Ohole yOmwene
1 Israel fimbo a li omunyasha, onda li ndi mu hole, nomona wange omumati nde mu ifana mo muEgipiti. 2 Alushe eshi va ifanwa, ova pilamena ko. Ova yambela ooBaal nova twimina oihongwafano. 3 Ndele Ame mwene nda longa Efraim okweenda. Ye okwe va papata momaoko aye. Ndelenee vo inava shiiva nge, nokutya Ame onde va velula. 4 Onde va shila momapando ovanhu nomiya dohole. Onda fa nda yululula ondjoko yomofingo yavo, ndele nda petama kuvo noku va palula. 5 Itava ka shuna mbela koshilongo shaEgipiti, naAsiria ita ka ninga mbela ohamba yavo, osheshi ova anya okulidilulula? 6 Ndele eongamukonda tali ke uya moilando yaye, ndele tali ka hanauna po oiidilifo yaye, ndele tali li omolweemhangela davo. 7 Osheshi oshiwana shange osha loloka okwaalukila kwaame nonge tashi ifanwa shi tale pombada, kaku na ou ta fikama. 8 Ondi ku efe ngahelipi, Efraim, nondi ku ekeleshi ngahelipi, Israel? Ondi ku efe ngahelipi ngaashi Adma, nondi ku ninge ngahelipi ngaashi Seboim? Omutima wange we lidilulula nolukeno lange lwa penduka. 9 Ame itandi ka wanifa oupyuhandu wange. Ame itandi ka nyona po vali Efraim, osheshi Aame Kalunga, hamunhu, Aame omuyapuki mokati keni. Ndele Ame itandi ke uya ndi noupyuhandu. 10 Ndele otava shikula Omwene. Ye ota ka kumba ngaashi onghoshi, heeno, Ye ota ka kumba nounona otave uya nokukakama tava di kouninginino. 11 Otave uya nokukakama tava di muEgipiti ngaashi eedila, moshilongo shaAsiria ngaashi eenghuti. Ndele ohandi va alulile momaumbo avo, Omwene osho ta ti.
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.
