< 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.
Heare the worde of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controuersie with the inhabitants of the lande, because there is no trueth nor mercie nor knowledge of God in the lande.
2 Nnome nko ara, atorɔtwa ne awudie, korɔnobɔ, ne awaresɛeɛ na moyɛ ma ɛtra so, na mogyahwiegu ba ntoasoɔ ntoasoɔ.
By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and whoring they breake out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 Yei enti asase no di awerɛhoɔ na wɔn a ɛte so nyinaa wuwu; ewiram mmoa, ewiem nnomaa ne ɛpo mu nam rewuwu.
Therefore shall the land mourne, and euery one that dwelleth therein, shall be cut off, with the beasts of the fielde, and with the foules of the heauen, and also the fishes of the sea shall be taken away.
4 “Mma obiara mmɔ kwaadu, mma obiara mmɔ ɔfoforɔ soboɔ. Na mmom, mo asɔfoɔ mo na me ne mo anya.
Yet let none rebuke, nor reproue another: for thy people are as they that rebuke the Priest.
5 Mosunti awia ne anadwo, na adiyifoɔ no ne mo sunti. Ɛno enti mɛsɛe mo ɔman.
Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the Prophet shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy 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 destroyed for lacke of knowledge: because thou hast refused knowledge, I will also refuse thee, that thou shalt be no Priest to me: and seeing thou hast forgotten the Lawe of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
7 Asɔfoɔ no redɔɔso no na bɔne a ɛboro soɔ na wɔyɛ tia me. Wɔde wɔn Animuonyam asesa deɛ ɛyɛ animguaseɛ.
As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I chaunge their glorie into shame.
8 Wɔdidi me nkurɔfoɔ bɔne ho ɛno enti wɔn ani gye atirimuɔdensɛm ho.
They eate vp the sinnes of my people, and lift vp their mindes in their iniquitie.
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.
And there shalbe like people, like Priest: for I wil visite their wayes vpon them, and reward them their deedes.
10 “Wɔbɛdidi, nanso wɔremmee. Wɔbɛbɔ adwaman, nanso wɔrennɔre, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔagya Awurade hɔ, de wɔn ho ama
For they shall eate, and not haue ynough: they shall commit adulterie, and shall not increase, because they haue left off to take heede to ye Lord.
11 adwamammɔ, nsã dada ne foforɔ, a ɛma me nkurɔfoɔ
Whoredome, and wine, and newe wine take away their heart.
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 aske counsell at their stockes, and their staffe teacheth them: for the spirite of fornications hath caused them to erre, and they haue gone a whoring from vnder 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 sacrifice vpon the toppes of ye mountaines, and burne incense vpon the hilles vnder the okes, and the poplar tree, and the elme, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall be harlots, and your spouses shall be whores.
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 visite your daughters when they are harlots: nor your spouses when they are whores: for they themselues are separated with harlots, and sacrifice with whores: therefore the people that doeth not vnderstand, shall fall.
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 thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Iudah sinne: come not ye vnto Gilgal, neither goe ye vp to Beth-auen, nor sweare, The Lord liueth.
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 rebellious as an vnruly heyfer. Nowe the Lord will feede them as a lambe in a large place.
17 Efraim de ne ho abɔ ahoni; Gyaa no!
Ephraim is ioyned to idoles: let him alone.
18 Sɛ wɔn nsã sa koraa a, wɔtoa wɔn adwamammɔ so; wɔn sodifoɔ ani gye aniwudeɛ ho yie.
Their drunkennes stinketh: they haue committed whoredome: their rulers loue to say with shame, Bring ye.
19 Ntwaho mframa bɛpra wɔn akɔ, na wɔn afɔrebɔ de animguaseɛ bɛbrɛ wɔn.
The winde hath bounde them vp in her wings, and they shalbe ashamed of their sacrifices.

< Hosea 4 >