1Israel was like a spreading vine.
They produced fruit for themselves.
As they grew more fruit,
they built more altars.
As their land became richer,
they made more beautiful the sacred stones they worshiped.
2Their hearts are dishonest.
So now they must pay for their sins.
The Lord will tear down their altars.
He’ll destroy their sacred stones.
3Then they’ll say, “We don’t have a king.
That’s because we didn’t have
any respect for the Lord.
But suppose we did have a king.
What could he do for us?”
4They make a lot of promises.
They make agreements among themselves.
They make promises they don’t mean to keep.
So court cases spring up
like poisonous weeds in a plowed field.
5The people who live in Samaria are filled with fear.
They are afraid for their god that looks like a calf.
They’re afraid it will be carried off from Beth Aven, that evil town.
They will mourn over it.
So will the priests who led them to worship it.
The priests were full of joy
because their statue was so glorious.
But it will be captured
and taken far away from them.
6It will be carried off to Assyria.
The people of Ephraim will be forced
to give it to the great king.
They will be dishonored.
Israel will be ashamed
of its agreements with other nations.
7Samaria’s king will be destroyed.
He will be like a twig swept away by a river.
8The high places where Israel worshiped other gods
will be destroyed.
That’s where they sinned against the Lord.
Thorns and weeds will grow up there.
They will cover the altars.
Then the people will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”
They’ll say to the hills, “Fall on us!”
9The Lord says,
“Israel, you have done evil things
ever since your people sinned at Gibeah long ago.
And you are still doing what is evil.
War will come again
to those who sinned at Gibeah.
10I will punish them when I want to.
Nations will gather together to fight against them.
They will put them in chains
because they have committed so many sins.
11Ephraim was like a well-trained young cow.
It loved to thresh grain.
So I will put a yoke
on its pretty neck.
I will make Ephraim do hard work.
Judah also must plow.
So all the people of Jacob
must break up the ground.
12Your hearts are as hard as a field
that has not been plowed.
If you change your ways,
you will produce good crops.
So plant the seeds of doing what is right.
Then you will harvest the fruit of your faithful love.
It is time to seek the Lord.
When you do, he will come
and shower his blessings on you.
13But you have planted the seeds of doing what is wrong.
So you have harvested the fruit of your evil conduct.
You have had to eat the fruit of your lies.
You have trusted in your own strength.
You have depended on your many soldiers.
14But the roar of battle will come against you.
All your forts will be completely destroyed.
It will happen just as Shalman
destroyed Beth Arbel in a battle.
Mothers and their children
were smashed on the ground.
15People of Bethel, that will happen to you.
You have committed far too many sins.
When the time comes for me to punish you,
the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.”
1Israel yɛɛ bobe a ɛtrɛtrɛw;
ɔsow aba maa ne ho.
Bere a nʼaba redɔɔso no,
osisii afɔremuka bebree;
nʼasase rekɔ so yɛ yiye no
osiesie nʼabosom dum kronkron no.
2Nnaadaasɛm wɔ wɔn koma mu,
nti ɛsɛ sɛ wonya wɔn afɔdi so asotwe.
Awurade bebubu wɔn afɔremuka,
na wasɛe wɔn abosom dum kronkron no.
3Afei, wɔbɛka se, “Yenni ɔhene,
efisɛ, yɛamfa nidi amma Awurade.
Mpo sɛ na yɛwɔ ɔhene koraa a,
dɛn na anka obetumi ayɛ ama yɛn?”
4Wɔhyɛ bɔ ahorow bebree,
wɔka ntamhunu
na wɔyɛ apam ahorow;
ɛno nti mansotwe sɔresɔre
te sɛ wura a bɔre wɔ mu
a afifi asase a wɔafuntum so so.
5Nnipa a wɔte Samaria no suro ma
Bet-Awen nantwi ba ohoni no.
Ne nkurɔfo besu.
Saa ara na nʼakɔmfo nso bɛyɛ,
wɔn a wogyee wɔn ani wɔ nʼanuonyam ho no.
Efisɛ wɔafa no afi wɔn nkyɛn kɔ nnommum mu.
6Wɔde no bɛkɔ Asiria,
de akɔhyɛ ɔhene kɛse no anuonyam.
Ebegu Efraim anim ase;
na Israel ani bewu wɔ ne nnua ahoni ho.
7Samaria na ne hene bɛsen akɔ
te sɛ abaa a ɛtɛn nsu ani.
8Wɔbɛsɛe abosonnan a wodi awurukasɛm ne bɔne wɔ mu no.
Nsɔe ne nnɛnkyɛnse befifi hɔ,
na akata wɔn afɔremuka so.
Afei wɔbɛka akyerɛ mmepɔw se, “Mommɛkata yɛn so!”
na wase nkoko se, “Munnwiriw ngu yɛn so!”
9“Efi Gibea bere so, woayɛ bɔne, Israel,
na hɔ na woaka.
Na ɔko rentwiw amfa
amumɔyɛfo a wɔwɔ Gibea no so ana?
10Bere a mepɛ no, mɛtwe wɔn aso;
aman bɛboaboa wɔn ho ano atia wɔn.
Wɔde mpokyerɛ begu wɔn wɔ wɔn bɔne dodow ho.
11Efraim yɛ nantwi ba a wɔayɛn no,
a ɔpɛ awiporowbea adwuma,
enti mede konnua
bɛto ne kɔn fɛɛfɛ mu.
Mɛkyerɛ Efraim ɔkwan,
ɛsɛ sɛ Yuda funtum asase no,
na Yakob nso siesie so.
12Dua trenee aba ma wo ho,
twa ɔdɔ aba a ɛtena hɔ daa,
siesie wʼasase a womfuntumii so no;
na bere adu sɛ wohwehwɛ Awurade,
kosi sɛ ɔbɛba
abɛpete trenee agu wo so.
13Nanso woadua atirimɔden aba,
na woatwa aba bɔne.
Woadi nnaadaa aba.
Efisɛ wode wo ho ato wʼahoɔden
ne wʼakofo bebrebe no so,
14ɔko mu huuyɛ bɛsɔre atia wo nkurɔfo,
na wʼaban nyinaa bɛsɛe,
sɛnea Salman sɛee Bet Arbel ɔko da no,
da a wɔde ɛnanom ne wɔn mma hwehwee fam no.
15Saa ara na ɛbɛba wo so, Bet-El,
efisɛ wʼatirimɔdensɛm no dɔɔso.
Sɛ da no du a,
Wɔbɛsɛe Israelhene no koraa.
