Hosea 4
1 Sikilizeni neno la Bwana, enyi watu wa Israeli. Bwana ana mashtaka dhidi ya wenyeji wa nchi, kwa sababu hakuna ukweli au uaminifu wa agano, hakuna ujuzi wa Mungu katika nchi.
'Hear a word of Jehovah, sons of Israel, For a strife [is] to Jehovah with inhabitants of the land, For there is no truth, nor kindness, Nor knowledge of God, in the land,
2 Kuna laana, uongo, mauaji, wizi na uzinzi. Watu wamevunja mipaka yote, na damu inakuja baada ya damu.
Swearing, and lying, and murdering, And stealing, and committing adultery — have increased, And blood against blood hath touched.
3 Kwa hiyo nchi inakauka, na kila mtu aliyeishi ndani yake anaangamia; wanyama katika mashamba na ndege angani, hata samaki katika bahari, wanaondolewa.
Therefore mourn doth the land, And weak is every dweller in it, With the beast of the field, And with the fowl of the heavens, And the fishes of the sea — they are removed.
4 Lakini usiruhusu mtu yeyote kuleta mashtaka; msiruhusu mtu yeyote ahukumu mtu mwingine. Kwa maana ninyi ndio makuhani, ninaowashtaki.
Only, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, And thy people [are] as those striving with a priest.
5 Ninyi makuhani mtajikwaa wakati wa mchana; manabii pia watajikwaa pamoja nanyi usiku, nami nitamwangamiza mama yako.
And thou hast stumbled in the day, And stumbled hath also a prophet with thee in the night, And I have cut off thy mother.
6 Watu wangu wanaharibiwa kwa sababu ya ukosefu wa maarifa. Kwa sababu makuhani wamekataa maarifa, nami nitawakataa msiwe makuhani kwangu. Kwa sababu umesahau sheria yangu, ingawa mimi ni Mungu wako, nami pia nitasahau watoto wako.
Cut off have been My people for lack of knowledge, Because thou knowledge hast rejected, I reject thee from being priest to Me, And thou forgettest the law of thy God, I forget thy sons, I also!
7 Makuhani wengi waliongezeka, zaidi walifanya dhambi dhidi yangu. Walibadilisha heshima zao kwa aibu.
According to their abundance so they sinned against Me, Their honour into shame I change.
8 Wanajilisha dhambi ya watu wangu; wao ni wenye tamaa zaidi ya uovu wao.
The sin of My people they do eat, And unto their iniquity lift up their soul.
9 Itakuwa sawa kwa watu kama kwa makuhani: nitawaadhibu wote kwa matendo yao; Nitawalipa kwa matendo yao.
And it hath been, like people, like priest, And I have charged on it its ways, And its habitual doings I return to it.
10 Watakula lakini hawatashiba; watafanya uzinzi lakini hawataongezeka, kwa sababu wamekwenda mbali na Bwana.
And they have eaten, and are not satisfied, They have gone a-whoring, and increase not, For they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.
11 Wanapenda uasherati, divai, na divai mpya, ambayo imechukua uelewa wao.
Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart,
12 Watu wangu hutaka shauri kwa sanamu zao za mbao, na fimbo zao za kutembelea huwapa unabii. Kwa maana mawazo ya uasherati yamewadanganya, na wamefanya kama makahaba badala ya kuwa mwaminifu kwa Mungu wao.
My people at its staff asketh and its rod declareth to it, For a spirit of whoredoms hath caused to err, And they go a-whoring from under their God.
13 Wanatoa sadaka juu ya milima na kuteketeza uvumba kwenye milima, chini ya mialoni, milibua na miela, kwa sababu kivuli ni nzuri. Basi binti zenu hufanya uasherati, na binti zenu wanazini.
On tops of the mountains they do sacrifice, And on the hills they make perfume, Under oak, and poplar, and terebinth, For good [is] its shade.
14 Mimi siwaadhibu binti zako wakati wanachagua kutenda uasherati, wala binti zako wakati wazini. Kwa maana wanaume pia wanajitoa kwa makahaba, na hutoa dhabihu ili waweze kufanya vitendo vya uasherati na makahaba. Hivyo watu wasiofahamu wataangamizwa.
Therefore commit whoredom do your daughters, And your spouses commit adultery, I do not see after your daughters when they commit whoredom, And after your spouses when they commit adultery, For they with the harlots are separated, And with the whores they do sacrifice, A people that doth not understand kicketh.
15 Ingawa wewe, Israeli, umefanya uzinzi, lakini Yuda asiwe na hatia. Ninyi msiende Gilgali; msiende hadi Beth Aven. Wala msiape, “Aishivyo Bwana.”
Though a harlot thou [art], O Israel, Let not Judah become guilty, And come not ye in to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Aven, Nor swear ye, Jehovah liveth.
16 Kwa maana Israeli amefanya ukaidi, kama ndama mkaidi. Je! Bwana anaweza kuwaleta kwenye malisho kama kondoo mahali penye nafasi?
For as a refractory heifer hath Israel turned aside, Now doth Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place.
17 Efraimu alijiunga na sanamu; mwache peke yake.
Joined to idols [is] Ephraim, let him alone.
18 Hata wakati kileo chao kimeondoka wakaendelea kufanya uzinzi; watawala wake hupenda sana aibu yao.
Sour [is] their drink, They have gone diligently a-whoring, Her protectors have loved shame thoroughly.
19 Upepo utamfunga kwa mabawa yake; nao wataona aibu kwa sababu ya dhabihu zao.
Distressed her hath wind with its wings, And they are ashamed of their sacrifices!
