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 Yahweh, you people of Israel. Yahweh has a lawsuit against the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truthfulness or covenantal faithfulness, 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.
There is cursing, lying, killing, stealing and adultery. The people have broken all bounds, and bloodshed comes after bloodshed.
3 Yei enti asase no di awerɛhoɔ na wɔn a ɛte so nyinaa wuwu; ewiram mmoa, ewiem nnomaa ne ɛpo mu nam rewuwu.
So the land is drying up, and everyone living in it is wasting away; the beasts in the fields and the birds in the sky, even the fish in the sea, are being taken away.
4 “Mma obiara mmɔ kwaadu, mma obiara mmɔ ɔfoforɔ soboɔ. Na mmom, mo asɔfoɔ mo na me ne mo anya.
But do not allow anyone to bring a lawsuit; do not let anyone accuse anyone else. For it is you, the priests, whom I am accusing.
5 Mosunti awia ne anadwo, na adiyifoɔ no ne mo sunti. Ɛno enti mɛsɛe mo ɔman.
You priests will stumble during the day; the prophets will also stumble 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 because of the lack of knowledge. Because you priests have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as priests to me. Because you have forgotten my law, although I am 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 the priests multiplied, the more they sinned against me. They exchanged their honor for shame.
8 Wɔdidi me nkurɔfoɔ bɔne ho ɛno enti wɔn ani gye atirimuɔdensɛm ho.
They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for more of their wickedness.
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.
It will be the same for the people as for the priests: I will punish them all for their practices; I will repay them for their deeds.
10 “Wɔbɛdidi, nanso wɔremmee. Wɔbɛbɔ adwaman, nanso wɔrennɔre, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔagya Awurade hɔ, de wɔn ho ama
They will eat but not have enough; they will commit prostitution but not increase, because they have gone far away from Yahweh.
11 adwamammɔ, nsã dada ne foforɔ, a ɛma me nkurɔfoɔ
They love sexual promiscuity, wine, and new wine, which have taken away their 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 people consult their wooden idols, and their walking sticks give them prophecies. For a mind of promiscuity has misled them, and they have acted as prostitutes instead of being faithful to 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 on the tops of the mountains and burn incense on the hills, under oaks, poplars and terebinths, because the shade is good. So your daughters commit sexual immorality, 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 choose to commit sexual immorality, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men also give themselves to the prostitutes, and they offer sacrifices so they can commit immoral acts with sacred prostitutes. So this people who does not understand will be thrown down.
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 committed adultery, may Judah not become guilty. Do not go to Gilgal, you people; do not go up to Beth Aven, and do not swear, saying, “As Yahweh 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 has behaved stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. How can Yahweh bring them to pasture like lambs in a meadow?
17 Efraim de ne ho abɔ ahoni; Gyaa no!
Ephraim united himself with idols; leave him alone.
18 Sɛ wɔn nsã sa koraa a, wɔtoa wɔn adwamammɔ so; wɔn sodifoɔ ani gye aniwudeɛ ho yie.
Even when their strong drink is gone, they continue to commit adultery; her rulers dearly love their shame.
19 Ntwaho mframa bɛpra wɔn akɔ, na wɔn afɔrebɔ de animguaseɛ bɛbrɛ wɔn.
The wind will wrap her up in its wings; and they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
