1 “Listen to this, you priests! Pay attention, people of Israel! Listen, you that belong to the royal family! You are supposed to judge with justice—so judgment will fall on you! You have become a trap at Mizpah, a net spread on Mount Tabor, 2 a deep pit at Acacia City, and I will punish all of you. 3 I know what Israel is like—she cannot hide from me. She has been unfaithful, and her people are unfit to worship me.”
Hosea Warns against Idolatry
4 The evil that the people have done keeps them from returning to their God. Idolatry has a powerful hold on them, and they do not acknowledge the Lord. 5 The arrogance of the people of Israel cries out against them. Their sins make them stumble and fall, and the people of Judah fall with them. 6 They take their sheep and cattle to offer as sacrifices to the Lord, but it does them no good. They cannot find him, for he has left them. 7 They have been unfaithful to the Lord; their children do not belong to him. So now they and their lands will soon be destroyed.
War between Judah and Israel
8 Blow the war trumpets in Gibeah! Sound the alarm in Ramah! Raise the war cry at Bethaven! Into battle, men of Benjamin! 9 The day of punishment is coming, and Israel will be ruined. People of Israel, this will surely happen!
10 The Lord says, “I am angry because the leaders of Judah have invaded Israel and stolen land from her. So I will pour out punishment on them like a flood. 11 Israel is suffering oppression; she has lost land that was rightfully hers, because she insisted on going for help to those who had none to give. 12 I will bring destruction on Israel and ruin on the people of Judah.
13 “When Israel saw how sick she was and when Judah saw her own wounds, then Israel went to Assyria to ask the great emperor for help, but he could not cure them or heal their wounds. 14 I will attack the people of Israel and Judah like a lion. I myself will tear them to pieces and then leave them. When I drag them off, no one will be able to save them.
15 “I will abandon my people until they have suffered enough for their sins and come looking for me. Perhaps in their suffering they will try to find me.”
1 “Purateneye kotjiṋa hi, oweṋe vapristeri! Kareye ko na tja, tjiwaṋa tja Israel? Zuveye eṋe mbu mu ri oveṱunḓu rouhona! Eṋe mwa pu okupangura nousemba, ombanguriro otji mai ya kombanda yeṋu! Eṋe mwa rira ongwehe kotjiwaṋa mOmispa, wina mwa rira ombate ndja yarwa kondundu Tabor, 2 orutjiva motjirongo Sitim, nami me mu vere amuhe. 3 Ami me tjiwa kutja Israel otjo otjiwaṋa tji tja sana pi, kamaatji rihoreke ku ami. Otjo otjihaṱakama, novandu vatjo kaveya yenena okurikotamena ku ami.”
Hosea ma rongo ovandu kovisenginina
4 Ouvi Ovaisrael mbu va tjita u ve tjaera kutja ave ha kotoka ku Ndjambi wawo. Owo ve riyameka kovisenginina noukukutu, nu kave zemburuka Muhona. 5 Ourangaranga wotjiwaṋa tja Israel u tji pirukira. Ourunde watjo u tji putarisa nokutjiwisa, notjiwaṋa tja Juda wina matji u puna tjo. 6 Owo mave kambura ozonḓu nozongombe zawo ve ze punguhire Muhona okumupaha, nungwari kave nokumumuna orondu eye we ve esa. 7 Owo va rira ovahaṱakama ku Muhona, novanatje vawo kava Muhona. Nambano owo nomahi wawo otji mave nyonwa.
Ovita pokati ka Juda na Israel
8 Posiseye ozohiva zovita mOgibea! Tjiteye ombosiro ondirise mOrama! Toneye ombimbi mObet-Awen! Uteye otjirwa, varumendu va Benjamin! 9 Eyuva romberero mari ya nu Israel matji yandekwa. Vaisrael, ami me mu tjivisa kutja, tjiri, ihi matji tjitwa!
10 Muhona ma tja nai: “Ami mbi nomazenge, orondu ovanane va Juda va karwisa Ovaisrael nave pundu ehi rawo. Ami otji me tirire omberero kombanda yawo tjimuna omupupo. 11 Ovaisrael va kara pokuṋiṋikiziwa; owo va pandjarisa ehi nda ri ouini wawo katjotjiri, orondu va kara pokuningira ombatero kovandu mbe hi na va ri na yo okuvepa. 12 Ami me yandeke otjiwaṋa tja Israel na ihi tja Juda wina.
13 “Israel tji tja muna kutja tjiri tja vera tjinene, na Juda tji tja muna ovirwaro vyatjo otjini, Israel arire tji tja i kOasirie okukaningira ombatero kombara Onene, nungwari oyo kai sorere ko okuveverukisa poo okuverukisa ovirwaro vyawo. 14 Ami me rwisa Ovaisrael nOvajuda otja ongeyama tji i tjita. Meve nyondorora omuini nu e ve esa nao uriri. Tji meve kokozora okuveisa po, kape nomundu ngu ma yenene okuveyama!
15 “Ami me isa otjiwaṋa tjandje ngandu ndi otjo tji tja hihamisirwa omauvi watjo okuyenena, nu tji tje ya okundjipaha. Ngahino momihihamo vyatjo otjo matji kondjo okundjimuna.”
