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 Rebellious People
1 The Lord says,
“When Israel was a child, I loved him
and called him out of Egypt as my son.
2 But the more I called to him,
the more he turned away from me.
My people sacrificed to Baal;
they burned incense to idols.
3 Yet I was the one who taught Israel to walk.
I took my people up in my arms,
but they did not acknowledge that I took care of them.
4 I drew them to me with affection and love.
I picked them up and held them to my cheek;
I bent down to them and fed them.
5 “They refuse to return to me, and so they must return to Egypt, and Assyria will rule them. 6 War will sweep through their cities and break down the city gates. It will destroy my people because they do what they themselves think best. 7 They insist on turning away from me. They will cry out because of the yoke that is on them, but no one will lift it from them.
8 “How can I give you up, Israel?
How can I abandon you?
Could I ever destroy you as I did Admah,
or treat you as I did Zeboiim?
My heart will not let me do it!
My love for you is too strong.
9 I will not punish you in my anger;
I will not destroy Israel again.
For I am God and not a mere human being.
I, the Holy One, am with you.
I will not come to you in anger.
10 “My people will follow me when I roar like a lion at their enemies. They will hurry to me from the west. 11 They will come from Egypt, as swiftly as birds, and from Assyria, like doves. I will bring them to their homes again. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Israel and Judah Are Condemned
12 The Lord says, “The people of Israel have surrounded me with lies and deceit, and the people of Judah are still rebelling against me, the faithful and holy God.
