Israel has not returned to God
1Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria,
you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy
and say to your husbands, ‘Bring us some drinks!’
2The Sovereign Lord has sworn by his holiness:
‘The time will surely come
when you will be taken away with hooks,
the last of you with fishhooks.4:2 Or away in baskets, / the last of you in fish baskets
3You will each go straight out
through breaches in the wall.
You will be cast out towards Harmon,4:3 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew (see Septuagint) out, you mountain of oppression’
declares the Lord.
4‘Go to Bethel and sin;
go to Gilgal and sin yet more.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,
your tithes every three years.4:4 Or days
5Burn leavened bread as a thank-offering
and brag about your freewill offerings –
boast about them, you Israelites,
for this is what you love to do,’
declares the Sovereign Lord.
6‘I gave you empty stomachs in every city
and lack of bread in every town,
yet you have not returned to me,’
declares the Lord.
7‘I also withheld rain from you
when the harvest was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town,
but withheld it from another.
One field had rain;
another had none and dried up.
8People staggered from town to town for water
but did not get enough to drink,
yet you have not returned to me,’
declares the Lord.
9‘Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards,
destroying them with blight and mildew.
Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees,
yet you have not returned to me,’
declares the Lord.
10‘I sent plagues among you
as I did to Egypt.
I killed your young men with the sword,
along with your captured horses.
I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps,
yet you have not returned to me,’
declares the Lord.
11‘I overthrew some of you
as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire,
yet you have not returned to me,’
declares the Lord.
12‘Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel,
and because I will do this to you, Israel,
prepare to meet your God.’
13He who forms the mountains,
who creates the wind,
and who reveals his thoughts to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
and treads on the heights of the earth –
the Lord God Almighty is his name.
Israeli Sanabwerere kwa Mulungu
1Imvani mawu awa, inu ngʼombe zazikazi za ku Basani, okhala pa Phiri la Samariya,
inu akazi amene mumapondereza anthu osauka ndi kuzunza anthu osowa
ndi kumanena kwa amuna anu kuti, “Tipatseni zakumwa!”
2Ambuye Yehova, mwa kuyera mtima kwake walumbira kuti,
“Nthawi idzafika ndithu
pamene adzakukokani ndi ngowe,
womaliza wa inu adzakokedwa ndi mbedza.
3Mudzatulukira mʼmingʼalu ya pa khoma
aliyense payekhapayekha,
ndipo mudzatayidwa ku Harimoni,”
akutero Yehova.
4“Bwerani ku Beteli mudzachimwe;
ndi ku Giligala kuti mudzapitirize kuchimwa.
Bweretsani nsembe zanu mmawa uliwonse,
bweretsani chakhumi chanu masiku atatu aliwonse.
5Wotchani buledi wokhala ndi yisiti ngati nsembe yachiyamiko
ndi kumanyadira poyera za zopereka zanu zaufulu.
Inu Aisraeli, zinyadireni nsembezo,
pakuti izi ndi zimene mumakonda kuchita,”
akutero Ambuye Yehova.
6“Ndine amene ndinakusendetsani milomo mʼmizinda yanu yonse,
ndipo munasowa chakudya mʼmizinda yanu.
Komatu inu simunabwerere kwa Ine,”
akutero Yehova.
7“Ndinenso amene ndinamanga mvula
patangotsala miyezi itatu kuti mukolole.
Ndinagwetsa mvula pa mzinda wina,
koma pa mzinda wina ayi,
mvula inkagwa pa munda wina;
koma sinagwe pa munda wina ndipo mbewu zinawuma.
8Anthu ankayenda mzinda ndi mzinda kufuna madzi,
koma sanapeze madzi okwanira kumwa.
Komabe inu simunabwerere kwa Ine,”
akutero Yehova.
9“Nthawi zambiri ndinakantha mbewu zanu ndiponso minda ya mpesa,
ndinayikantha ndi chinsikwi ndiponso ndi chiwawu.
Dzombe linawononga mikuyu yanu ndi mitengo ya olivi.
Komabe inu simunabwerere kwa Ine,”
akutero Yehova.
10“Ine ndinabweretsa miliri pakati panu
monga ndinachitira ku Igupto.
Ndinapha anyamata anu ndi lupanga,
ndinapereka akavalo anu kwa adani.
Ndinakununkhitsani fungo la mitembo lochokera mʼmisasa yanu ya nkhondo.
Komatu inu simunabwerere kwa Ine,”
akutero Yehova.
11“Ndinawononga ena mwa inu
monga ndinawonongera Sodomu ndi Gomora.
Inu munali ngati chikuni choyaka chimene chafumulidwa pa moto.
Komabe inu simunabwerere kwa Ine,”
akutero Yehova.
12“Choncho izi ndi zimene ndidzakuchitire iwe Israeli,
chifukwa ndidzakuchitira zimenezi,
konzekera kukumana ndi Mulungu wako, iwe Israeli.”
13Iye amene amawumba mapiri,
amalenga mphepo,
ndipo amawululira munthu za mʼmaganizo ake,
Iye amene amasandutsa usana kuti ukhale mdima,
ndipo amayenda pa zitunda za dziko lapansi,
dzina lake ndi Yehova Mulungu Wamphamvuzonse.
