Ombanguriro osenina ya Muhona kOvaisrael
1 Momayuva, nga kapita, omuhoko wa Efraim tji wa hungire, omihoko omikwao vyarwe vya Israel tjandje mavi tira; ovyo aavi yozike omuhoko wa Efraim. Nungwari Ovaefraim va tjita ouvi mokurikotamena ku Baal, nowo otji mave ṱire otjiṋa hi. 2 Owo ve kara pokutura ondjo mokuungura oviserekarera ovisilveri okurikotamena ku vyo mbye ripurwa i ozondunge zovandu nu mbya ungurwa nomake wovandu. Tjazumba otji ve tja nai: “Punguheye ozombunguhiro ku vyo!” Omundu ma sora vi okuhupita oviserekarera mbyo mbi nomuhapo wozondwezu zozongombe! 3 Ovandu mba otji mave zengi otja ombundu yomuhuka omunene notja omueme mbu zenga rukuru mutenya. Owo mave sana kovisisiro mbi hingwa i ombepo okuza kotjitondero, nu mave sana komuise mbu pitira moruhungu rwomuise.
4 Muhona ma tja nai: “Owami Muhona, Ndjambi woye ngu mbe ku pitisa mehi ra Engipte. Ove ko na Ndjambi warwe posi yandje. Owami erike ngu mbi ri Omuyame woye. 5 Ami mbe ku ṱakamisa mehi onguza nekukutu. 6 Nungwari tji wa hita mehi ewa, we kuta no kowa, tjazumba arire tji we ritongamisa no ndji zembi. 7 Ami otji mbe ku rwisa otja ongeyama; me ku undjire mondjira yoye otja otjitotongwe. 8 Me ku rwisa otja ongu onḓenḓu ndja pandjarisa oungona, nami me nyondorora orukoro rwoye mokati. Me ku sasaura tjimanga otja ongeyama, nu me ku pora movindimbu pekepeke otja otjipuka tjokuti.
9 “Ami me ku yandeke, tjiwaṋa tja Israel! Tjazumba owaṋi ngu ma sora okukuvatera? 10 Ove wa ningira ombara novanane, nungwari owo mave sora vi okuyama otjiwaṋa? 11 Momazenge wandje ami mbe ku pa ombara, nu momapindi wandje arire tji mbe i isa po.
12 “Ourunde nouhasemba wa Israel vya tjangwa, nomatjangero nga ya pwikwa nawa. 13 Israel matji sora okuhupa, nungwari otjo otjiyova, tjimuna okanatje ku ke ri pokupandukwa, nungwari ku ke hi nokusora okupita mezumo. 14 Ami mba vanga okuyama otjiwaṋa hi kotjovakoke nokutjivatera komasa wonḓiro. Nḓiro, eta oviwonga vyoye! Tjovakoke, eta omayandekero woye! Ami hi nokuuhara ame ṱire otjiwaṋa hi otjari. 15 Nangarire kutja Israel tji nyomoka tjimuna ozohongwe, ami me hindi ombepo ombyu yokomuhuka okuza mokuti onguza, noyo mai pwirisa otuharwi twawo nozondjombo zawo, nu mai twara oviṋa avihe ovinanḓengu. 16 Samaria matji sokuverwa mena rokutja tje ndji pirukira. Ovature vatjo mave ṱu movita; ovanyame mave nyanyaurwa, novakazendu ovingundi mave ururwa.”
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.
