Ludo gwe Ndzimu mu bathu bawo
1 Iziraela wakati atji mwana an'da,
nkololo wangu an'dana ku bhuda mu Egipiti.
2 Koga andibadana kwazo,
ndiko kwabanoyenda tjose kule nami,
bebe bebhayila bo Bhaale zwibhayilo
bepisila midzimu ye zwifano motsha.
3 Koga ndimi ndakadiya Ifureimi kuyenda
ndibathamisa tendemana,
koga abatoziba kuti ndimi ndakabapodza.
4 Ndakabakweba nge mitjili ye lubu gwe buthu,
ndibakweba nge misungo ye ludo.
Ndakadusa jokwi mu mitshibha yabo
ngono hakotama kubapatjika zojiwa.
5 Abatowobgwilila ku Egipiti,
koga Asiriya inowobe mambo wabo
ngoti bakalamba kushandukila ku ndili.
6 Thumo lowolila mu mizi yabo mikulu
lowokolomodza phanda dze mikoba yabo,
thumo lowolila nge mabaka e ndongoloso dzabo.
7 Bathu bangu bakazwimisila kundifupatila,
nenguba bedana Upezhugwizhugwi
haangabakudze.
8 Ndinga kutoboka tjini Ifureimi?
Ndinga kulasha tjini Iziraela?
Ndinga kuthama se Adima tjini wali?
Ndinga kuthama se Zeboyimi tjini?
Moyo wangu washanduka mundili,
ngoni dzangu dzakula mukuli.
9 Anditowoshingikadza bushongola gwangu gunotjisa,
kene kuli kolomola Ifureimi.
Ngoti ndi Ndzimu ate ndili nthu,
ndi Wakayengemala pakati kwenyu.
Anditowozha ndakagwadza moyo.
10 Banowotobela Yahwe,
iye unowobomba se shumba.
Unowoti ebomba,
bana babe banowozha betetema kudwa ku golombedzo.
11 Banowozha betetema se nyuni kudwa ku Egipiti,
se njiba kudwa ku shango ye Asiriya.
Ngono ndowobagadza mu mizi yabo, kojalo Yahwe.
12 Ifureimi wakandikomba nge manyepkhwa,
Baiziraela ibo nge kutjebela.
Koga Juda utjayendayenda ne Ndzimu,
unogalika moyo kuna Wakayengemala.
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.