Hosea 10
1 Israel yɛɛ bobe a ɛtrɛtrɛw; ɔsow aba maa ne ho. Bere a nʼaba redɔɔso no, osisii afɔremuka bebree; nʼasase rekɔ so yɛ yiye no osiesie nʼabosom dum kronkron no.
Israel is like a spreading vine that produces fruit for itself. The more fruit they produced, the more altars they built. The more productive the land, the more beautiful they made the sacred pillars.
2 Nnaadaasɛm wɔ wɔn koma mu, nti ɛsɛ sɛ wonya wɔn afɔdi so asotwe. Awurade bebubu wɔn afɔremuka, na wasɛe wɔn abosom dum kronkron no.
The people have minds that are deceptive, and now they must take responsibility for their guilt. The Lord will break apart their altars and destroy their sacred pillars.
3 Afei, wɔbɛka se, “Yenni ɔhene, efisɛ, yɛamfa nidi amma Awurade. Mpo sɛ na yɛwɔ ɔhene koraa a, dɛn na anka obetumi ayɛ ama yɛn?”
Then they will say, “We have no king, for we do not fear the Lord, and yet what would a king do for us?”
4 Wɔhyɛ bɔ ahorow bebree, wɔka ntamhunu na wɔyɛ apam ahorow; ɛno nti mansotwe sɔresɔre te sɛ wura a bɔre wɔ mu a afifi asase a wɔafuntum so so.
They speak empty words, swearing false promises to make a covenant. Their “justice” flourishes like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.
5 Nnipa a wɔte Samaria no suro ma Bet-Awen nantwi ba ohoni no. Ne nkurɔfo besu. Saa ara na nʼakɔmfo nso bɛyɛ, wɔn a wogyee wɔn ani wɔ nʼanuonyam ho no. Efisɛ wɔafa no afi wɔn nkyɛn kɔ nnommum mu.
Those who live in Samaria tremble in awe at the calf of Beth-aven. Its people mourn for it in their pagan rituals, while its idolatrous priests celebrate its glory. But it will certainly be taken away from them. It will be brought to Assyria as tribute for the great king.
6 Wɔde no bɛkɔ Asiria, de akɔhyɛ ɔhene kɛse no anuonyam. Ebegu Efraim anim ase; na Israel ani bewu wɔ ne nnua ahoni ho.
Ephraim will be disgraced, and Israel will be ashamed at its own decisions.
7 Samaria na ne hene bɛsen akɔ te sɛ abaa a ɛtɛn nsu ani.
Samaria and its king will be destroyed, swept away like a twig on the surface of the water.
8 Wɔbɛsɛe abosonnan a wodi awurukasɛm ne bɔne wɔ mu no. Nsɔe ne nnɛnkyɛnse befifi hɔ, na akata wɔn afɔremuka so. Afei wɔbɛka akyerɛ mmepɔw se, “Mommɛkata yɛn so!” na wase nkoko se, “Munnwiriw ngu yɛn so!”
The high places of Aven, where Israel sinned, will be demolished, and thorns and thistles will grow over their altars. Then they will call to the mountains, “Bury us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”
9 “Efi Gibea bere so, woayɛ bɔne, Israel, na hɔ na woaka. Na ɔko rentwiw amfa amumɔyɛfo a wɔwɔ Gibea no so ana?
Since the days of Gibeah you have been sinning, Israel, and you haven't changed. Do the people of Gibeah think that war will not come to them?
10 Bere a mepɛ no, mɛtwe wɔn aso; aman bɛboaboa wɔn ho ano atia wɔn. Wɔde mpokyerɛ begu wɔn wɔ wɔn bɔne dodow ho.
When I choose I will punish the wicked. The nations will be gathered together against them when they are punished for their double crime.
11 Efraim yɛ nantwi ba a wɔayɛn no, a ɔpɛ awiporowbea adwuma, enti mede konnua bɛto ne kɔn fɛɛfɛ mu. Mɛkyerɛ Efraim ɔkwan, ɛsɛ sɛ Yuda funtum asase no, na Yakob nso siesie so.
Ephraim is like a trained heifer that loved to thresh the grain, but now I will place a yoke on her strong neck. I will harness Ephraim; Judah will have to pull the plough; and Jacob must break up the ground for himself.
12 Dua trenee aba ma wo ho, twa ɔdɔ aba a ɛtena hɔ daa, siesie wʼasase a womfuntumii so no; na bere adu sɛ wohwehwɛ Awurade, kosi sɛ ɔbɛba abɛpete trenee agu wo so.
Sow for yourselves what is right and you will reap unfailing love. Break up the unploughed ground. It's time to go to the Lord until he comes and rains down goodness on you.
13 Nanso woadua atirimɔden aba, na woatwa aba bɔne. Woadi nnaadaa aba. Efisɛ wode wo ho ato wʼahoɔden ne wʼakofo bebrebe no so,
But instead you have planted wickedness and reaped an evil harvest. You have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own strength and in your many warriors.
14 ɔko mu huuyɛ bɛsɔre atia wo nkurɔfo, na wʼaban nyinaa bɛsɛe, sɛnea Salman sɛee Bet Arbel ɔko da no, da a wɔde ɛnanom ne wɔn mma hwehwee fam no.
The terrifying noise of battle will rise against your people, and all your fortresses will be destroyed, just as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel in the time of war. Even mothers and children were dashed to pieces.
15 Saa ara na ɛbɛba wo so, Bet-El, efisɛ wʼatirimɔdensɛm no dɔɔso. Sɛ da no du a, Wɔbɛsɛe Israelhene no koraa.
This is what will happen to you, Bethel, because of your great wickedness. At dawn, the king of Israel will be utterly destroyed.
