Hosea 8
1 “Put the trumpet to your lips! Something like an eagle is over the LORD’s house, because they have broken my covenant and rebelled against my law.
Uphondo emlonyeni wakho. Uzakuza njengokhozi lumelene lendlu yeNkosi; ngoba sebeqe isivumelwano sami, baphambuke bemelene lomlayo wami.
2 They cry to me, ‘My God, we, Israel, acknowledge you!’
Bazamemeza kimi: Nkulunkulu wami, thina, uIsrayeli, siyakwazi.
3 Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy will pursue him.
UIsrayeli walile okuhle; isitha sizaxotshana laye.
4 They have set up kings, but not by me. They have made princes, and I did not approve. Of their silver and their gold they have made themselves idols, that they may be cut off.
Bona babeke amakhosi, kodwa kungengami; bamisa iziphathamandla, kodwa ngangingakwazi; ngesiliva sabo legolide labo bazenzela izithombe, ukuze baqunywe.
5 Let Samaria throw out his calf idol! My anger burns against them! How long will it be until they are capable of purity?
Ithole lakho, Samariya, likwalile; intukuthelo yami iyavutha imelene labo; koze kube nini ukuthi banganelisi ukuba msulwa?
6 For this is even from Israel! The workman made it, and it is no God; indeed, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.
Ngoba laleli livela koIsrayeli; umbazi walenza, njalo kalisuye Nkulunkulu; kodwa ithole leSamariya lizakuba yizihlephu.
7 For they sow the wind, and they will reap the whirlwind. He has no standing grain. The stalk will yield no head. If it does yield, strangers will swallow it up.
Ngoba behlanyele umoya, bazavuna isivunguzane; kakuyikuba lamabele emiyo; ihlumela kaliyikwenza impuphu; uba mhlawumbe lingayiveza, abezizwe bazayiginya.
8 Israel is swallowed up. Now they are among the nations like a worthless thing.
UIsrayeli useginyiwe; khathesi baphakathi kwezizwe, njengesitsha okungelantokozo kiso.
9 For they have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers for himself.
Ngoba bona benyukele eAsiriya, ubabhemi weganga oyedwa ngokwakhe. UEfrayimi uqhatshe izithandwa.
10 But although they sold themselves among the nations, I will now gather them; and they begin to waste away because of the oppression of the king of mighty ones.
Yebo, lanxa beqhatsha phakathi kwezizwe, sengizabaqoqa; yebo, bazaqala ukuba balutshwana ngenxa yomthwalo wenkosi yeziphathamandla.
11 Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they became for him altars for sinning.
Ngoba uEfrayimi wandise amalathi ngawokona, amalathi azakuba ngawokona kuye.
12 I wrote for him the many things of my law, but they were regarded as a strange thing.
Ngimbhalele izinto ezinkulu zomlayo wami kodwa zabalwa njengento yemzini.
13 As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice meat and eat it, but the LORD does not accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins. They will return to Egypt.
Mayelana lemihlatshelo yeminikelo yami, bahlaba inyama, bayidle, kodwa iNkosi kayithokozi ngabo. Khathesi izakhumbula ububi babo, iphindisele izono zabo; bona bazabuyela eGibhithe.
14 For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire on his cities, and it will devour its fortresses.”
Ngoba uIsrayeli umkhohliwe uMenzi wakhe, wakha amathempeli; njalo uJuda wandisile imizi ebiyelweyo; kodwa ngizathumela umlilo emizini yakhe, ozaqothula izigodlo zakhe.
