Hosea 4
1 Montie Awurade asɛm, mo Israelfoɔ ɛfiri sɛ Awurade wɔ kwaadu de bɔ mo a mote asase no so: “Nokorɛ, ɔdɔ, anaa Onyankopɔn ho nimdeɛ nni asase no so.
Hear the word of the Lord, people of Israel, for the Lord has an accusation against the inhabitants of the land! “There is no faithfulness, no loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land.
2 Nnome nko ara, atorɔtwa ne awudie, korɔnobɔ, ne awaresɛeɛ na moyɛ ma ɛtra so, na mogyahwiegu ba ntoasoɔ ntoasoɔ.
Instead there is only cursing, lying, murdering, stealing, and adultery. They commit violence, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3 Yei enti asase no di awerɛhoɔ na wɔn a ɛte so nyinaa wuwu; ewiram mmoa, ewiem nnomaa ne ɛpo mu nam rewuwu.
As a result the land dries up, and everyone who lives there is wasting away, along with the wild animals and the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea—they are all dying.
4 “Mma obiara mmɔ kwaadu, mma obiara mmɔ ɔfoforɔ soboɔ. Na mmom, mo asɔfoɔ mo na me ne mo anya.
But no one should accuse or blame anyone else. My quarrel is with you the priests—you are the ones responsible.
5 Mosunti awia ne anadwo, na adiyifoɔ no ne mo sunti. Ɛno enti mɛsɛe mo ɔman.
Consequently you will stumble in daylight, and the prophet will stumble together with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother.
6 Nimdeɛ a me nkurɔfoɔ nni enti wɔresɛe. “Sɛ moapo nimdeɛ enti, me nso mapo mo sɛ mʼasɔfoɔ; sɛ moabu moani agu mo Onyankopɔn mmara so enti, me nso mabu mʼani agu mo mma so.
My people are dying because they don't know me. Because you have refused to know me, I refuse to accept you as my priests. You have forgotten my teachings, so I will forget your children.
7 Asɔfoɔ no redɔɔso no na bɔne a ɛboro soɔ na wɔyɛ tia me. Wɔde wɔn Animuonyam asesa deɛ ɛyɛ animguaseɛ.
The more there were of them, the more they sinned against me, so I will change their glory into shame.
8 Wɔdidi me nkurɔfoɔ bɔne ho ɛno enti wɔn ani gye atirimuɔdensɛm ho.
They feed on the sin of my people, greedy for their iniquity.
9 Sɛdeɛ nnipa no teɛ no, saa ara na asɔfoɔ no nso teɛ. Metwe wɔn mmienu aso wɔ wɔn akwan ho na matua wɔn wɔn nneyɛeɛ so ka.
So it will be for the people like the priests: I will punish them for what they have done, repaying them for their actions.
10 “Wɔbɛdidi, nanso wɔremmee. Wɔbɛbɔ adwaman, nanso wɔrennɔre, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔagya Awurade hɔ, de wɔn ho ama
They will eat, but they will not be satisfied; they will engage in prostitution, but they will not prosper because they have given up on the Lord to go and prostitute themselves to other gods.
11 adwamammɔ, nsã dada ne foforɔ, a ɛma me nkurɔfoɔ
They destroy their minds with old wine and new wine.
12 nteaseɛ tu yera. Wɔkɔ abisa wɔ ahoni a wɔde nnua asene nkyɛn na duasin bi ama wɔn mmuaeɛ. Adwamammɔ honhom rema wɔn ayera ɛkwan; wɔnni wɔn Onyankopɔn nokorɛ.
My people consult their wooden idols and their divining rods give them answers, for a spirit of prostitution makes them go astray. Prostituting themselves, they have deserted their God.
13 Wɔbɔ afɔdeɛ wɔ mmepɔ atifi na wɔhye afɔrebɔdeɛ wɔ nkokoɔ so: odum, duafufuo ne odupɔn ase, deɛ onwunu yɛ fɔmm hɔ. Ɛno enti, wo mmammaa dane adwamammɔfoɔ na mo nsenom mmaa nso yɛ awaresɛefoɔ.
They offer sacrifices on the tops of mountains; they burn incense in the hills under the oak, poplar, and terebinth trees where the shade is pleasant. That's the reason why your daughters practice prostitution and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14 “Merentwe mo mmammaa aso sɛ wɔadane adwamanfoɔ, anaa mo nsenom mmaa aso sɛ wɔasɛe awadeɛ. Ɛfiri sɛ, mo mmarima, mo nso mote saa ara. Mo ne baasifoɔ ne abosomfieso adwamanfoɔ di hwebom. Nnipa a wɔnni nteaseɛ bɛkɔ ɔsɛeɛ mu!
I will not punish your daughters when they practice prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because you men visit whores and sacrifice with temple prostitutes. A people who lack understanding end up in disaster.
15 “Ɛwom sɛ woyɛ ɔwaresɛefoɔ deɛ, Ao Israel, nanso, mma Yuda nni ho fɔ. “Nkɔ Gilgal; na ɛmforo nkɔ Bet Awen. Na nnka ntam sɛ, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi!’
Though you, Israel, have become a prostitute, may Judah not offend in the same way and not enter Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, nor swear saying, ‘the Lord lives.’
16 Israelfoɔ yɛ asoɔdenfoɔ te sɛ, nantwie ba a ɔyɛ asowuiɛ ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na Awurade ahwɛ wɔn so sɛ nnwammaa a wɔwɔ adidibea?
For Israel is as stubborn as a stubborn cow. Should the Lord then take care of them like a lamb in a wide pasture?
17 Efraim de ne ho abɔ ahoni; Gyaa no!
Ephraim is bewitched by idols, so leave him alone!
18 Sɛ wɔn nsã sa koraa a, wɔtoa wɔn adwamammɔ so; wɔn sodifoɔ ani gye aniwudeɛ ho yie.
Once the leaders finish drinking, they go off and find prostitutes to sleep with. They love their shameful acts more than honor.
19 Ntwaho mframa bɛpra wɔn akɔ, na wɔn afɔrebɔ de animguaseɛ bɛbrɛ wɔn.
A wind will carry them away; they will be ashamed of their pagan worship.
