Hosea 2
1 Waambie ndugu zenu wanaume, 'Watu wangu!' na kwa dada zako, 'umeonyeshwa huruma.'”
[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 Leteni mashtaka dhidi ya mama yenu, leteni mashtaka, kwa kuwa yeye si mke wangu, wala mimi si mumewe. Na auondoe uzinzi wake mbele yake, na matendo yake ya 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 Ikiwa sio, nitamvua nguo na kumuonyesha uchi wake kama siku aliyozaliwa. Nami nitamfanya kama jangwa, kama nchi iliyoharibika, nami nitamfanya afe kutokana na 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 Sitakuwa na rehema kwa watoto wake, kwa maana wao ni watoto wa ukahaba.
I will not pity the people, because they have [abandoned me] as [MET] prostitutes abandon their husbands.
5 Maana mama yao amekuwa kahaba, na yeye aliye mimba amefanya mambo ya aibu. Alisema, “Nitawafuata wapenzi wangu, kwa maana wananipa mkate wangu na maji, sufu yangu na kitani, mafuta yangu na kinyweji.”
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 nitajenga ua wa kuzuia njia yake kwa miiba. Nitajenga ukuta dhidi yake ili asiweze kupata njia. Yeye atawafuatilia wapenzi wake, lakini yeye hatawafikia.
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 Yeye atawatafuta, lakini hatawapata. Kisha atasema, “Nitarejea kwa mume wangu wa kwanza, kwa maana ilikuwa ni bora kwangu zamani 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 Kwa maana hakujua kwamba mimi ndimi niliyempa nafaka, divai mpya na mafuta, na ambaye nilimwongezea fedha na dhahabu, ambazo walizitumia kwa 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 yake wakati wa mavuno, na divai yangu mpya katika msimu wake. Nitachukua sufu yangu na kitambaa kilichotumiwa 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 Ndipo nitamvua nguo machoni pa wapenzi wake, wala hakuna mtu atakayemwokoa mkononi 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 Nitasitisha furaha yake yote- sikukuu zake, mwandamo wa mwezi, sabato zake na sikukuu zake zote zilizowekwa.
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 Nitaharibu mizabibu yake na mtini wake, ambayo alisema, 'Hii ni mishahara ambayo wapenzi wangu walinipa.' Nitawafanya kuwa msitu, na wanyama wa shambani watakula.
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 Nami nitamuadhibu kwa ajili ya Sikukuu ya Baali, alipowafukizia uvumba, akijipamba kwa pete zake na mavazi yake, naye akafuata wapenzi wake, akanisahau.” Hili ndilo tamko la 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 nitaenda kumshawishi. Nitamleta jangwani na kumwambia kwa huruma.
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 Nami nitamrudishia mizabibu yake, na bonde la Akori kama mlango wa tumaini. Yeye atanijibu huko kama alivyofanya katika siku za ujana wake, kama katika siku ambazo alitoka katika nchi ya 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 “Itakuwa katika siku hiyo”-hili ndilo tamko la Bwana-”kwamba utaniita, 'Mume wangu,' na hutaniita tena mimi, 'Baal 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 Kwa maana nitaondoa majina ya Baali kinywani mwake; majina yao hayatakumbukwa tena.”
I will not allow them to speak [MTY] the names of Baal; they will never use those names again.
18 “Siku hiyo nitafanya agano pamoja na wanyama katika mashamba kwa ajili yao, na ndege wa angani, na vitu vya kutambaa chini. Nitaondoa upinde, upanga, na vita katika nchi, nami nitakufanya ulale kwa usalama.
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 Nitakuwa mume wako milele. Nitakuwa mume wako katika haki, hukumu, uaminifu wa agano, 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 Nitakuwa mume wako kwa uaminifu. Nawe utanijua mimi, 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 Na siku ile, nitajibu”-hili ndilo tamko la Bwana. “Nitazijibu mbingu, nao watajibu dunia.
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 Dunia itashughulikia nafaka, divai mpya na mafuta, na watajibu Yezreeli.
and grain will grow, and the vineyards and the olive trees will grow in Jezreel [Valley].
23 Nitatampanda mwenyewe katika nchi kwa ajili yangu, na nitamhurumia Lo Ruhama. Nami nitamwambia Lo Ami, 'Wewe ni Ami Ata,' nao wataniambia, 'Wewe ni 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.’”
