Ephraim No Go Come Back Home
Ephraim be like cake wey no done well, foolish dove wey dey fly up and down between Egypt and Assyria, oven wey im fire dey burn small-small whole night. Kings dey fall one after the other and nobody call our Papa. E talk say e for redeem dem, but dem dey cry for dia bed instead of to turn.
7 1Anytime wey I try heal Israel, di sin of Ephraim show for open, and di bad-bad tins of Samaria; because dem dey do lie-lie—di tiff dey break in, di robbers dey plunder for outside. 2But dem no dey talk for dia heart say I dey remember all dia evil. Now dia bad deeds don surround dem; dem dey for my front.
3With dia evil dem dey make di king happy, and di princes with dia lie-lie. 4All of dem na adulterer, like oven wey di baker don heat, wey stop to dey stir di fire from di time wey e knead di dough till e rise. 5For di day of our king di princes make demselves sick with di hotness of wine; e join hand with people wey dey mock. 6Because dem dey come near with heart wey dey burn like oven as dem dey lie in wait; di whole night dia anger dey smolder, and for morning e dey blaze like fire wey dey flame. 7All of dem hot like oven, and dem dey chop dia rulers. All dia kings don fall; none of dem dey call me.
8Ephraim dey mix imsef among di peoples; Ephraim be like flat cake wey dem no turn over. 9Strangers dey chop im strength, and e no know am; grey hair don sprinkle for im body, and e no know am. 10Di pride of Israel dey testify for im face, but dem no dey return to dia Papa, dem no dey seek am, for all dis tins.
11Ephraim don become like dove, foolish and without sense, dey call Egypt, dey go Assyria. 12As dem dey go, I go spread my net over dem; I go bring dem down like di birds of di sky. I go discipline dem as dem warn dia assembly.
13Woe to dem, because dem don stray comot from me! Destruction to dem, because dem don rebel against me! I for redeem dem, but dem dey talk lie against me. 14Dem no dey cry to me from dia heart, but dem dey wail for dia bed; because of grain and new wine dem dey cut demselves; dem dey turn away from me. a a v14 To cut di body na part of di pagan fertility rites of Canaan, wey dem dey do to beg di storm-gods for grain and wine — di opposite of to cry out to di Papa from di heart. 15Even though I train and strengthen dia arms, still dem dey plan evil against me. 16Dem dey turn, but no be upward; dem don become like bow wey slack. Dia princes go fall by di sword because of di insolence of dia tongue; dis one go make dem laughingstock for di land of Egypt.
