Hosea 8
1 “Monhyɛn totorobɛnto! Ɔkɔdeɛ bi wɔ Awurade fiefoɔ so ɛfiri sɛ nnipa no abu mʼapam so na wɔasɔre atia me mmara.
Put a trumpet to your lips! An eagle swoops over the house of the Lord because they have broken my agreement and rebelled against my law.
2 Afei, Israel su frɛ me sɛ, ‘Ao, yɛn Onyankopɔn, yɛgye wo to mu!’
Israel calls out to me, “Our God, we know you!”
3 Nanso, Israel apo deɛ ɛyɛ; ɔtamfoɔ bɛtaa no.
But Israel has rejected what is good. An enemy will chase after them.
4 Wɔsisi ahemfo a mennim ho hwee wɔpa ahenemma wɔ ɛberɛ a mempenee so. Wɔde wɔn dwetɛ ne wɔn sikakɔkɔɔ yɛ ahoni ma wɔn ho de sɛeɛ wɔn ankasa ho.
They appointed kings without my consent and chose princes without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.
5 To wo nantwie ba ohoni no twene, Ao, Samaria! Mʼabufuhyeɛ reba wɔn so. Wɔbɛtena deɛ ɛho nteɛ mu, akɔsi da bɛn?
Samaria, I reject this calf idol you have made! My anger burns against them! How long will you be incapable of being good?
6 Wɔfiri Israel! Saa nantwie ba yi, odwumfoɔ bi na ɔseneeɛ; ɛnyɛ Onyankopɔn! Wɔbɛbubu mu asinasini, saa Samaria nantwie ba no.
This idol is from Israel! A craftsman made it—it's not God! The calf of Samaria will be broken in pieces!
7 “Wɔdua mframa na wɔtwa ntwahoframa. Awuo a ɛgyina hɔ no nni tire; enti wɔrennya esam mfiri mu. Sɛ ɛso aduane mpo a, ahɔhoɔ na wɔbɛdi.
Those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head of grain; it will produce no flour. Even if it did produce grain, foreigners would swallow it all up.
8 Wɔamene Israel; afei ɔfra aman no mu te sɛ adeɛ a ɛho nni mfasoɔ biara.
Israel is swallowed up; among the nations they are like something nobody wants.
9 Na wɔakɔ Asiria te sɛ wiram afunumu a ɔno nko ara nenam. Efraim nso atɔn ne ho ama adɔfoɔ.
They have gone up to Assyria like a donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers.
10 Ɛwom, wɔatɔn wɔn ho wɔ amanaman no mu deɛ, nanso mɛboaboa wɔn ano. Wɔn so bɛfiri aseɛ ate wɔ ɔhene kɛseɛ bi nhyɛsoɔ ase.
Even though they have hired allies among the nations, I will gather them together. Then they will writhe under the burden of the great king.
11 “Ɛwom sɛ Efraim sisii afɔrebukyia bebree a wɔbɔ bɔne fakyɛ afɔdeɛ wɔ so deɛ, ɛno enti abɛyɛ afɔrebukyia a wɔyɛ bɔne wɔ so.
Though Ephraim built many altars to make sin offerings, they instead became altars of sin!
12 Metwerɛɛ me mmara a ɛfa nneɛma bebree ho maa wɔn, nanso wɔfaa no sɛ ananafoɔ adeɛ.
I wrote down for them the many aspects of my law, but they looked on them as foreign.
13 Wɔde mʼayɛyɛdeɛ bɔ afɔdeɛ na wɔwe ɛnam no, nanso wɔnsɔ Awurade ani. Afei, ɔbɛkae wɔn atirimuɔdensɛm na watwe wɔn aso wɔ wɔn bɔne ho: Wɔbɛsane akɔ Misraim.
They present me with their sacrifices, and they eat the meat, but I the Lord do not accept them. Now he will remember their wickedness, and punish them for their sins. They will return to Egypt.
14 Israel werɛ afiri ne yɛfoɔ na wasisi ahemfie akɛseakɛseɛ; Yuda abɔ nkuro bebree ho ban. Nanso, mɛto ne nkuropɔn mu ogya a ɛbɛhye wɔn aban.”
Israel has forgotten his maker, and built palaces; Judah has built many fortified cities. But I will rain fire down on their cities and burn up their fortresses.
