The Lord's Challenge to His People
1 The Lord said to his people:
Come and present your case
to the hills and mountains.
2 Israel, I am bringing charges
against you—
I call upon the mountains
and the earth's firm foundation
to be my witnesses.
3 My people, have I wronged you
in any way at all?
Please tell me.
4 I rescued you from Egypt,
where you were slaves.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam
to be your leaders.
5 Don't forget the evil plans
of King Balak of Moab
or what Balaam son of Beor
said to him.
Remember how I, the Lord,
saved you many times
on your way from Acacia
to Gilgal.
True Obedience
6 What offering should I bring
when I bow down to worship
the Lord God Most High?
Should I try to please him
by sacrificing
calves a year old?
7 Will thousands of sheep
or rivers of olive oil
make God satisfied with me?
Should I sacrifice to the Lord
my first-born child as payment
for my terrible sins?
8 The Lord God has told us
what is right
and what he demands:
“See that justice is done,
let mercy be your first concern,
and humbly obey your God.”
Cheating and Violence
9 I am the Lord,
and you are wise to respect
my power to punish.
So listen to my message
for the city of Jerusalem:
10 You store up stolen treasures
and use dishonest scales.
11 But I, the Lord, will punish you
for cheating with weights
and with measures.
12 You rich people are violent,
and everyone tells lies.
13 Because of your sins,
I will wound you and leave you
ruined and defenseless.
14 You will eat,
but still be hungry;
you will store up goods,
but lose everything—
I, the Lord, will let it all
be captured in war.
15 You won't harvest what you plant
or use the oil
from your olive trees
or drink the wine
from grapes you grow.
16 Jerusalem, this will happen
because you followed
the sinful example
of kings Omri and Ahab.
Now I will destroy you
and your property.
Then the people of every nation
will make fun and insult you.
Omuwa ta tamaneke Israel
1 Pulakeneni iihokolola, Omuwa sho ta tamaneke Israel. Omuwa, thikama, u popye; oondundu niikulundundu nayi uve shoka to ti.
2 Ne oondundu, ne omakankameno gaaluhe gevi, pulakeneni kiihokolola yOmuwa! Omuwa oku na iihokolola naantu ye. Ota ka tamaneka Israel.
3 Omuwa ota ti: “Yantu yandje, onde mu ningile shike? Onde mu dhigupalele ngiini? Yamukulii ndje. 4 Onde mu tembudha muEgipiti; onde mu mangulula muupika; onda tumu Moses, Aaron naMiriam, ye mu wilike. 5 Yantu yandje, dhimbulukweni sho Balak, omukwaniilwa gwaMoab, e mu dhiladhilile, nonkene Bileam yaBeor e mu yamukula. Dhimbulukweni iinima ya ningwa mondjila okuza kontanda puAkasia sigo oGilgal. Dhimbulukweni shoka nda ningi, opo ndi mu hupithe.”
Shoka Omuwa ta pula
6 Otandi ka fala shike kOmuwa, Kalunga komegulu, uuna tandi ke mu simaneka? Ondi fale oompunya dho ondodhwa oku dhi mu fikila omidhidhindjambo? 7 Omuwa ota ka nyanyukwa, ngele tandi mu faalele oonzi omayuvi, nenge omilonga dhomagadhi gooholivi? Ondi mu yambele omumwandje osheeli, ndi fute omayono gandje? 8 Aawe, Omuwa okwe tu lombwela shoka shu uka. Shoka te tu pula, osho okulonga shoka shu uka, oku mu ulukila ohole yashili nokukala muukumwe nomeifupipiko naKalunga ketu.
9 Osho opala okutila Omuwa. Oti igidhile oshilando ta ti: “Pulakeneni, ne aantu mboka tamu gongala moshilando! 10 Momagumbo gaagoyoki omu na omaliko giifundja. Ohaa longitha iiyelekitho ya puka; osho oshinima ndi shi tonde. 11 Otandi vulu ngiini okudhimina po aantu haa longitha iiviha niiyelekitho ya puka? 12 Aayamba yeni otaa ningilile mo oohepele, nane amuhe aafundja. 13 Onda tameke nokuli oku mu yona po noku mu halakanitha po omolwomayono geni. 14 Otamu ka lya, ihe itamu ka kuta — sho shene otamu ka kala nondjala. Otamu ka ya mwa humbata iinima, ihe itamu ka vula oku yi dhiginina; shaa shoka tamu hupitha otandi ke shi hanagula po miita. 15 Otamu ka kuna iilya, ihe itamu ka teya oondudhi. Otamu ka yenga omagadhi mooholivi, ihe itamu vulu oku ga longitha. Otamu ka kola omaviinu, ihe itamu ga nu nando. 16 Shika otashi ka ningwa, oshoka omwa landula iilonga iiwinayi yomukwaniilwa Omri noyomwana, omukwaniilwa Ahab. Omwa tsikile omikalo dhawo, onkee tandi mu yono po, naayehe otaye mu sheke. Aantu shaa mpoka otaye ke mu tala nondhino.”
