1 “Bakulu babo be tjilume uti ku bali, ‘Bathu bangu’ ku hazwadzi dzidzo uti, ‘Bahwigwazogwadza.’ ”
Iziraela ayitogalikabgwe
2 “Tjemelani mme benyu, mubatjemele,
ngoti ate bali nkadzi wangu
nami atendili nlume wabo.
Ngabaduse ndingo ye bufukula mu tjiso tjabo,
ne bupombgwe baguduse pakati kwe mazhamu abo.
3 Kusajalo ndowobaambula bakasala basakambala
ndibathama mbujo kufanana ne zhuba labakazwagwa,
ndowobathama bakanga tjilambanyika,
ndibashandula bebe shango yakatshwa nge zhuba,
ndibe ndibabulaya nge nyota.
4 Anditowohwila zogwadza bana babe,
ngoti bana be bupombgwe.
5 Ngobe mme babo abazotongogalikabgwe
babakazwisenga nge mabhatisa shoni.
Ngobe bakazwidwa bakati, ‘Ndowotobela badiwa bangu,
ibo banondipa zojiwa zwangu ne vula yangu,
banondipa wulu yangu ne jila langu ne mafuta angu ne tjing'o tjangu.’
6 Ndizo ikweno ndowozwina zila yabo nge mihwa,
ngono ndowobaka guma linobadzibila,
kuyita kuti basitongo bona zila dzabo.
7 Banowolonda badi babo koga bakasitongobabhata,
banowobashaka koga bakasibabone.
Ipapo banowoti,
‘Ndobgwilila ku nlume wangu we kutanga,
ngoti ndakabe ndiyita kupinda ngwenu.’
8 Abatoziba kuti ndimi ndakabapa
mathunde ne nkumbi we zhambi ne mafuta,
kuti ndimi ndakabe ndimbutitikila siliva ne golide
zwabakashingisa muna Bhaale.”
9 Ndizo wali ndowotola
mathunde angu pa kuvung'wa,
ne nkumbi we zhambi mu tjibaka tjawo.
Ndowotola wulu yangu ne jila langu,
zwababe bakafanila kusungila.
10 Ndowobambula mbeli kwe badi babo
bakasala bali mbujo mu mesho abo,
akuna ungabagwila mu maboko angu.
11 Ndowomisa kushatha kwabo kose,
mizano yabo ye gole ne gole neye Mwedzi ugala,
na bo Sabata babo, mizano yose yakabigwa.
12 “Ndowothukudza mizhambi yabo ne mipaya yabo
yabakati ngekwayo
‘Ikoku i ndipo yangu
yandakapiwa ne badi bangu.’
Ndoyithama ishakana,
ngono phuka dze shango dzowoyija.”
13 Ndowobalobela mazhuba e mizano yaakathamila bo Bhaale
be bapisila motsha,
bezwinakisa nge mang'ina ne ndalama,
besalana shule ne badi babo
imi bendikangang'wa, koleba Yahwe.
14 “Ndizo wali bonani ndowobawonga
abayisa ku tjilambanyika,
abe ndilebeleka nabo nge ludo.
15 Kudwa ikoko ndowobagwilizila minda yabo ye mizhambi,
ngono ndowothama Nkuku wa Akhori nkoba we kugalabgwe.
Ikoko banowondiamutjila sekwa bakathama mu mazhuba e butjetjana gwabo,
se mu mazhuba abakabhuda mu shango ye Egipiti.
16 “Mu zhuba ilelo, koleba Yahwe,
unowondidana uti, ‘Nlume wangu,’
autowobe utjati, ‘Bhaale wangu.’
17 Ndowodusa mazina abo Bhaale mu nlomo wabo,
mazina abo aatjowofa adang'wa kakale.
18 Mu zhuba ilelo ndowobathamila tjidumano
ibo ne phuka dze shango ne nyuni dzinowuluka
ne zwibumbiwa zwinokambayila pasi.
Dati ne thumo ne ngwa
ndowozwipedza mu shango,
ndizo kuti mose mowogala nge kusununguka.
19 Ndowokubigilidza nge kusingapele,
ndowokubigilidza nge ndulamo nenge kutambunuka
mu ludo gusingazunguzike nenge mahwilongoni.
20 Ndowokubigilidza nge kugalikabgwe,
ngono unowoziba Yahwe.
21 “Mu zhuba ilelo ndowodabila koleba Yahwe,
ndowodabila kudzimu,
kudzimu kowodabila shango,
22 ngono shango inowodabila mathunde, nkumbi ne mafuta,
izwezwi zowodabila Jezirele.
23 Ndowobazwidzikilila mu shango,
ndowohwila ngoni bandakadana nditi,
‘Handitjowohwila ngoni.’
Ngono ndowodwa bandakadana nditi,
‘Amute muli bathu bangu,’ nditi ‘Mu bathu bangu,’
ngono ibo banowoti, ‘Imwi mu Ndzimu wangu.’ ”
1 So let your brothers be called “My People” and your sisters be called “Shown Mercy.”
The Lord Promises To Punish Israel
2 Accuse! Accuse your mother!
She is no longer my wife,
and now I, the Lord,
am not her husband.
Beg her to give up prostitution
and stop being unfaithful,
3 or I will strip her naked
like the day she was born.
I will make her barren
like a desert,
and she will die of thirst.
4 You children are the result
of her unfaithfulness,
and I'll show you no pity.
5 Your mother was unfaithful.
She was disgraceful and said,
“I'll run after my lovers.
Everything comes from them—
my food and drink,
my linen and wool,
my olive oil and wine.”
6 I, the Lord, will build
a fence of thorns
to block her path.
7 She will run after her lovers,
but not catch them;
she will search,
but not find them.
Then she will say, “I'll return
to my first husband.
Life was better then.”
8 She didn't know that her grain,
wine, and olive oil
were gifts from me,
as were the gold and silver
she used in worshiping Baal.
9 So I'll hold back the harvest
of grain and grapes.
I'll take back
my wool and my linen
that cover her body.
10 Then I'll strip her naked
in the sight of her lovers.
No one can rescue her.
11 I'll stop Israel's celebrations—
no more New Moon Festivals,
Sabbaths, or other feasts.
12 She said, “My lovers gave me
vineyards and fig trees
as payment for sex.”
Now I, the Lord, will ruin
her vineyards and fig trees;
they will become clumps of weeds
eaten by wild animals.
13 I'll punish her for the days
she worshiped Baal
and burned incense to him.
I'll punish her for the times
she forgot about me
and wore jewelry and rings
to attract her lovers.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
The Lord Will Help Israel
14 Israel, I, the Lord,
will lure you into the desert
and speak gently to you.
15 I will return your vineyards,
and then Trouble Valley
will become Hopeful Valley.
You will say “Yes” to me
as you did in your youth,
when leaving Egypt.
16 I promise from that day on, you will call me your husband instead of your master. 17 I will no longer even let you mention the names of those pagan gods that you called “Master.” 18 And I will agree to let you live in peace—you will no longer be attacked by wild animals and birds or by weapons of war. 19 I will accept you as my wife forever, and instead of a bride price I will give you justice, fairness, love, kindness, 20 and faithfulness. Then you will truly know who I am.
21 I will command the sky to send rain on the earth, 22 and it will produce grain, grapes, and olives in Jezreel Valley. 23 I will scatter the seeds and show mercy to Lo-Ruhamah. I will say to Lo-Ammi, “You are my people,” and they will answer, “You are our God.”