Hosea 6

1 “Mommra, momma yɛnsane nkɔ Awurade nkyɛn. Wɔatete yɛn mu asinasini nanso ɔbɛsa yɛn yadeɛ. Wapirapira yɛn nanso ɔbɛkyekyere yɛn apirakuro.

[The Israeli people say, ] “Come, let’s return to Yahweh! He has caused [us] to be injured, but he will heal us. He has caused [us] to be wounded, but [it is as though] he will put bandages on our wounds [MET].

2 Nnanu akyiri, ɔbɛma yɛanya ahoɔden; nansa so, ɔde yɛn bɛsi yɛn siberɛ na yɛanya nkwa wɔ nʼanim.

After a very short time he will revive us; in less than three days he will restore us in order that we may live in his presence.

3 Momma yɛnnye Awurade nto mu; momma yɛn nkɔ so nnye no nto mu. Sɛdeɛ awia pue da biara no, ɔbɛpue; ɔbɛba yɛn nkyɛn te sɛ osuo a ɛtɔ awɔberɛ mu anaa osutɔberɛ mu nsuo a ɛfɔ asase.”

We must try to know Yahweh; [if we do that, ] he will come [and help] us, as surely as the sun rises [every morning], as surely as rain falls every winter/cold season, and as surely as the rain falls again (in the springtime/at the end of the cold season).”

4 “Ɛdeɛn na mɛtumi de wo ayɛ, Efraim? Ɛdeɛn na mɛtumi de wo ayɛ, Yuda? Mo dɔ te sɛ anɔpa bɔ, ɛte sɛ anɔpa bosuo a ɛtu yera.

[But Yahweh knows they are insincere; ] [so he says to them, ] “You [people of] Israel, and you [people of] Judah, [I do not know] [RHQ] what I should do to you. Your being faithful [to me will disappear as quickly] as [SIM] the morning mist [disappears], like [SIM] the dew [on the ground] that disappears quickly [when the sun shines].

5 Mede mʼadiyifoɔ twitwaa mo mu asinasini, mede mʼanum nsɛm kunkumm mo; mʼatemmuo baa mo so sɛ anyinam.

I warned [HYP] you by [the messages that I gave to] the prophets, [but you did not pay attention to my messages]. Therefore I will completely destroy you; the punishment that I give you will strike you like lightning.

6 Mepɛ ahummɔborɔ na ɛnyɛ afɔrebɔ, mepɛ Onyankopɔn ho nimdeɛ sene ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ.

I want [my people] to faithfully love [me] more than [I want them to offer] sacrifices [to me]; [I want them] to know me more than [I want them to] completely burn sacrifices [on the altar].

7 Wɔabu apam no so sɛdeɛ Adam yɛeɛ. Wɔanni me nokorɛ wɔ hɔ.

But they have refused to obey my agreement, [just] like Adam did; they have not been faithful to me.

8 Gilead yɛ atirimuɔdenfoɔ kuropɔn a mogya anammɔn akeka hɔ.

Gilead is a city [full] of people who do wicked things; [in the streets] are the bloody footprints [of those who have murdered others].

9 Sɛdeɛ akwanmukafoɔ ka ɛkwan mu no saa ara na asɔfo kuo no nso yɛ; wɔdi awu wɔ Sekem kwantempɔn so yɛ nnebɔne a ɛyɛ animguaseɛ.

The priests are like [SIM] bandits who wait (in ambushes/along the road) to attack people; they murder [people who are walking] on the road to Shechem, and they commit other disgraceful crimes.

10 Mahunu ahodwiredeɛ wɔ Israel fie. Ɛhɔ, Efraim kɔ adwamammɔ mu Israel gu ne ho fi.

I have seen horrible things [being done] in Israel [MTY]. The people have abandoned me [like prostitutes who have abandoned their husbands] [MET]; [so the people of] Israel have become unacceptable to me.

11 “Na wo Yuda nso, wɔahyɛ otwa berɛ ama wo. “Ɛberɛ biara a mede me nkurɔfoɔ ahonya asane ama wɔn,

And you [people of] Judah, I have appointed a time when I will punish [MET] you, too. Whenever I wanted to enable my people to prosper again,”