UHoziya 4

4 ¹Yizwani izwi likaBaba wethu, bantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba unecala nabahlali bezwe: akukho ukwethembeka, akukho uthando lwesivumelwano, nokumazi akukho ezweni. ^a a v1 UBaba wethu uletha icala lesivumelwano kubantu bakhe — hhayi njengomahluleli okhatshana, kodwa njengoBaba olimele eqamba ukwethembeka, uthando, nokumazi abakulahlile. ²Kukhona kuphela ukufunga nokuqamba amanga, ukubulala nokweba nokuphinga; bephula yonke imikhawulo, negazi lilandela igazi. ³Ngakho-ke izwe liyalila, nabo bonke abahlala kulo bayaphela amandla, kanye nezilwane zasendle nezinyoni zezulu; ngisho nezinhlanzi zasolwandle ziyakhukhulwa.

⁴Kodwa makungabikho obeka icala, makungabikho osola, ngokuba abantu bakho banjengalabo abaxabana nompristi. ^b b v4 Ukuxabana nompristi kwakusho ukwala lowo omiselwe ukumela abantu phambi kukaNkulunkulu — ukuphikisa okukhulu kakhulu. ⁵Uyakhubeka emini, nomprofethi ukhubeka nawe ebusuku; futhi ngiyakumbhubhisa unyoko. ⁶Abantu bami bayabhujiswa ngokuswela ulwazi. Njengoba ulahle ulwazi, ngiyakwenqaba ukuba ube ngumpristi wami; njengoba ukhohliwe umthetho kaBaba wakho, nami ngiyakubakhohlwa abantwana bakho. ⁷Ngokwanda kwabo, ngokunjalo benezela ukona kimi; ngiyakuphendula inkazimulo yabo ibe yihlazo.

⁸Badla isono sabantu bami, babeka izinhliziyo zabo ebubini babo. ⁹Ngakho kuyakuba njalo: njengabantu, kunjalo nompristi. Ngiyakubajezisa ngezindlela zabo, ngibaphindisele ngezenzo zabo. ¹⁰Bayakudla kodwa bangasuthi; bayakuziphatha ngobufebe kodwa bangandi, ngokuba bamshiyile uBaba wethu, balahla izindlela zakhe. ¹¹Ubufebe, iwayini, newayini elisha kususa ukuqonda.

¹²Abantu bami babuza esigodweni, nodondolo lwabo lubatshela; ngokuba umoya wobufebe ubadukisile, bafeba, bemfulathela uBaba wabo. ¹³Banikela imihlatshelo eziqongweni zezintaba, bashisa iminikelo emagqumeni, ngaphansi kwama-oki, amapopula, namathelebhinti, ngokuba umthunzi wawo umnandi. Ngakho amadodakazi enu aphendukela ebufebeni, namakoti enu ekuphingeni. ¹⁴Angiyikuwajezisa amadodakazi enu lapho aphendukela ebufebeni, namakoti enu lapho ephinga; ngokuba amadoda ngokwawo ahamba nezifebe, anikela imihlatshelo nezifebe zethempeli—isizwe esingenakuqonda siyawela encithakalweni.

¹⁵Nakuba wena, Israyeli, ufeba, uJuda makangabi necala. Ningayi eGiligali; ningenyukeli eBeti-aveni; ningafungi nithi, ‘Kuphila kukaBaba wethu.’ ^c c v15 IBeti-aveni (‘indlu yobubi’) yigama lokuhlekisa uHoseya alinika iBethele, ithempeli elikhulu lombuso wasenyakatho. ¹⁶U-Israyeli unenkani, njengethokazi elinenkani. Pho uBaba wethu angabalusa kanjani manje njengewundlu edlelweni elivulekile? ¹⁷U-Efrayimi unamathele ezithombeni; myeke. ¹⁸Lapho seluphelile uphuzo lwabo, baziphatha ngobufebe; ababusi babo bathanda kakhulu ihlazo. ¹⁹Umoya ubagoqele ngamaphiko awo, futhi bayakuba namahloni ngenxa yama-altare abo.