Hosea 12

12 ¹Ephraim dey feed on wind, e dey chase di east wind di whole day; dem dey pile up lie and wickedness. Dem make treaty with Assyria, and dem carry dia oil go Egypt. ²Our Papa get case with Judah, and e go hold Jacob answerable for im ways; according to wetin e do, e go pay am back. ³For im mama belle, e grab im broda heel, and with im strength e wrestle with our Papa. ⁴E wrestle with di messenger and win; e cry and beg for im favour. For Bethel e find am, and for there e talk with us. ⁵Di Papa of heaven army—our Papa na di name wey dem dey take remember am. ⁶So you—come back to your Papa; hold Covenant love and justice tight, and wait for your Papa all di time.

⁷A trader wey get dishonest scale for im hand—e like to oppress people. ⁸Ephraim talk say, “Ah, but I don rich; I don find wealth for myself. For all my work, dem no go find any guilt for me—nothing wey be true-true sin.”

⁹“But I be your Papa, wey bring you comot from di land of Egypt; I go make you live for tent again, like for di days of di appointed feast. ^a a v9 Di appointed feast na Sukkot (Festival of Shelters), wen Israel live for temporary tent or booth to remember di wilderness years. ¹⁰I talk to di prophets; na me multiply visions, and through di prophets I give parables.”

¹¹If Gilead na wickedness, dem don turn to nothing; for Gilgal dem dey sacrifice bull—dia altars sef be like heap of stone for di furrow of farm. ¹²Jacob run go di country of Aram; for there Israel serve for wife, and for wife e take care of sheep. ¹³Through prophet our Papa bring Israel comot from Egypt, and through prophet e guard am. ¹⁴Ephraim don stir up bitter provocation; so im Papa wey be Oga go leave im bloodguilt on am and pay am back for di way e take disrespect am.