Hosea's Plea to Israel
1 Return to the Lord your God, people of Israel. Your sin has made you stumble and fall. 2 Return to the Lord, and let this prayer be your offering to him: “Forgive all our sins and accept our prayer, and we will praise you as we have promised. 3 Assyria can never save us, and war horses cannot protect us. We will never again say to our idols that they are our God. O Lord, you show mercy to those who have no one else to turn to.”
The Lord Promises New Life for Israel
4 The Lord says,
“I will bring my people back to me.
I will love them with all my heart;
no longer am I angry with them.
5 I will be to the people of Israel
like rain in a dry land.
They will blossom like flowers;
they will be firmly rooted
like the trees of Lebanon.
6 They will be alive with new growth,
and beautiful like olive trees.
They will be fragrant
like the cedars of Lebanon.
7 Once again they will live under my protection.
They will grow crops of grain
and be fruitful like a vineyard.
They will be as famous as the wine of Lebanon.
8 The people of Israel will have nothing more to do with idols;
I will answer their prayers and take care of them.
Like an evergreen tree I will shelter them;
I am the source of all their blessings.”
Conclusion
9 May those who are wise understand what is written here, and may they take it to heart. The Lord's ways are right, and righteous people live by following them, but sinners stumble and fall because they ignore them.
Omeriyarikaṋeno wa Hosea kOvaisrael
1 Ritanaureye ku Muhona, Ndjambi weṋu, tjiwaṋa tja Israel. Ourunde weṋu we mu putarisa au mu wisa. 2 Ritanaureye ku Muhona, nu ongumbiro ndji ngai rire ombunguhiro yeṋu ku ye: “Tu isira ourunde wetu auhe nu u yakure ongumbiro yetu, neṱe matu ku tanga otja pu twa kwizika. 3 Asirie kamaatji tu yama, noukambe wovita kamaau tu vatere. Eṱe kamaatu tja nai koviserekarera, mbi twa ungura nomake wetu: ‘Oweṋe Ndjambi wetu!’ Muhona, ove u ṱotjari na imba mbe hi nomundu ku mave sora okuriyameka.”
Muhona ma kwizikire Ovaisrael omuinyo omupe
4 Muhona ma tja nai: “Ami me kotora otjiwaṋa tjandje ku ami omuini. Me tji suvere nomutima wandje auhe, orondu hi tji nomazenge na tjo rukwao. 5 Ami me rire otja ombura mehi nda kukuta kotjiwaṋa tja Israel. Owo mave nyomoka otja ozongara zozonyanga; mave zikama nomasa tjimuna otupapa twa Libanon. 6 Owo mave nyomoka nave tandavara tjimuna omikono, nu mave rire ovawa ovamanise tjimuna omiṋinga. Owo mave kara nomoro omuwa tjimuna otupapa twa Libanon. 7 Owo mave hupu kehi yondjeverero yandje rukwao. Mave kunu ovikokotwa rukwao; nowo oveni mave nyomoka tjimuna omivite. Mave rire ovatjiukwa otja omavinu wa Libanon. 8 Ovaisrael kave nokukara ko na tja noomukuru vovisenginina. Owami erike ngu me yakura ozongumbiro zawo, nowami ngu meve tjevere; otja omuti mbu kara noruhapo aruhe, ami otjinga ame ve yama; nami owami omburo yozondaya zawo azehe.”
Omambo womaandero
9 Avehe mbe ri ozonongo ngave zuve imbi mbya tjangwa mba, nowo ngave vi ṱakamise momitima vyawo. Orondu ozondjira za Muhona ozo ozosemba, novasemba ve hupa mokuzetwara, nungwari ovarunde ve putara ave u, tjinga ave nakaura ozondjira nḓa.
