Elob ǀnammi, ǁîb mâǃoaxa khoen ǃaroma
1 ǃKhūb ge ra mî:
“ǂKhammi a hîa ta ge Israela ge ǀnam
tsî ti ôab ase Egipteba xu ge ǂgai.
2 ǁÎna ta ge ǂgai,
xawen ge ǃaruǀîǀgui tita xu ge bē.
Baalgan ge ge ǁguiba;
ǁgôa-elogan ge khauǁguibade ge dība.
3 Tita ge Efraimma ǃgûsa ge ǁkhāǁkhā ta,
tita ge ǁîna ǁôakha ai ge tani,
xawen ge tita ge ǁîna ǂgauǂgau ǃkhaisa ǂanǃgâ tama hâ.
4 Khoesi tsurigu ǀkha ta ge tita ǁîna ge ǂgae;
ǀnammi di tsurigu ǀkha
tsî ta ge ǁîna ǃnanigu âna xu jokhoesa ra ūkhâi-i ase ge ība;
tita ge ǃgamǃgâ tsî ǁîna ra ǂûmā.
5 “ǁÎn ge Egipteb ǁga nî oa tsîb ge Asiriaba nî ǁîn di gao-ao, tita ǁga oasan ge ǂkhā amaga. 6 Gôab ge ǁîn ǃādi ǃnâ hâ tsî ǁîn ǃādi di daoǁkhaede nî hîkākā tsî ǁîna ǁkhui-aomdi ân ǃnâ nî hapu. 7 Ti ǁaes ge tita xu ǁnāǁgôas ai ǂgāmâisen hâ. Tsîn ga Hoan xa ǀGapiba ǂgaiǀî xawes tsînan ge ǁîba ǀgapiǀgapi tama hâ.
8 “Mâti ta kha nî māǁnâ tsi Efraimtse?
Mâti ta kha nî ǁnāxū tsi Israeltse?
Mâti ta kha Admas khami nî dī tsi
tsî Seboims khami nî ǂnûi tsi?
Ti ǂgaob ge tita ǃnâ dabaǃkhurisen hâ,
ti tsâbaǁhaos ge tita ǃnâ a ǀgaisa.
9 Ti ǁaixasib di ǀgamma ta ge sîsenǂui tide;
ǁkhawa ta ge Efraimma hîkākā tide.
Tita ge a Elo, khoe tama ta ge,
tita ǀguita sadu ǁaegu hâ ta,
ti ǁaixasib ǃnâ ta ge sadu tawa hā tide.
10 “ǁÎn ge ǃKhūba nî saoǃgon, xammi khamib ga ǁîn khākhoen ǃoagu ǃguruo. ǁÎb ga ǃguru on ge ǀgôana ǀkhū rase huriǂoasa xu nî hā. 11 ǁÎn ge Egipteba xu hâ ani-i khami nî ǀkhū, tsî Asiriab di ǃhūba xu hâ ǂnabu-i khami; tsî ta ge tita ǁîna omdi ân ǃnâ nî ǁan kai,”
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.Israeli tsî Judab ge ra ǀgoraǃgâhe
12 Efraimmi ge ǂhumib ǀkha hâǂnami te hâ tsî Israeli omma gāxaǃnâsib ǀkha. Judab ge noxopa Elob ǃoagu ra khâikhâisen.
God's Love for His People
1 When Israel was a child,
I loved him, and I called
my son out of Egypt.
2 But as the saying goes,
“The more they were called,
the more they rebelled.”
They never stopped offering
incense and sacrifices
to the idols of Baal.
3 I took Israel by the arm
and taught them to walk.
But they would not admit
that I was the one
who had healed them.
4 I led them with kindness
and with love,
not with ropes.
I held them close to me;
I bent down to feed them.
5 But they rejected me,
and so must return to Egypt;
now Assyria will rule them.
6 War will visit their cities,
and their plans will fail.
7 My people are determined
to reject me for a god
they think is stronger,
but he can't help.
8 Israel, I can't let you go.
I can't give you up.
How could I possibly destroy you
as I did the towns of Admah
and Zeboiim?
I just can't do it.
My feelings for you
are much too strong.
9 Israel, I won't lose my temper
and destroy you again.
I am the Holy God—
not merely some human,
and I won't stay angry.
10 I, the Lord, will roar like a lion,
and my children will return,
trembling from the west.
11 They will come back,
fluttering like birds from Egypt
or like doves from Assyria.
Then I will bring them
back to their homes.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
Israel and Judah Compared
12 Israel is deceitful to me,
their loyal and holy God;
they surround me with lies,
and Judah worships
other gods.
