The Lord Is Angry With Israel
1When the tribe of Ephraim spoke,
the other tribes trembled with fear.
Ephraim was honored in Israel.
But its people sinned by worshiping Baal.
So they were as good as dead.
2Now they sin more and more.
They use their silver
to make statues of gods for themselves.
The statues come from their own clever ideas.
Skilled workers make all of them.
The people pray to these gods.
They offer human sacrifices to them.
They kiss the gods that look like calves.
3So these people will vanish like the morning mist.
They will soon disappear like the early dew.
They will be like straw
that the wind blows around on a threshing floor.
They will be like smoke
that escapes through a window.
4The Lord says,
“People of Israel, I have been the Lord your God
ever since you came out of Egypt.
You must not worship any god but me.
You must not have any savior except me.
5I took care of you in the desert.
It was a land of burning heat.
6I fed them until they were satisfied.
Then they became proud.
They forgot all about me.
7So I will leap on them like a lion.
I will hide and wait
beside the road like a leopard.
8I will attack them like a bear
that is robbed of her cubs.
I will rip them wide open.
Like a lion I will eat them up.
Like a wild animal I will tear them apart.
9“Israel, you will be destroyed.
I helped you. But you turned against me.
10Where is your king?
Wasn’t he supposed to save you?
Where are the rulers in all your towns?
You said, ‘Give us a king and princes.’
11So I became angry and gave you a king.
Then I took him away from you.
12Ephraim’s guilt is piling up.
I am keeping a record of all their sins.
13They will suffer pain like a woman having a baby.
They are like foolish children.
It is time for them to be born.
But they don’t have the sense to come out of their mother’s body.
14“I will set these people free from the power of the grave.
I will save them from death.
Death, where are your plagues?
Grave, where is your power to destroy?
“I will no longer pity Ephraim.
15Even though they are doing well among the other tribes,
trouble will come to them.
I will send a hot and dry wind from the east.
It will blow in from the desert.
Their springs will not have any water.
Their wells will dry up.
All their treasures
will be taken out of their storerooms.
16The people of Samaria must pay for their sins.
They have refused to obey me.
They will be killed by swords.
Their little children will be smashed on the ground.
Their pregnant women will be ripped wide open.”
Awurade Abufuw A Etia Israel
1Sɛ Efraim kasa a, na nnipa ho popo;
wɔma no so wɔ Israelman mu.
Nanso Baalsom nti, onyaa afɔbu na owui.
2Afei wɔkɔ so yɛ bɔne ara;
wɔde wɔn dwetɛ yɛ ahoni ma wɔn ho,
nsɛsode no nyinaa no.
Adwumfo no nam nyansakwan so na ayeyɛ.
Wɔka nnipa yi ho asɛm se,
“Wɔde nnipa bɔ afɔre
na wofew nantwimma ahoni ano.”
3Ɛno nti, wɔbɛyɛ sɛ anɔpa omununkum
sɛ anɔpa bosu a etu yera,
sɛ ntɛtɛ a ehuw fi awiporowbea
sɛ wusiw a ɛfa mfɛnsere mu kɔ.
4“Nanso mene Awurade wo Nyankopɔn,
a miyii wo fii Misraim.
Nnye Onyankopɔn biara nto mu sɛ me,
anaa Ogyefo biara sɛ me.
5Mehwɛɛ wo wɔ nweatam so,
asase a so yɛ hyew yiye no so.
6Memaa wɔn aduan no, wodi mee;
wɔmee no, wɔyɛɛ ahantan;
na wɔn werɛ fii me.
7Enti mɛtow ahyɛ wɔn so sɛ gyata,
mɛtɛw wɔn wɔ akwan ho sɛ ɔsebɔ.
8Mɛtow ahyɛ wɔn so na matetew wɔn mu
te sɛ sisi bi a wɔawia ne mma.
Mɛwe wɔn te sɛ gyata;
wuram aboa besunsuan wɔn mu.
9“Wɔasɛe wo, Israel,
efisɛ woasɔre atia me,
me a meyɛ wo boafo.
10Wo hene wɔ he na wabegye wo?
Wo sodifo a wɔwɔ wo nkurow nyinaa so no wɔ he,
wɔn a wokaa faa wɔn ho se,
‘Ma me ɔhene ne ahenemma’ no?
11Enti mʼabufuw mu, memaa wo ɔhene,
na mʼanibere mu no, miyii no hɔ.
12Efraim afɔdi no wɔaboaboa ano
wɔakyerɛw ne bɔne agu hɔ.
13Ɔbɛte ɔyaw te sɛ ɔbea a ɔreko awo,
na abofra no nnim nyansa nti;
sɛ bere no du a,
ɔmma awotwaa no ano.
14“Mɛpata agye wɔn afi ɔda tumi mu.
Megye wɔn afi owu nsam.
Owu, wo nwowɔe wɔ he?
Asaman, wo sɛe wɔ he?
“Merennya ayamhyehye biara,
15mpo sɛ ɔyɛ yiye wɔ ne nuanom mu a.
Apuei mframa a efi Awurade hɔ bɛba,
ɛbɛbɔ afi nweatam so;
osu rentɔ asusowbere
na nʼabura bɛyow.
Wɔbɛfom ne koradan mu nneɛma
nea ɛsom bo no nyinaa.
16Ɛsɛ sɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ Samaria gye wɔn afɔdi to mu,
efisɛ wɔayɛ dɔm atia wɔn Nyankopɔn.
Wɔbɛtotɔ wɔ afoa ano;
wɔbɛtotow wɔn mmofra ahwehwe fam,
wɔn mmaa a wɔanyinsɛn nso wɔbɛpaapae wɔn mu.”
