Israel Is Doomed
The Lord said:
1 When your leaders spoke,
everyone in Israel trembled
and showed great respect.
But you sinned by worshiping Baal,
and you were destroyed.
2 Now you continue to sin
by designing and making
idols of silver
in the shape of calves.
You are told to sacrifice
to these idols —
yes, even to kiss them.
3 And so, all of you will vanish
like the mist or the dew
of early morning,
or husks of grain in the wind
or smoke from a chimney.
4 I, the Lord, have been your God
since the time
you were in Egypt.
I am the only God you know,
the only one who can save.
5 I took care of you
in a thirsty desert.
6 I fed you till you were satisfied,
then you became proud
and forgot about me.
7 Now I will attack like a lion,
ambush you like a leopard,
8 and rip you apart like a bear
robbed of her cubs.
I will gnaw on your bones,
as though I were a lion
or some other wild animal.
9 Israel, you are done for.
Don't expect help from me.
10 You wanted a king and rulers.
Where is your king now?
What cities have rulers?
11 In my anger, I gave you a king;
in my fury, I took him away.
Israel's Terrible Fate
The Lord said:
12 Israel, your terrible sins
are written down
and stored away.
13 You are like a senseless child
who refuses to be born
at the proper time.
14 Should I, the Lord, rescue you
from death and the grave?
No! I call death and the grave
to strike you like a plague.
I refuse to show mercy.
15 No matter if you prosper
more than the other tribes,
I, the Lord, will wipe you out,
just as a scorching desert wind
dries up streams of water.
I will take away
your precious treasures.
16 Samaria will be punished
for turning against me.
It will be destroyed in war—
children will be beaten
against rocks,
and pregnant women
will be ripped open.
ǀUniga ǀgoraǃgâs Israeli ǂama
1 Efraimmi ga ǃhoa on ge khoena gere ǀkhū; ǁîb ge Israeli ǃnâ ge ǀgapiǀgapihe hâ i tsîb ge Baalǃoabas ǃnâ ǀhapixa tsî ge ǁō. 2 On ge nēsi ǃaruǀîǀgui ǁoreb ǃnâ ge ǀarosen tsîn ge ǀhaiǀuriba xu ǂnâsa ī-e ge kurubasen, ǁîn ǂans ǁkhāsib ǃoa ǁgôa-eloga, kuruǁkhābegu di sîsenni, ǁîb xan nēti ra mîba: Khoen ǁguibade ra ǁguiban ge tsâuga nî ǁoa. 3 ǁNā-amagan ge ǁgoaǀaub khami nî ī, ǀaub ǁgoaga ra hā tsî kāb khami, ǀapob hîa dāǃnâǃkhaiba xu ra ǃgomheb khami, ǀanni ǁkhowa-amsa mûǂuidaos ǃnâ ra kāb khami.
4 Tita ǃKhūta ge sa Elota, Egipteba xu; ǀnî elona du ge tita ose a ǂan ǁoa; tita ose i ge ǀnî ore-ao-e a ǀkhai. 5 Tita ge satsa ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ ge ǂan i, ǂnâsa ǃhūb ǃnâ. 6 ǁNās khaoǃgân ge ǃû-ais ân īs ǃoa ge ǁâ; ǁân ge ob ge ǂgaob âna ge ǀgapiǀgapihe, ǁnā-amagan ge ge ǀuru. 7 O ta ge ǁîna ge xam kaiba, daob ǀgarub khami ta ge daob xōǀkhā nî ǃapi. 8 Bērs ǂkhamron âsa ūǀhanahe hâs khami ta ge ǂgaob âna nî ǀkhauǁkhowa-am tsî ǁîna xammi khami nî hapu, ǃgarob ǀguru-i khami ta ge ǁîna ǃâdi ǃnâ nî ǀkhauǃā.
9 ǁÎ ǃkhais ge sats Israeltsa tita, sa hui-aota ǃnâ ge hîkākā. 10 Mâpab sa gao-aoba hâ, îb ore tsi hoaraga ǃādi ǃnâ? Tsî sa ǂgaeǂgui-aogu, ǁîgu ǃoats gao-ao-i tsî ǂgaeǂgui-aoga mā te re ti ge mîga. 11 Ti ǁaixasib ǃnâ ta ge gao-aoba ge mā tsi, tsî ti ǁgôasib ǃnâ ta ge ǁîba ge ūbē.
12 Efraimmi di ǁoren ge xoakhâihe hâ, ǁoren âb ge xoamâihe hâ. 13 ǁOra ra tara-i di tsûgu ge ǁîba nî hāǂam; ǁîb ge gā-ai tama ǀgôaba; ǁoraǁaeb aib ge ǁhās di ǁkhowa-amsens ǃnâ ǁgausen tama i amaga. 14 ǁÎna ta kha ǀAmoǀaeba xu nî ore? ǁŌba xu ta kha ǁîna nî ǃnoraǃnora? ǁŌtse, sa ǃkhāǁkhūga mâpa hâ? ǀAmoǀaetse, mâpas sa hîkākāsa hâ? ǃHausens ge ti mûra xu nî ǂganǃgâsa. 15 ǃGâsagu âb ǃnâb ge ǁîba nî ǂûtanixa ob ge aiǂoas di ǂoaba nî hā, ǃKhūb di ǂoab ge ǃgaroǃhūba xu nî khâi; ǀaus âb ge nîra ǂnâ; tsaus âb ge nî ǂnâ. ǂOab ge hoaraga ǁuib ǃgomǀgausa ommi diba nî ǃnari. 16 Samarias ge ǀhapis âsa nî tani, ǁîs Elob ǃoagus ge khâi amaga. ǁÎn ge torob ǃnâ nî ǁō, ǂkhamron ân ge ǃâdi ǃnâ nî ǃgaoǃāhe tsî di ge ǁîn di ǀgamǀkhā tarade nî ǁnoehe.
