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.
Kusumikilisiwa kwe bupelo kwa Iziraela
1 Ifureimi wakabe eti ha elebeleka, balume banotetema,
wakabe akakudziwa mu Iziraela.
Koga wakabe ne nlandu we kunamata Bhaale ngono kafa.
2 Ngono ngwenu banotjinya bepaphulula,
bezwithamigwa midzimu ye zwifano nge siliva,
beithama nge bunyambi gwabo,
kose kuli mishingo ye babezhi.
Banoti, “Muzwi bhayile zwibhayilo.”
Bathu bebe beputa midzimu ye ifano tje phulu.
3 Ndizo wali banowofanana ne fulele ye mangwanana,
befanana ne khawa inoshashamuka mangwanana,
benga bunye gunowuluka gudwa panoshokolegwa,
se busi gunobhuda nge fesitere.
4 Ndagala ndili Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu
koga kudwa ku Egipiti.
Akuna mmwe Ndzimu wamunga ziba usi imi,
akuna mmwe Ntjidzi andisi imi.
5 Ndakamuziba amutjengeta mu tjilambanyika
mu shango yakawomelela.
6 Ndakati ndibapa zojiwa bakagutshika,
bakati beguta bakazwida
ipapo bakandikangang'wa.
7 Ndizo wali ndowobanginilila se shumba,
ndowoyedza ngwe ndibalalila pa zila.
8 Ndowobatjulukila se bhira yatolegwa bana bayo,
ngono ndowomwandawula bhetelo le moyo wabo.
Ndowobaja se shumba,
se tjibandana tjingabamwawulanya.
9 Iwe Iziraela ndowokukolomodza,
ndiani ungakubhatsha kene?
10 Ungayi mambo uwo, kuti akutjidze?
Bangayi batungamili babo mu mizi iyo yose
bawakati nge kwabo,
“Mundipeni mambo ne batungamili?”
11 Ndaka kupa mambo mu kugwadza moyo kwangu,
ngono mu bushongola gwangu an'dusa.
12 Jinyo la Ifureimi lakasungiligwa,
tjibi tjitje tjakabiganyiwa.
13 Zwibhayo zwinonga zwe kutshibama zonzhila,
koga iye nkololo usakatjenjela.
Ha tjibaka tjiswika
aatosedzela pa nkoba we tjibumbilo.
14 Ndowobadzutunula mu masimba e ikumbu,
ndowobadzutunula mu lufu.
Iwe lufu zwibhayo zwizo zwingayi?
Iwe ikumbu kukolomodza kuko kungayi?
Imi anditjawobe ne ngoni.
15 Kene angabhudilila pakati kwe bana ba tate babe,
phepo yeku bhezhuba inowozha idwa kuna Yahwe
itutudza idwa mu tjilambanyika.
Misenya iye ye vula inowopela
ne tshime lile lowopkhwa.
Fumwa imu dula lile inowotapiwa,
kose kwakanaka kumulili.
16 Samariya inowosengana ne jinyo layo,
ngoti yakapandukila Ndzimu wayo.
Inowoligwa nge thumo,
ngawana dzayo dzowopkhwanyigwa pasi,
bakazwisenga muili banowopalugwa mitumbu.