هُوشَع 2

١ 1 «قُولُوا لِإِخْوَتِكُمْ «عَمِّي» وَلِأَخَوَاتِكُمْ «رُحَامَةَ».

[At that time, ] you will say to your fellow-Israeli men, “[You are] God’s people,” and [you will say] to your fellow-Israeli women, “You are ones whom God loves.”

٢ 2 حَاكِمُوا أُمَّكُمْ حَاكِمُوا، لِأَنَّهَا لَيْسَتِ ٱمْرَأَتِي وَأَنَا لَسْتُ رَجُلَهَا، لِكَيْ تَعْزِلَ زِنَاهَا عَنْ وَجْهِهَا وَفِسْقَهَا مِنْ بَيْنِ ثَدْيَيْهَا،

[Yahweh also said to me], “I want you to accuse the Israeli people. [It is as though] [MET] this nation is your mother, but this nation is [no longer as though it is] [MET] my wife, and it is [no longer as though] [MET] I am its husband. Tell the Israeli people that they must stop [acting like] a prostitute [by worshiping other gods]; they must stop showing by their behavior that they (are unfaithful to/have abandoned) [me] [MET].

٣ 3 لِئَلَّا أُجَرِّدَهَا عُرْيَانَةً وَأَوْقِفَهَا كَيَوْمِ وِلَادَتِهَا، وَأَجْعَلَهَا كَقَفْرٍ، وَأُصَيِّرَهَا كَأَرْضٍ يَابِسَةٍ، وَأُمِيتَهَا بِٱلْعَطَشِ.

If they do not do that, I will not give them [food and] clothes [as a husband should give to his wife]; I will take away those things, and I will cause their nation to become [as deserted] as it was on the day that I [brought their ancestors out of Egypt and caused them to become a nation] [MET]. I will cause their country to be like [SIM] a desert; there will be no rain to water the ground [MET].

٤ 4 وَلَا أَرْحَمُ أَوْلَادَهَا لِأَنَّهُمْ أَوْلَادُ زِنًى.

I will not pity the people, because they have [abandoned me] as [MET] prostitutes abandon their husbands.

٥ 5 «لِأَنَّ أُمَّهُمْ قَدْ زَنَتِ. ٱلَّتِي حَبِلَتْ بِهِمْ صَنَعَتْ خِزْيًا. لِأَنَّهَا قَالَتْ: أَذْهَبُ وَرَاءَ مُحِبِّيَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُعْطُونَ خُبْزِي وَمَائِي، صُوفِي وَكَتَّانِي، زَيْتِي وَأَشْرِبَتِي.

Their parents are like prostitutes [MET]: they have been unfaithful [to me], and they have done [very] disgraceful things. They said, ‘We will run to [our idols/gods] who love us; [they are the ones] who give us food and water and wool and linen and [olive] oil, and [wine to] drink.’

٦ 6 لِذَلِكَ هَأَنَذَا أُسَيِّجُ طَرِيقَكِ بِٱلشَّوْكِ، وَأَبْنِي حَائِطَهَا حَتَّى لَا تَجِدَ مَسَالِكَهَا.

So [it will be as though] [MET] I am blocking their road with thornbushes, and putting put a wall around them so that they do not know which way to go.

٧ 7 فَتَتْبَعُ مُحِبِّيهَا وَلَا تُدْرِكُهُمْ، وَتُفَتِّشُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا تَجِدُهُمْ. فَتَقُولُ: أَذْهَبُ وَأَرْجِعُ إِلَى رَجُلِي ٱلْأَوَّلِ، لِأَنَّهُ حِينَئِذٍ كَانَ خَيْرٌ لِي مِنَ ٱلْآنَ.

They will run to their idols/gods that [they think] love them, but they will not find them. They will search for their false gods, but they will not find them. Then they will say, ‘[Perhaps] we should return to [Yahweh], whom we worshiped previously [MET], because things were better for us then than they are now.’

٨ 8 «وَهِيَ لَمْ تَعْرِفْ أَنِّي أَنَا أَعْطَيْتُهَا ٱلْقَمْحَ وَٱلْمِسْطَارَ وَٱلزَّيْتَ، وَكَثَّرْتُ لَهَا فِضَّةً وَذَهَبًا جَعَلُوهُ لِبَعْلٍ.

But they do not realize that I, [Yahweh], am the one who gave them grain and wine and [olive] oil; I am the one who gave them silver and gold which they used to worship Baal.

٩ 9 لِذَلِكَ أَرْجِعُ وَآخُذُ قَمْحِي فِي حِينِهِ، وَمِسْطَارِي فِي وَقْتِهِ، وَأَنْزِعُ صُوفِي وَكَتَّانِي ٱللَّذَيْنِ لِسَتْرِ عَوْرَتِهَا.

Therefore I will return and take my grain and grapes from them when they are ripe. I will take from them the wool and linen that I gave to them [to make their clothes] [MTY].

١٠ 10 وَٱلْآنَ أَكْشِفُ عَوْرَتَهَا أَمَامَ عُيُونِ مُحِبِّيهَا وَلَا يُنْقِذُهَا أَحَدٌ مِنْ يَدِي.

I will show those false gods/idols that what my people are doing is disgusting [MET], and no one will be able to hinder me from [punishing them].

١١ 11 وَأُبَطِّلُ كُلَّ أَفْرَاحِهَا: أَعْيَادَهَا وَرُؤُوسَ شُهُورِهَا وَسُبُوتَهَا وَجَمِيعَ مَوَاسِمِهَا.

I will cause their religious celebrations to cease, the festivals that they celebrate every year and at every new moon and on their (Sabbath days/weekly days of rest). I will cause all their religious celebrations to cease.

