Hosea 12
1 Efraimu hujilisha upepo na kufuata upepo wa mashariki. Yeye daima huzidisha uongo na unyanyasaji. Wanafanya agano na Ashuru na huchukua mafuta ya 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 pia ana mashtaka dhidi ya Yuda na ataadhibu Yakobo kwa yale aliyoyatenda; atamlipa kwa 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 Katika tumbo Yakobo akamshika ndugu yake kisigino, na katika ubinadamu wake alijitahidi kwa 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 akashinda. Alilia na kuomba kwa neema yake. Alikutana na Mungu huko Betheli; huko Mungu aliongea naye.
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 Huyu ndiye Bwana, Mungu wa majeshi; “Yahweh” ndilo jina lake.
[That was] the Commander of the armies of angels whose name is Yahweh [who talked with him]!
6 Basi tembea kwa Mungu wako. Shika uaminifu na uhuru wa agano, na umsubiri Mungu wako daima.
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 Wafanyabiashara wana mizani ya uongo mikononi mwao; wanapenda kudanganya.
The merchants [among you] use scales that do not weigh correctly; they love/like to cheat people.
8 Efraimu akasema, “Kwa hakika mimi ni tajiri sana; Nimepata utajiri kwa nafsi yangu. Katika kazi yangu yote hawataona uovu wowote ndani yangu, chochote ambacho kitakuwa 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 wako, tangu ulipotoka nchi ya Misri. Nitakufanya uishi tena katika hema, kama siku za karamu iliyowekwa.
“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 Niliwaambia manabii, na nimewapa maono mengi kwa ajili yenu. Kwa mkono wa manabii nilitoa mifano.
[Many times] I spoke to the prophets, and I gave them many visions, and I gave them parables to tell [to the people].”
11 Ikiwa kuna uovu huko Gileadi, hakika watu hawafai. Gilgali wanachinja ng'ombe; madhabahu zao zitakuwa kama miundo ya jiwe katika miamba ya mashamba.
[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 akakimbia mpaka nchi ya Aramu; Israeli alifanya kazi ili kupata mke; naye akachunga kundi la kondoo ili kupata mke.
[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 akawaleta Israeli kutoka Misri kwa kutumia nabii, naye akawatunza kwa nabii.
[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 Efraimu amemkasirisha sana Bwana. Basi Bwana wake ataachia damu yake, naye atamrudishia aibu 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.
