UBawo Uyemka Kumntwana Wakhe Ongathembekanga
Sibuhlungu kuso sonke. Imithendeleko ayiyi kuzisa ntuthuzelo, ukuthinjwa kuthetha ukudla okungahlambulukanga eAsiriya, waye umprofeti ubizwa ngokuba sisidenge. Eyona miqolo inzima icela uBawo wethu ukuba anike uEfrayim isizalo esiphunzayo. Siphela ngababhadulayo phakathi kweentlanga, kungekho dinga linamathiselweyo.
9 1Musa ukuvuya, Sirayeli; musa ukuvuyelela njengeentlanga. Kuba ube ungathembekanga, umlahla uBawo wakho; uluthandile utsheqo lwehenyukazi kuzo zonke izanda.
2Isanda nesixovulelo akuyi kubondla bona, newayini entsha iya kubasilela. 3Abayi kuhlala ezweni likaBawo wethu; uEfrayim uya kubuyela eYiputa, baze eAsiriya badle ukudla okungahlambulukanga. 4Abayi kugalela iminikelo yewayini kuBawo wethu, nemibingelelo yabo ayiyi kukumkholisa. Isonka sabo siya kuba njengesonka sabazilayo; bonke abasidlayo baya kuba ziinqambi. Kuba isonka sabo siya kwanelisa ukulamba kwabo kuphela; asiyi kungena endlwini kaBawo wethu.
5Niya kwenza ntoni na ngomhla wetheko elimisiweyo, ngomhla womthendeleko kaBawo wethu? 6Kuba khangela—bayasaba entshabalalweni, kodwa iYiputa iya kubahlanganisa bona, neMemfisi iya kungcwaba bona. Iimbabazane ziya kubudla ubuncwane babo besilivere; imithana enameva iya kuzizalisa iintente zabo.
7Ifikile imihla yesohlwayo; ifikile imihla yembuyekezo—makakwazi oku uSirayeli! Umprofeti sisidenge, indoda enomoya iyabhuda, ngenxa yokuba sikhulu isono sakho, bukhulu nobutshaba bakho. 8Umprofeti ngumlindi wakwaEfrayim, kunye noBawo wam; kanti umgibe weentaka usezindleleni zakhe zonke, nobutshaba endlwini kaYise. 9Batshone nzulu enkohlakalweni, njengasemihleni yaseGibheha. Uya kukhumbula ubugwenxa babo; uya kuzohlwaya izono zabo. a a v9 IGibheha yayiyindawo yokudlwengulwa okothusayo ngeqela, nto leyo eyabangela imfazwe yombango phakathi kwezizwe — elona xesha limnyama elakha laba kuSirayeli (abaGwebi 19–20).
10Njengeediliya entlango ndamfumana uSirayeli; njengentlahlela emkhiwaneni kwixesha lawo lokuqala ndababona ooyihlo. Kodwa bafika eBhahali-pehore bazingcwalisela ihlazo, baza baba lisikizi njengaloo nto babeyithanda. b b v10 EBhahali-pehore, uSirayeli wanqula uthixo wobuhedeni waza wawela ekuhenyuzeni okukhulu — ukungcatsha kwabo kokuqala okukhulu ezweni lesithembiso (iNumeri 25). 11Uzuko lukaEfrayim luya kuphaphazela lumke njengentaka—kungekho kuzala, kungekho kukhulelwa, kungekho kumitha. 12Nokuba bathe bawakhulisa abantwana babo, ndiya kubahlutha abantwana bade kungabikho namnye oseleyo. Ewe, yeha kubo xa ndithe ndabafulathela! 13uEfrayim, njengoko ndibonile, wayetyalwe njengeTire edlelweni; kanti uEfrayim umelwe kukubakhuphela abantwana bakhe ekubulaweni.
14Baphe bona, Bawo wethu—uya kubapha ntoni na? Baphe isizalo esiphunzayo namabele awomileyo.
15“Bonke ububi babo buseGiligali; ndabacekisa khona ngenxa yezenzo zabo ezibi; ndiya kubagxotha endlwini yam; andisayi kuphinda ndibathande; bonke abathetheli babo baneenkani. 16uEfrayim ubethwe; ingcambu yabo yomile; abayi kuvelisa siqhamo. Nokuba bathe bazala, abantwana babo abathandekayo ndiya kubabulala.”
17UBawo wam uya kubacekisa, ngenxa yokuba bengamphulaphulanga; baya kuba ngababhaduli phakathi kweentlanga.
