Upendo Wa Mungu Kwa Israeli
111:1 Kut 4:22; Mt 2:15; Yer 2:2; Eze 16:22; Hos 12:9; 13:4“Wakati Israeli alipokuwa mtoto, nilimpenda,
nilimwita mwanangu kutoka Misri.
211:2 Hos 2:13; 4:13; 2Fal 17:15; Isa 65:7; Yer 18:15Lakini kadiri nilivyomwita Israeli,
ndivyo walivyokwenda mbali nami.
Walitoa dhabihu kwa Mabaali
na kufukiza uvumba kwa vinyago.
311:3 Kum 1:31; 32:11; Kut 15:26; Yer 30:17Mimi ndiye niliyemfundisha Efraimu kutembea,
nikiwashika mikono;
lakini hawakutambua
kuwa ni mimi niliyewaponya.
411:4 Yer 31:2-3, 20; Law 26:13; Kut 16:32; Za 78:25Niliwaongoza kwa kamba za huruma ya kibinadamu,
kwa vifungo vya upendo;
niliondoa nira shingoni mwao
nami nikainama kuwalisha.
511:5 Yer 8:4-6; Hos 7:16; 10:6; Kut 13:17“Je, hawatarudi Misri,
nayo Ashuru haitawatawala
kwa sababu wamekataa kutubu?
611:6 Hos 13:16; Mao 2:9Panga zitametameta katika miji yao,
zitaharibu makomeo ya malango yao
na kukomesha mipango yao.
711:7 Yer 3:6-7; 8:5; Isa 26:10Watu wangu wamedhamiria kuniacha.
Hata kama wakimwita Yeye Aliye Juu Sana,
kwa vyovyote hatawainua.
811:8 Mwa 14:8; 19:25; Hos 6:4; Mao 3:32; Yer 7:29; Za 25:6; 1Fal 3:26“Efraimu, ninawezaje kukuacha?
Ee Israeli, ninawezaje kukutoa?
Nitawezaje kukutendea kama Adma?
Nitawezaje kukufanya kama Seboimu?
Moyo wangu umegeuka ndani yangu,
huruma zangu zote zimeamshwa.
911:9 Kum 13:17Sitatimiza hasira yangu kali,
wala sitageuka na kumharibu Efraimu.
Kwa kuwa mimi ndimi Mungu,
wala si mwanadamu,
Aliye Mtakatifu miongoni mwenu.
Sitakuja kwa ghadhabu.
1011:10 Hos 3:5; 6:1-3; Isa 31:4; 42:13; Za 18:45Watamfuata Bwana;
atanguruma kama simba.
Wakati angurumapo,
watoto wake watakuja wakitetemeka
kutoka magharibi.
1111:11 Isa 11:11; Mwa 8:8; Eze 28:26; 34:25-28Watakuja wakitetemeka
kama ndege wakitoka Misri,
kama hua wakitoka Ashuru.
Nitawakalisha katika nyumba zao,”
asema Bwana.
Dhambi Ya Israeli
1211:12 Hos 4:2; 10:13; Kum 7:9Efraimu amenizunguka kwa uongo,
nyumba ya Israeli kwa udanganyifu.
Naye Yuda ni mkaidi dhidi ya Mungu,
hata kinyume cha yule mwaminifu Aliye Mtakatifu.
God’s love for Israel
1‘When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2But the more they were called,
the more they went away from me.11:2 Septuagint; Hebrew them
They sacrificed to the Baals
and they burned incense to images.
3It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
taking them by the arms;
but they did not realise
it was I who healed them.
4I led them with cords of human kindness,
with ties of love.
To them I was like one who lifts
a little child to the cheek,
and I bent down to feed them.
5‘Will they not return to Egypt
and will not Assyria rule over them
because they refuse to repent?
6A sword will flash in their cities;
it will devour their false prophets
and put an end to their plans.
7My people are determined to turn from me.
Even though they call me God Most High,
I will by no means exalt them.
8‘How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
How can I make you like Zeboyim?
My heart is changed within me;
all my compassion is aroused.
9I will not carry out my fierce anger,
nor will I devastate Ephraim again.
For I am God, and not a man –
the Holy One among you.
I will not come against their cities.
10They will follow the Lord;
he will roar like a lion.
When he roars,
his children will come trembling from the west.
11They will come from Egypt,
trembling like sparrows,
from Assyria, fluttering like doves.
I will settle them in their homes,’
declares the Lord.
Israel’s sin
12Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,
Israel with deceit.
And Judah is unruly against God,
even against the faithful Holy One.11:12 In Hebrew texts this verse (11:12) is numbered 12:1.