1 Everything that the people of Israel do from morning to night is useless and destructive. Treachery and acts of violence increase among them. They make treaties with Assyria and do business with Egypt.”
2 The Lord has an accusation to bring against the people of Judah; he is also going to punish Israel for the way her people act. He will pay them back for what they have done. 3 Their ancestor Jacob struggled with his twin brother Esau while the two of them were still in their mother's womb; when Jacob grew up, he fought against God— 4 he fought against an angel and won. He wept and asked for a blessing. And at Bethel God came to our ancestor Jacob and spoke with him. 5 This was the Lord God Almighty—the Lord is the name by which he is to be worshiped. 6 So now, descendants of Jacob, trust in your God and return to him. Be loyal and just, and wait patiently for your God to act.
Further Words of Judgment
7 The Lord says, “The people of Israel are as dishonest as the Canaanites; they love to cheat their customers with false scales. 8 ‘We are rich,’ they say. ‘We've made a fortune. And no one can accuse us of getting rich dishonestly.’ 9 But I, the Lord your God who led you out of Egypt, I will make you live in tents again, as you did when I came to you in the desert.
10 “I spoke to the prophets and gave them many visions, and through the prophets I gave my people warnings. 11 Yet idols are worshiped in Gilead, and those who worship them will die. Bulls are sacrificed in Gilgal, and the altars there will become piles of stone in the open fields.”
12 Our ancestor Jacob had to flee to Mesopotamia, where, in order to get a wife, he worked for another man and took care of his sheep. 13 The Lord sent a prophet to rescue the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt and to take care of them. 14 The people of Israel have made the Lord bitterly angry; they deserve death for their crimes. Their Lord will punish them for the disgrace they have brought on him.
1 Ifureimi wakalisa phepo,
unotatamila phepo ye kubhezhuba zhuba lose,
bebe bewatsha manyepkhwa ne kumukilana.
Unothama nshanganyila ne Asiriya,
ebe etumila mafuta e thoba ku Egipiti.
2 Yahwe bana nlandu wabanopa Juda,
banowoloba Jakubo shamu kuyendidzana ne mipanga iye
bebe benlipa kuyendidzana ne mija iye.
3 Mu tjibumbilo wakabhata nkulu uwe nge itshitshino,
kati abe nlume kadzulana ne Ndzimu.
4 Wakadzulana ne ntumwa we kudzimu kakunda,
kalila kakumbila makombolelo.
Kashangana naye ku Bhetele,
ngono kalebeleka naye ikoko.
5 Yahwe Ndzimu Masimbawose,
zina labo ndi Yahwe!
6 Koga iwe bgwilila ku Ndzimu uwo,
usimise mu ludo nemu ndulamo,
ulindile Ndzimu uwo usinganyale.
7 Nseyenyi unoshingisa zwilizanyo zwisiizo
unoda kutjebela.
8 Ifureimi unozwikudza eti, “Ahaa ndakafuma,
ndakazwikubunganyila fumwa.
Mu fumwa yangu yose iyeyi,
akuna nlandu wabangawana ungabe tjibi.”
9 Ndimi Yahwe Ndzimu uwo,
kudwa ku shango ye Egipiti,
ndowothama kuti mugale mu mishasha kakale
se mu misi ye mizano yenyu yakabigwa.
10 Ndakalebeleka ne balebesambeli,
ndimi ndakawatsha mibono
adiya nge zwifaniso ndibo.
11 Bubi guyapo mu Giliyadi,
bathu bako abateli tjimwe.
Mu Giligala banothama zwibhayilo zwe mikono.
Zwibeso zwabo zowonga matuluthulu e mabgwe
mu ngolo dze nnda.
12 Jakubo wakatizhila ku shango ya Aramu,
ngono ikoko Iziraela kashingila kuwana nkadzi,
malobolo awe akabe kulisa pkhwizi.
13 Yahwe bakashingisa nlebesambeli kuzhisa Iziraela edwa ku Egipiti,
bakashingisa nlebesambeli kuntjengeta.
14 Koga Ifureimi wakanditanga kwakabipa,
ndizo wali Yahwe banowonkhiga nlandu we kutebula malopa
ngono banowonlipa nge kulengudzika.