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 Lord’s message, Israelites, for the Lord has brought charges against the inhabitants of the land, for there is no fidelity, nor true love, nor 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.
but cursing, lying, and murder, stealing, committing adultery, and deeds of violence, and acts of bloodshed quickly follow each other.
3 Yei enti asase no di awerɛhoɔ na wɔn a ɛte so nyinaa wuwu; ewiram mmoa, ewiem nnomaa ne ɛpo mu nam rewuwu.
Therefore the land mourns, all its inhabitants languish, the wild animals and the birds of the skies, even the fish of the sea are dying.
4 “Mma obiara mmɔ kwaadu, mma obiara mmɔ ɔfoforɔ soboɔ. Na mmom, mo asɔfoɔ mo na me ne mo anya.
Yet let no one bring charges, let none accuse, for your people are like those, who bring charges against a priest.
5 Mosunti awia ne anadwo, na adiyifoɔ no ne mo sunti. Ɛno enti mɛsɛe mo ɔman.
You stumble by day, and the prophet stumbles with you by 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 being destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge I reject you from being priest to me. Since you have forgotten the teaching of your God, I also 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 priests there are, the more they sin against me. I will change their dignity to dishonor.
8 Wɔdidi me nkurɔfoɔ bɔne ho ɛno enti wɔn ani gye atirimuɔdensɛm ho.
They feed on the sin offerings of my people, so they hunger after their guilt.
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.
Thus it comes to be, like people, like priest: I will visit upon each punishment for their ways, and their deeds I will repay them.
10 “Wɔbɛdidi, nanso wɔremmee. Wɔbɛbɔ adwaman, nanso wɔrennɔre, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔagya Awurade hɔ, de wɔn ho ama
They will eat and not be satisfied, they will sleep around but stay childless, because they have abandoned the Lord to give themselves to
11 adwamammɔ, nsã dada ne foforɔ, a ɛma me nkurɔfoɔ
prostitution. Old and new wine take away the understanding.
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 own people ask counsel of a piece of wood! A stick gives them advice! For a spirit of prostitution has led them astray, they commit adultery against 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.
On the heights of the mountains they sacrifice, and on the hills they burn incense under oaks and poplars and terebinths, for their shade is so pleasant. Therefore your daughters become cult prostitutes, 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 for committing prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law for adultery. Your men visit prostitutes, sacrifice with cult prostitutes. So a people without understanding come to ruin!
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 commit adultery, Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Do not go to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, nor swear an oath, “As 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?
Like a willful heifer, Israel is stubborn. Can the Lord now feed them as he would a lamb in a broad pasture?
17 Efraim de ne ho abɔ ahoni; Gyaa no!
Ephraim is wedded to idols. Leave them alone!
18 Sɛ wɔn nsã sa koraa a, wɔtoa wɔn adwamammɔ so; wɔn sodifoɔ ani gye aniwudeɛ ho yie.
When their drinking is over they sleep with the cult prostitutes, their rulers love shameful ways.
19 Ntwaho mframa bɛpra wɔn akɔ, na wɔn afɔrebɔ de animguaseɛ bɛbrɛ wɔn.
A windstorm will wrap them in its wings and they will be ashamed of their sacrifices.
