Yahwe bana ndebo ne Iziraela
1 Ihwani tjinoleba Yahwe,
“Milika ubige ndebo iyo mbeli kwe matombo,
uletje matuthu ahwe hwi lilo.
2 Ihwani ndebo ya Yahwe imwi matombo,
imwi thiwa dze shango dzigelile tjose.
Ngoti Yahwe bana ndebo ne bathu babo,
banowoseka ne Iziraela.
3 Imwi bathu bangu kanti ndathamani kumuli?
Ndamudziyidza ngeni kene? Mundidabile.
4 Ngoti ndakamudusa mu shango ye Egipiti,
amusunungula mu shango ye bulanda.
Ndakatuma Mushe kumutungamila
na Aroni na Miriyamu.
5 Bathu bangu, kumbulani
Bhalaki mambo we Moabu tjaakakumbuludza kuti tjishingwe
nenge kuti Bhalamu nkololo wa Bheori wakashandula eitini.
Kumbulani gwendo gwenyu kudwa ku Shitimu kuyenda ku Giligala,
kuyita kuti muzibe mishingo ye ndulamo ya Yahwe.”
Tjinoshakwa ndi Yahwe
6 Ndowozha ndakabhatani mbeli kwa Yahwe
ndithigama mbeli kwe Ndzimu upezhugwi kwakose?
Apa ndizhe mbeli kwabo ne zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa kene?
Ndizhe ne phulu dzina gole ling'ompela kene?
7 Apa Yahwe banowoshathisiwa nge nyundo dzili zwiwulu
nenge njizi dze mafuta dzili zwiwulu zwili gumi kene?
Apa ndiduse mbano yangu tjibhayilo tje jinyo langu kene,
ntjelo we mbili wangu ndiwudusila tjibi tjangu kene?
8 Bakakulakidza iwe nthu kuti tjakalulwama nditjipi,
ne tjinoshakwa ndi Yahwe mu kuli.
Banoshaka kuti ushinge tjakatambunuka ude ngoni
ne kutjila nge kuzwiyisa pasi nge Ndzimu uwo.
Nlandu we Iziraela ne shamu yawo
9 Hwi la Yahwe lodana nzi nkulu,
kutja zina lenyu ndigo butjenjedu
“Ihwani imwi ludzi ne gubungano!
10 Apa ndingakangang'wa kene iwe ng'umba ye mbipo,
ndingakangang'wa fumwa yakawang'wa nge bubi
ne tjilizanyo tjitukununu tjina bhiso kene?
11 Apa ndingaletjedza nthu una tjiyelo tjisiitjo,
una hwomo inotjebela kene?
12 Bafumi babe banotolela nge simba
bathu babe banyepi
ndimi dzabo dzoleba kutjebela.
13 Ndizo wali ndatangisa kumubulaya,
kumuthukudza ngekwe zwibi zwenyu.
14 Mowoja koga amutowoguta,
mitumbu yenyu inowobe isina tjimwe zwayo.
Mowokubunganya koga akuna tjamungabiganya,
ngoti tjamunobiganya ndowotjipa thumo.
15 Mowodzwala koga amutowovuna,
mowothama mafuta koga mukasiazhole,
mowoswina zhambi koga mukasing'we nkumbi wadzo.
16 Makalondolodza milayo ya Omiri
ne zwiyito zose zwe nsha wa Ahabu
ngono mukatobela zwilenje zwabo.
Ndizo wali ndowomuletjedza mukathukudzika,
ne bathu benyu banowolengudzika,
mowobhabhana ne kudada kwe njudzi.”
The Lord's Case against Israel
1 Listen to the Lord's case against Israel.
Arise, O Lord, and present your case; let the mountains and the hills hear what you say.
2 You mountains, you everlasting foundations of the earth, listen to the Lord's case! The Lord has a case against his people. He is going to bring an accusation against Israel.
3 The Lord says, “My people, what have I done to you? How have I been a burden to you? Answer me. 4 I brought you out of Egypt; I rescued you from slavery; I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you. 5 My people, remember what King Balak of Moab planned to do to you and how Balaam son of Beor answered him. Remember the things that happened on the way from the camp at Acacia to Gilgal. Remember these things and you will realize what I did in order to save you.”
What the Lord Requires
6 What shall I bring to the Lord, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him? Shall I bring the best calves to burn as offerings to him? 7 Will the Lord be pleased if I bring him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive oil? Shall I offer him my first-born child to pay for my sins? 8 No, the Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.
9 It is wise to fear the Lord. He calls to the city, “Listen, you people who assemble in the city! 10 In the houses of evil people are treasures which they got dishonestly. They use false measures, a thing that I hate. 11 How can I forgive those who use false scales and weights? 12 Your rich people exploit the poor, and all of you are liars. 13 So I have already begun your ruin and destruction because of your sins. 14 You will eat, but not be satisfied—in fact you will still be hungry. You will carry things off, but you will not be able to save them; anything you do save I will destroy in war. 15 You will sow grain, but not harvest the crop. You will press oil from olives, but never get to use it. You will make wine, but never drink it. 16 This will happen because you have followed the evil practices of King Omri and of his son, King Ahab. You have continued their policies, and so I will bring you to ruin, and everyone will despise you. People everywhere will treat you with contempt.”