< Hosea 10 >

1 Israel yɛɛ bobe a ɛretrɛtrɛ; ɔsoo aba maa ne ho. Ɛberɛ a nʼaba redɔɔso no, ɔsisii afɔrebukyia bebree; nʼasase rekɔ so yɛ yie no ɔsiesie 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 akoma mu, enti ɛsɛ sɛ wɔnya wɔn afɔdie so asotwe. Awurade bɛbubu wɔn afɔrebukyia, 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 sɛ, “Yɛnni ɔhene, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛamfa anidie amma Awurade. Mpo sɛ na yɛwɔ ɔhene kora a, ɛdeɛn na anka ɔbɛtumi 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 ahodoɔ bebree, Wɔka ntam hunu na wɔyɛ apam ahodoɔ; ɛno enti mansotwe sɔresɔre te sɛ wira a borɔ wɔ mu a afifiri asase a wɔafuntum 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 nantwie ba ohoni no. Ne nkurɔfoɔ bɛsu. Saa ara na nʼabosomfoɔ nso bɛyɛ, wɔn a wɔgyee wɔn ani wɔ nʼanimuonyam ho no. Ɛfiri sɛ wɔafa no afiri wɔn nkyɛn kɔ nnommumfa 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 kɛseɛ no animuonyam. Ɛbɛgu Efraim anim ase; na Israel ani bɛwu wɔ ne nnua ahoni ho.
Ephraim will be disgraced, and Israel will be ashamed at its own decisions.
7 Samaria na ne ɔhene bɛsene akɔ te sɛ dua sini a ɛtɛ nsuo ani.
Samaria and its king will be destroyed, swept away like a twig on the surface of the water.
8 Wɔbɛsɛe abosonnan a wɔdi awurukasɛm ne bɔne wɔ mu no. Nkasɛɛ ne nnɛnkyɛnse bɛfifiri hɔ, na akata wɔn afɔrebukyia so. Afei wɔbɛka akyerɛ mmepɔ sɛ, “Mommɛkata yɛn so!” na wase nkokoɔ sɛ, “Monnwiri 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 “Ɛfiri Gibea berɛ so, woayɛ bɔne, Ao, Israel, na ɛhɔ na woaka. Na ɔko rentwi amfa amumuyɛfoɔ ɛwɔ Gibea no so anaa?
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 Ɛberɛ a mepɛ no, mɛtwe wɔn aso; aman bɛboaboa wɔn ho ano atia wɔn. Wɔde mpokyerɛ bɛgu wɔn wɔ wɔn bɔne dodoɔ 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 nantwie ba a wɔayɛn no, a ɔpɛ ayuporeeɛ adwuma, enti mede kɔnnua bɛto ne kɔn fɛfɛ mu. Mɛkyerɛ Efraim ɛkwan, 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 tenenee aba ma wo ho, twa ɔdɔ aba a ɛtena hɔ daa, siesie wʼasase a wɔmfuntum so no; na ɛberɛ aduru sɛ wohwehwɛ Awurade, kɔsi sɛ ɔbɛba abɛpete tenenee 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 atirimuɔden aba, na woatwa aba bɔne. Woadi nnaadaa aba. Ɛfiri sɛ wode wo ho ato wʼahoɔden ne wʼakodɔm 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 hooyɛ bɛsɔre atia wo nkurɔfoɔ, na wʼaban nyinaa bɛsɛe, sɛdeɛ Salman sɛee Bet Arbel ɔko da no, da a wɔde maamenom 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 Ao, Bet-El, ɛfiri sɛ wʼatirimuɔdensɛm no dɔɔso. Sɛ ɛda no duru 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.

< Hosea 10 >