1Israel was a spreading vine;
he brought forth fruit for himself.
As his fruit increased,
he built more altars;
as his land prospered,
he adorned his sacred stones.
2Their heart is deceitful,
and now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord will demolish their altars
and destroy their sacred stones.
3Then they will say, ‘We have no king
because we did not revere the Lord.
But even if we had a king,
what could he do for us?’
4They make many promises,
take false oaths
and make agreements;
therefore lawsuits spring up
like poisonous weeds in a ploughed field.
5The people who live in Samaria fear
for the calf-idol of Beth Aven.10:5 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
Its people will mourn over it,
and so will its idolatrous priests,
those who had rejoiced over its splendour,
because it is taken from them into exile.
6It will be carried to Assyria
as tribute for the great king.
Ephraim will be disgraced;
Israel will be ashamed of its foreign alliances.
7Samaria’s king will be destroyed,
swept away like a twig on the surface of the waters.
8The high places of wickedness10:8 Hebrew aven, a reference to Beth Aven (a derogatory name for Bethel); see verse 5. will be destroyed –
it is the sin of Israel.
Thorns and thistles will grow up
and cover their altars.
Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’
and to the hills, ‘Fall on us!’
9‘Since the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, Israel,
and there you have remained.10:9 Or there a stand was taken
Will not war again overtake
the evildoers in Gibeah?
10When I please, I will punish them;
nations will be gathered against them
to put them in bonds for their double sin.
11Ephraim is a trained heifer
that loves to thresh;
so I will put a yoke
on her fair neck.
I will drive Ephraim,
Judah must plough,
and Jacob must break up the ground.
12Sow righteousness for yourselves,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unploughed ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes
and showers his righteousness on you.
13But you have planted wickedness,
you have reaped evil,
you have eaten the fruit of deception.
Because you have depended on your own strength
and on your many warriors,
14the roar of battle will rise against your people,
so that all your fortresses will be devastated –
as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle,
when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.
15So will it happen to you, Bethel,
because your wickedness is great.
When that day dawns,
the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.
1Israeli anali mpesa wotambalala;
anabereka zipatso zambiri.
Pamene zipatso zawo zinanka zichuluka,
anawonjezera kumanga maguwa ansembe.
Pamene dziko lake linkatukuka,
anakongoletsa miyala yake yopatulika.
2Mtima wawo ndi wonyenga
ndipo tsopano ayenera kulangidwa chifukwa cha kulakwa kwawo.
Yehova adzagumula maguwa awo ansembe
ndi kuwononga miyala yawo yopatulika.
3Pamenepo anthuwo adzanena kuti, “Ife tilibe mfumu
chifukwa sitinaope Yehova.
Koma ngakhale tikanakhala ndi mfumu,
kodi mfumuyo ikanatichitira chiyani?”
4Mafumu amalonjeza zambiri,
amalumbira zabodza
pochita mapangano.
Kotero maweruzo amaphuka
ngati zitsamba zakupha mʼmunda umene walimidwa.
5Anthu amene amakhala mu Samariya akuchita mantha
chifukwa cha fano la mwana wangʼombe ku Beti-Aveni.
Anthu ake adzalirira fanolo,
chimodzimodzinso ansembe ake adamawo,
amene anakondwera ndi kukongola kwake,
chifukwa lachotsedwa pakati pawo ndi kupita ku ukapolo.
6Fanolo lidzatengedwa kupita ku Asiriya
ngati mphatso kwa mfumu yayikulu.
Efereimu adzachititsidwa manyazi
chifukwa cha mafano ake amitengo.
7Samariya ndi mfumu yake adzatengedwa kupita kutali
ngati kanthambi koyenda pa madzi.
8Malo opembedzerako mafano a ku Aveni adzawonongedwa.
Ili ndiye tchimo la Israeli.
Minga ndi mitungwi zidzamera
ndi kuphimba maguwa awo ansembe.
Kenaka anthu adzawuza mapiri kuti, “Tiphimbeni!”
ndipo adzawuza zitunda kuti, “Tigwereni!”
9“Iwe Israeli, wachimwa kuyambira mʼmasiku a Gibeya,
ndipo wakhala uli pomwepo.
Kodi nkhondo sinagonjetse anthu
ochita zoyipa ku Gibeya?
10Pamene ndifunire, ndidzalanga anthuwo;
mitundu ya anthu idzasonkhanitsidwa kudzalimbana nawo,
kuwayika mʼndende chifukwa cha uchimo wawo waukulu.
11Efereimu ndi mwana wangʼombe wamkazi wophunzitsidwa
amene amakonda kupuntha tirigu,
choncho Ine ndidzayika goli
mʼkhosi lake lokongolalo.
Ndidzasenzetsa Efereimu goli,
Yuda ayenera kulima,
ndipo Yakobo ayenera kutipula.
12Mufese nokha chilungamo
ndipo mudzakolola chipatso cha chikondi changa chosasinthika.
Ndipo tipulani munda wanu wosalimidwawo;
pakuti ino ndi nthawi yofunafuna Yehova,
mpaka Iye atabwera
kudzakugwetserani mivumbi ya chilungamo.
13Koma inu munadzala zolakwa,
mwakolola zoyipa;
mwadya chipatso cha chinyengo.
Chifukwa mumadalira mphamvu zanu
ndiponso ankhondo anu ochulukawo,
14phokoso lankhondo lidzamveka pakati pa anthu anga
kotero kuti malinga anu onse adzawonongeka,
monga momwe Salimani anawonongera Beti-Aribeli pa nthawi ya nkhondo;
pamene anapha amayi pamodzi ndi ana awo omwe.
15Momwemonso zidzakuchitikira, iwe Beteli
chifukwa kuyipa kwako ndi kwakukulu.
Tsiku limeneli likadzafika,
mfumu ya Israeli idzawonongedwa kwathunthu.
