1 and to heal its wounds.
But then I see the crimes
in Israel and Samaria.
Everyone is deceitful;
robbers roam the streets.
2 No one realizes
that I have seen their sins
surround them like a flood.
3 The king and his officials
take great pleasure
in their sin and deceit.
4 Everyone burns with desire—
they are like coals in an oven,
ready to burst into flames.
5 On the day their king
was crowned,
his officials got him drunk,
and he joined
in their foolishness.
6 Their anger is a fire
that smolders all night,
then flares up at dawn.
7 They are flames
destroying their leaders.
And their kings are powerless;
none of them trust me.
8 The people of Israel
have mixed with foreigners;
they are a thin piece of bread
scorched on one side.
9 They don't seem to realize
how weak and feeble they are;
their hair has turned gray,
while foreigners rule.
10 I am the Lord, their God,
but in all of their troubles
their pride keeps them
from returning to me.
No Help from Foreign Nations
The Lord said:
11 Israel is a senseless bird,
fluttering back and forth
between Egypt and Assyria.
12 But I will catch them in a net
as hunters trap birds;
I threatened to punish them,
and indeed I will.
13 Trouble and destruction
will be their reward
for rejecting me.
I would have rescued them,
but they told me lies.
14 They don't really pray to me;
they just howl in their beds.
They have rejected me for Baal
and slashed themselves,
in the hope that Baal
will bless their crops.
15 I taught them what they know,
and I made them strong.
Now they plot against me
16 and refuse to obey.
They are more useless
than a crooked arrow.
Their leaders will die in war
for saying foolish things.
Egyptians will laugh at them.
1 Ndoti ndipodza Iziraela,
matjinyo a Ifureimi akazumbunuka
ne mishingo mibi ye Samariya.
Ngoti banotjebela,
mbava dzothukila mu ng'umba,
makoko e batoleli anotolela mu zila.
2 Koga abatoalakana
kuti ndokumbula mija yabo yose mibiibi.
Zwibi zwabo zwakabakomba,
misi yose zwimu mesho angu.
3 Bakashathisa mambo nge mija yabo mibi,
nge manyepkhwa abo bakashathisa babusi.
4 Bose koga i phombgwe
banopisika se tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tjina moto,
tjinoti mbhiki kasishete kuti atjifulushe
kudwa pakuvanga bgwisa kunoti tjiwunga tjibila.
5 Mu zhuba le nzano wa mambo wabo,
makulukota banoti bakagwala begwalisiwa nge nkumbi we zhambi,
mambo ebhatshanya maboko ne badadili.
6 Mimoyo yabo inopisa se tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo
be sedzela panli nge kubilibindana.
Kuzhalilana mu kugwadza moyo kwabo kokula busiku gose,
mu mangwanana kube kuthuta se nthuto.
7 Bose koga banopisa se tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo,
ngono banoja batungamili babo.
Bomambo babo bose bawa
ngono akuna unondidana.
8 Ifureimi unozwishangashanganya ne njudzi
Ifureimi tjiwunga tjabhikwa tjikasishandugwe.
9 Bataya banoswipa masimba awe,
koga aatobona.
Mavudzi awe abe ne vi apaje na apaje,
koga aatoziba.
10 Kuzwida kwa Iziraela kotendeka nge kukwe,
ngono nekwakajalo
aatobgwilila kuna Yahwe Ndzimu uwe
kene kuushaka ngekwa ikoko kose.
11 Ifureimi unonga njiba
isina njele isina nkumbulo,
Banodana Egipiti kubhatsha,
bakatizhila ku Asiriya.
12 Banowoti beyenda, abaangila nge gwanga gwangu,
ndowobakwebela pasi se nyuni dzinowuluka.
Ndowobaloba kuyendidzana
nge mbiko yakazibisiwa gubungano labo.
13 Yee mme wee bapalala,
ngoti bakalashika nge kudwa pandili!
Golomodzo nge labo,
ngoti bakandipandukila!
14 Abatondililila nge moyo yabo,
banolila bali pezhugwi kwe malawo abo.
Banokubunganila mathunde ne nkumbi we zhambi,
koga bendipandukila.
15 Ndimi ndakabadiya abasimisa maboko abo,
koga banondilukila gwanga.
16 Abatoshandukila kuna Upezhugwi,
banonga dati latjishakala.
Makulukota abo anowoligwa nge thumo
ngekwe ndebeleko dzabo.
Ikoku kowobe madado kubali mu shango ye Egipiti.