Hosea 8
1 “Monhyɛn torobɛnto! Ɔkɔre bi wɔ Awurade fifo so efisɛ nnipa no abu mʼapam so na wɔasɔre atia me mmara.
Put a trumpet to your lips! An eagle swoops over the house of the Lord because they have broken my agreement and rebelled against my law.
2 Afei Israel su frɛ me se, ‘Yɛn Nyankopɔn, yegye wo to mu!’
Israel calls out to me, “Our God, we know you!”
3 Nanso Israel apo nea eye; ɔtamfo bɛtaa no.
But Israel has rejected what is good. An enemy will chase after them.
4 Wosisi ahemfo a minnim ho hwee, wɔpaw ahenemma wɔ bere a mempenee so ɛ. Wɔde wɔn dwetɛ ne wɔn sikakɔkɔɔ yɛ ahoni ma wɔn ho de sɛe wɔn ankasa ho.
They appointed kings without my consent and chose princes without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.
5 Tow wo nantwi ba ohoni no kyene, Samaria! Mʼabufuwhyew reba wɔn so. Wɔbɛtena nea ɛho ntew mu akosi da bɛn?
Samaria, I reject this calf idol you have made! My anger burns against them! How long will you be incapable of being good?
6 Wofi Israel! Saa nantwi ba yi, odwumfo bi na osenii; ɛnyɛ Onyankopɔn! Wobebubu mu asinasin, saa Samaria nantwi ba no.
This idol is from Israel! A craftsman made it—it's not God! The calf of Samaria will be broken in pieces!
7 “Wodua mframa na wotwa mfɛtɛ. Awi a egyina hɔ no nni ti; nti wɔrennya siam mfi mu. Sɛ ɛsow aduan mpo a, ahɔho na wobedi.
Those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head of grain; it will produce no flour. Even if it did produce grain, foreigners would swallow it all up.
8 Wɔamene Israel; afei ɔfra aman no mu te sɛ ade a so nni mfaso biara.
Israel is swallowed up; among the nations they are like something nobody wants.
9 Na wɔakɔ Asiria te sɛ wuram afurum a ɔno nko ara nenam. Efraim nso atɔn ne ho ama adɔfo.
They have gone up to Assyria like a donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers.
10 Ɛwɔ mu, wɔatɔn wɔn ho wɔ amanaman no mu de, nanso mɛboaboa wɔn ano. Wɔn so befi ase atew wɔ ɔhene kɛse bi nhyɛso ase.
Even though they have hired allies among the nations, I will gather them together. Then they will writhe under the burden of the great king.
11 “Ɛwɔ mu sɛ Efraim sisii afɔremuka bebree a wɔbɔ bɔnefakyɛ afɔre wɔ so de, ɛno nti abɛyɛ afɔremuka a wɔyɛ bɔne wɔ so.
Though Ephraim built many altars to make sin offerings, they instead became altars of sin!
12 Mekyerɛw me mmara a ɛfa nneɛma bebree ho maa wɔn, nanso wɔfaa no sɛ ananafo ade.
I wrote down for them the many aspects of my law, but they looked on them as foreign.
13 Wɔde mʼayɛyɛde bɔ afɔre na wɔwe nam no, nanso wɔnsɔ Awurade ani. Afei ɔbɛkae wɔn atirimɔdensɛm na wɔatwe wɔn aso wɔ wɔn bɔne ho: Wɔbɛsan akɔ Misraim.
They present me with their sacrifices, and they eat the meat, but I the Lord do not accept them. Now he will remember their wickedness, and punish them for their sins. They will return to Egypt.
14 Israel werɛ afi ne yɛfo na wasisi ahemfi akɛseakɛse; Yuda abɔ nkurow bebree ho ban. Nanso mɛto ne nkuropɔn mu gya a ɛbɛhyew wɔn aban.”
Israel has forgotten his maker, and built palaces; Judah has built many fortified cities. But I will rain fire down on their cities and burn up their fortresses.
