the people [MET] of Israel, and I will not forgive them [for the sins that they have committed].
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.”
But I will [show that I] love the people [MTY] of Judah [by saving them from their enemies]. However, it will not be by weapons and armies or horses and chariots that I will save them. Instead, it will be by [the power that I], Yahweh their God, [have].”
8 Baada ya Gomeri kumwachisha Lo-Ruhama kunyonya, Gomeri alipata mwana mwingine.
After Gomer had (weaned/stopped breast-feeding) Lo-ruhamah, she became pregnant again, and she gave birth to another son.
9 Kisha Bwana akasema, “Mwite Lo-Ami kwa maana ninyi si watu wangu, nami si Mungu wenu.
Yahweh said “Give him the name Lo-ammi, [which means 'not my people', ] because the people of Israel are no [longer my people], and I am not their God.
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.’
But [some day] the people of Israel will be [as numerous] as [SIM] the [grains of] sand on the seashore; no one will be able to count them. Now [I] am saying to them, ‘You are not my people,’ but then people will say to them, ‘[You are the] children of God who is all-powerful.’
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.
[At that time], the people of Judah and the people of Israel will unite. They will appoint one leader for all of them, and they will return from the countries [to which they have been (exiled/forced to go)]. That will be a great time; Jezreel [also means ‘God plants’, and it will be as though God will plant them in this country again].”
