Hosea 9
1 Israyeli, ungajabuli, ngokuthokoza okufana nokwabezizwe, ngokuba uzifebele wena, wahlubuka kuNkulunkulu wakho, wathanda inkokhelo yesifebe kuzo zonke izibuya zokusanhlamvu.
2 Isibuya nesikhamo sewayini akuyukubondla, newayini elisha liyakumdumaza.
3 Abayukuhlala ezweni likaSimakade, u-Efrayimi uyakubuyela eGibhithe, badle ukudla okungcolileyo e-Asiriya.
4 Abayukumthungela uSimakade iwayini, nemihlatshelo yabo ayiyukuba yintokozo kuye, isinkwa sabo siyakuba njengesinkwa sokulila kubo, kuthi bonke abasidlayo bazingcolise bona. Ngokuba isinkwa sabo singesephango labo, asiyukungena endlini kaSimakade.
5 Niyokwenzenjani ngosuku lwedili, nangosuku lomkhosi kaSimakade na?
6 Bhekani-ke, noma bangaphunyuka ekubhujisweni, kodwa iGibhithe liyakubabutha, iNofi ibambele; ingcebo yabo yesiliva idliwe yimbabazane, kube nameva emathendeni abo.
7 Sezifikile izinsuku zokujeziswa, izinsuku zokuphindisela, u-Israyeli makakwazi lokho. Umphrofethi uyisiwula, umuntu onomoya uyahlanya ngenxa yeziphambeko zakho eziningi nangobutha obukhulu.
8 Umphrofethi ungumlindi ka-Efrayimi kanye noNkulunkulu wami, kodwa umphrofethi ubekelwe ugibe lwezinyoni kuzo zonke izindlela zakhe, nobutha busendlini kaNkulunkulu wakhe.
9 Sebeshone shi enkohlakalweni njengasezinsukwini zaseGibheya; uyakukhumbula iziphambeko zabo, abajezisele izono zabo.
10 “Ngamthola u-Israyeli njengezithelo zomvini ehlane, ngabona okhokho bakho njengolibo lomkhiwane emkhiwaneni lapho uqala. Kepha bafika eBhali Pheyori, bazinikela ehlazweni, baba ngokunengekayo njengalokho abakuthandayo.
11 Udumo luka-Efrayimi luyakundizela kude njengenyoni, kungabi bikho kuthatha sisu, kukhulelwa nakuzala.
12 Noma bangakhulisa izingane zabo, kodwa ngiyakubephuca zona zonke. Maye impela kubo, lapho ngibafulathela!
13 Ngimbonile u-Efrayimi enjengeThire, etshalwe endaweni evundileyo, kepha u-Efrayimi uyakukhiphela izingane zakhe kumbulali.
14 “Simakade, banike. Ngabe uyakubanikani na? Isisu esiphuphumileyo namabele angenalubisi.
15 Bonke ububi babo buseGiligali, impela ngabazonda khona lapho; ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zabo ngiyakubaxosha endlini yami, angiyukubathanda futhi; zonke izikhulu zabo zingamahlubuka.
16 U-Efrayimi unqundiwe, impande yabo yomile, abayukuthela sithelo. Noma bangazala, kodwa ngiyakubulala okuyigugu kwesisu sabo.”
17 UNkulunkulu wami uyakubalahla, ngokuba abamlalelanga, bayakuba yimihambima phakathi kwezizwe.