١٢ 12 وَأُخَرِّبُ كَرْمَهَا وَتِينَهَا ٱللَّذَيْنِ قَالَتْ: هُمَا أُجْرَتِي ٱلَّتِي أَعْطَانِيهَا مُحِبِّيَّ، وَأَجْعَلُهُمَا وَعْرًا فَيَأْكُلُهُمَا حَيَوَانُ ٱلْبَرِّيَّةِ.

I will destroy [all] their grapevines and fig trees, which they said were what their [idols/gods] who loved them paid them for worshiping those idols. I will cause those places to become a desert, and wild animals will eat the fruit [that remains].

١٣ 13 وَأُعَاقِبُهَا عَلَى أَيَّامِ بَعْلِيمَ ٱلَّتِي فِيهَا كَانَتْ تُبَخِّرُ لَهُمْ وَتَتَزَيَّنُ بِخَزَائِمِهَا وَحُلِيهَا وَتَذْهَبُ وَرَاءَ مُحِبِّيهَا وَتَنْسَانِي أَنَا، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ.

I will punish my people for [all] the times that they burned incense to [honor] the idols of Baal. They decorated themselves with rings and jewelry, and they went to worship those [false gods/idols] that [they thought] [IRO] loved them, but they abandoned/forgot me! [That is what I], Yahweh, say.

١٤ 14 «لَكِنْ هَأَنَذَا أَتَمَلَّقُهَا وَأَذْهَبُ بِهَا إِلَى ٱلْبَرِّيَّةِ وَأُلَاطِفُهَا،

But listen! [Some day] I will persuade my people [to worship me again]; I will lead them [out] into the desert and speak kindly to them [there].

١٥ 15 وَأُعْطِيهَا كُرُومَهَا مِنْ هُنَاكَ، وَوَادِي عَخُورَ بَابًا لِلرَّجَاءِ. وَهِيَ تُغَنِّي هُنَاكَ كَأَيَّامِ صِبَاهَا، وَكَيَوْمِ صُعُودِهَا مِنْ أَرْضِ مِصْرَ.

I will give their vineyards [back] to them, and I will cause Achor Valley, [which means ‘valley of trouble'], to become a valley where they will confidently expect [me to do good things for them]. They will (respond to/want to please) me there like they did long ago, when I freed them from [being slaves in] Egypt.

١٦ 16 وَيَكُونُ فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ، أَنَّكِ تَدْعِينَنِي: رَجُلِي، وَلَا تَدْعِينَنِي بَعْدُ بَعْلِي.

At that time, they will say to me, ‘[It is as though] [MET] you are our husband.’ They will not say that I am their [master, like they considered that] Baal [was].

١٧ 17 وَأَنْزِعُ أَسْمَاءَ ٱلْبَعْلِيمِ مِنْ فَمِهَا، فَلَا تُذْكَرُ أَيْضًا بِأَسْمَائِهَا.

I will not allow them to speak [MTY] the names of Baal; they will never use those names again.

١٨ 18 وَأَقْطَعُ لَهُمْ عَهْدًا فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ مَعَ حَيَوَانِ ٱلْبَرِّيَّةِ وَطُيُورِ ٱلسَّمَاءِ وَدَبَّابَاتِ ٱلْأَرْضِ، وَأَكْسِرُ ٱلْقَوْسَ وَٱلسَّيْفَ وَٱلْحَرْبَ مِنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ، وَأَجْعَلُهُمْ يَضْطَجِعُونَ آمِنِينَ.

At that time [it will be as though] I will make an agreement with [all] the wild animals and birds, and [even with] the little animals that scurry across the ground, so that they will never harm my people [again]. And I will remove from their nation all the weapons [for fighting] battles, [like] swords and bows [and arrows]. The result will be that my people will live peacefully and safely, and will not be afraid.

١٩ 19 وَأَخْطُبُكِ لِنَفْسِي إِلَى ٱلْأَبَدِ. وَأَخْطُبُكِ لِنَفْسِي بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْحَقِّ وَٱلْإِحْسَانِ وَٱلْمَرَاحِمِ.

I will cause them to be [as though they are] [MET] my bride forever. I will be righteous and fair/just; I will faithfully love them and be kind to them.

٢٠ 20 أَخْطُبُكِ لِنَفْسِي بِٱلْأَمَانَةِ فَتَعْرِفِينَ ٱلرَّبَّ.

I will not abandon them, and they will realize [that I] Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do.]

٢١ 21 وَيَكُونُ فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ أَنِّي أَسْتَجِيبُ، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ، أَسْتَجِيبُ ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ وَهِيَ تَسْتَجِيبُ ٱلْأَرْضَ،

At that time, [when they request me to do things for them], [I will do those things]. When they request clouds and rain to fall on their land, I will speak to the clouds, and rain will fall on the earth,

٢٢ 22 وَٱلْأَرْضُ تَسْتَجِيبُ ٱلْقَمْحَ وَٱلْمِسْطَارَ وَٱلزَّيْتَ، وَهِيَ تَسْتَجِيبُ يَزْرَعِيلَ.

and grain will grow, and the vineyards and the olive trees will grow in Jezreel [Valley].

٢٣ 23 وَأَزْرَعُهَا لِنَفْسِي فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ، وَأَرْحَمُ لُورُحَامَةَ، وَأَقُولُ لِلُوعَمِّي: أَنْتَ شَعْبِي، وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: أَنْتَ إِلَهِي».

[At that time], I will take care of the Israeli people [like a farmer plants and takes care of his crops] [MET]. I will love those people that I previously said were ones I did not love, and I previously said, ‘You are not my people,’ and [then] they will say to me, ‘You are our God.’”