Israel Nni Ahonu
1“Mommra, momma yɛnsan nkɔ Awurade nkyɛn.
Watetew yɛn mu asinasin
nanso ɔbɛsa yɛn yare.
Wapirapira yɛn
nanso ɔbɛkyekyere yɛn apirakuru.
2Nnaanu akyi, ɔbɛma yɛanya ahoɔden;
nansa so, ɔde yɛn besi yɛn sibea
na yɛanya nkwa wɔ nʼanim.
3Momma yennye Awurade nto mu;
momma yɛnkɔ so nnye no nto mu.
Sɛnea owia pue da biara no, obepue;
ɔbɛba yɛn nkyɛn te sɛ osu a ɛtɔ awɔwbere mu
anaa asusow bere mu su a ɛfɔw asase.”
4“Dɛn na metumi de wo ayɛ, Efraim?
Dɛn na metumi de wo ayɛ, Yuda?
Mo dɔ te sɛ anɔpa bɔ,
ɛte sɛ anɔpa bosu a etu yera.
5Mede mʼadiyifo twitwaa mo mu asinasin,
mede mʼanom nsɛm kunkum mo;
mʼatemmu baa mo so sɛ anyinam.
6Mepɛ ahummɔbɔ na ɛnyɛ afɔrebɔ,
mepɛ Onyankopɔn ho nimdeɛ sen ɔhyew afɔre.
7Wɔabu apam no so sɛnea Adam yɛe.
Wɔanni me nokware wɔ hɔ.
8Gilead yɛ atirimɔdenfo kuropɔn
a mogya anammɔn akeka hɔ.
9Sɛnea akwamukafo ka kwan mu no
saa ara na asɔfokuw no nso yɛ;
wodi awu wɔ Sekem tempɔn so,
yɛ nnebɔne a ɛyɛ animguase.
10Mahu ahodwiriwde wɔ Israelfi.
Ɛhɔ, Efraim kɔ aguamammɔ mu
Israel gu ne ho fi.
11“Na wo Yuda nso,
wɔahyɛ otwa bere ama wo.
“Bere biara a mede me nkurɔfo siade bɛsan ama wɔn no,
Israel unrepentant
1‘Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.
2After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.
3Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.’
4‘What can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
like the early dew that disappears.
5Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
I killed you with the words of my mouth –
then my judgments go forth like the sun.6:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
6For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
7As at Adam,6:7 Or Like Adam; or Like human beings they have broken the covenant;
they were unfaithful to me there.
8Gilead is a city of evildoers,
stained with footprints of blood.
9As marauders lie in ambush for a victim,
so do bands of priests;
they murder on the road to Shechem,
carrying out their wicked schemes.
10I have seen a horrible thing in Israel:
there Ephraim is given to prostitution,
Israel is defiled.
11‘Also for you, Judah,
a harvest is appointed.
‘Whenever I would restore the fortunes of my people,
