1 The people of Israel were like a grapevine that was full of grapes. The more prosperous they were, the more altars they built. The more productive their land was, the more beautiful they made the sacred stone pillars they worship. 2 The people whose hearts are deceitful must now suffer for their sins. God will break down their altars and destroy their sacred pillars.
3 These people will soon be saying, “We have no king because we did not fear the Lord. But what could a king do for us anyway?” 4 They utter empty words and make false promises and useless treaties. Justice has become injustice, growing like poisonous weeds in a plowed field.
5 The people who live in the city of Samaria will be afraid and will mourn the loss of the gold bull at Bethaven. They and the priests who serve the idol will weep over it. They will wail when it is stripped of its golden splendor. 6 The idol will be carried off to Assyria as tribute to the great emperor. The people of Israel will be disgraced and put to shame because of the advice they followed. 7 Their king will be carried off, like a chip of wood on water. 8 The hilltop shrines of Aven, where the people of Israel worship idols, will be destroyed. Thorns and weeds will grow up over their altars. The people will call out to the mountains, “Hide us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”
The Lord Pronounces Judgment on Israel
9 The Lord says, “The people of Israel have not stopped sinning against me since the time of their sin at Gibeah. So at Gibeah war will catch up with them. 10 I will attack this sinful people and punish them. Nations will join together against them, and they will be punished for their many sins.
11 “Israel was once like a well-trained young cow, ready and willing to thresh grain. But I decided to put a yoke on her beautiful neck and to harness her for harder work. I made Judah pull the plow and Israel pull the harrow. 12 I said, ‘Plow new ground for yourselves, plant righteousness, and reap the blessings that your devotion to me will produce. It is time for you to turn to me, your Lord, and I will come and pour out blessings upon you.’ 13 But instead you planted evil and reaped its harvest. You have eaten the fruit produced by your lies.
“Because you trusted in your chariots and in the large number of your soldiers, 14 war will come to your people, and all your fortresses will be destroyed. It will be like the day when King Shalman destroyed the city of Betharbel in battle, and mothers and their children were crushed to death. 15 That is what will happen to you, people of Bethel, because of the terrible evil that you have done. As soon as the battle begins, the king of Israel will die.”
1 Ovaisrael va ri otja omuvite mbwe ura nomapunda womandjembere. Otja punga ava ririra ko ovaṋingandu opunga ava tungira ko ovipunguhiro. Nehi rawo punga ara etera ko ovihape opunga ava harekera ko ozongunḓe ozonḓere zomawe ku ve rikotamena, ze rire ozombwa ozomanise. 2 Otjiwaṋa tji tji ripura pevari pokati ka Ndjambi na Baal, nambano matji sokuhihamisirwa omauvi watjo. Ndjambi ma teya ovipunguhiro vyatjo, nu ma hahaura ozongunḓe zatjo ozonḓere zomawe.
3 Otjiwaṋa hi matji tja nai tjimanga: “Eṱe katu nombara tjinga atu ha karere nondira ku Muhona. Nu hapo indji ombara itjai tu tjitira tjike?” 4 Owo ve nyomborora omambo wakauriri, nu ve tjita omakwizikiro woposyo nomazuvasaneno womungandjo. Ousemba wa rira ouhasemba amau kurire ko tjimuna ozohongwe zouzuwo motjikunino tjehi nda taurwa.
5 Ovandu, mba tura motjihuro Samaria mave tira nu mave toora oruhoze kotjiserekarera tjondwezu yongombe tjongoldo tji va pandjarisa mObet-Awen. Owo novapristeri mbe karera otjiserakarera hi mave rire tjo. Mave uru otjo tji matji teturwa ongoldo youwa oumanise watjo. 6 Otjiserekarera tjondwezu yongombe hi matji twarewa kOasirie tji karire otjiyandjewa tjondjozikiro kombara onene. Israel matji yambururwa nu matji ṱisiwa ohoṋi mena rotjiserekarera hi. 7 Samaria matji yandekwa; ombara yatjo mai twarewa tjimuna otjindimbu tjomuti mozongazona zomeva. 8 Poṋa pomerikotameneno kozondunda za Bet-Awen, Ovaisrael pu ve rikotamenena kovisenginina, mape hahaurwa. Omakuiya nozohongwe mavi hapa kovipunguhiro vyawo. Ovandu otji mave ravaere kozondundu ave tja: “Tu horekeye!” nu kozondunda mave ravaere nai: “Wireye kombanda yetu!”
Muhona ma tjivisa ombanguriro kOvaisrael
9 Muhona ma tja nai: “Otjiwaṋa tja Israel katjiya isa okutjita ourunde komurungu wandje okuza koruveze ndwi rwourunde watjo mOgibea. MOgibea ovita otji mavi tji vaza. 10 Ami me rwisa otjiwaṋa otjirunde hi, nu me tji vere. Oviwaṋa mavi rikutu kumwe okutjirwisa, notjo matji vererwa ourunde watjo.
11 “Otjikando tjimwe otjiwaṋa tja Israel tja ri ohamukwao nondana ondema ndja hongwa nawa nu ndje rirongerera okuyata ovikokotwa. Nungwari ami mba tya okutwa ko otjiyoke kosengo yayo ombwa omanise nokuikutira oviungura ovizeu tjinene komeho. Ami mba tjita kutja Efraim a nane otjitaure tjehi, nokutja Israel a nane otjiserure tjehi. 12 Ami mba tja nai: ‘Ritaurireye oveni ehi epe, kuneye ousemba nu mu nikore ozondaya nḓu maze etwa i omeriyamekero weṋu ku ami. Oruveze rwa yenene ku eṋe okuritanaurira ku ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona weṋu, nami meya okutirira ozondaya kombanda yeṋu.’ 13 Nungwari moruveze rwanao eṋe mwa kuna ourunde namu nikora ovinikora vyawo. Eṋe mwa rya ovihape mbya etwa i ovizeze vyeṋu.
“Eṋe tjinga amwe riyameka komatemba weṋu wovita na kovarwe veṋu wovita ovengi tjinene, 14 ovita otjinga amavi ya kotjiwaṋa tjeṋu, noviṱunga vyeṋu avihe mavi hahaurwa. Mape sana tjimuna eyuva ndi ombara Salman ma haṋene otjihuro Bet-Arbel motjirwa, nooina novanatje vawo mu va ṱa okuṱukuṱuka. 15 Ihi otji matji tjitwa ku eṋe, vature va Betel, mena rourunde outirise mbu mwa tjita. Tjimanga otjirwa tjinga atja utu, ombara ya Israel otji mai ṱu.”
