Hosea's Plea to Israel
1 Return to the Lord your God, people of Israel. Your sin has made you stumble and fall. 2 Return to the Lord, and let this prayer be your offering to him: “Forgive all our sins and accept our prayer, and we will praise you as we have promised. 3 Assyria can never save us, and war horses cannot protect us. We will never again say to our idols that they are our God. O Lord, you show mercy to those who have no one else to turn to.”
The Lord Promises New Life for Israel
4 The Lord says,
“I will bring my people back to me.
I will love them with all my heart;
no longer am I angry with them.
5 I will be to the people of Israel
like rain in a dry land.
They will blossom like flowers;
they will be firmly rooted
like the trees of Lebanon.
6 They will be alive with new growth,
and beautiful like olive trees.
They will be fragrant
like the cedars of Lebanon.
7 Once again they will live under my protection.
They will grow crops of grain
and be fruitful like a vineyard.
They will be as famous as the wine of Lebanon.
8 The people of Israel will have nothing more to do with idols;
I will answer their prayers and take care of them.
Like an evergreen tree I will shelter them;
I am the source of all their blessings.”
Conclusion
9 May those who are wise understand what is written here, and may they take it to heart. The Lord's ways are right, and righteous people live by following them, but sinners stumble and fall because they ignore them.
Junube kafaroo niŋ neemoo
1 Banisirayila,
ali muru Yaawe* kaŋ, ali la Alla.
Ali faŋolu la kuruŋyaa le ye ali boyindi.
2 Ali muru Yaawe kaŋ,
niŋ ñiŋ kumoo la ko,
“Yamfa ǹ na junuboolu bee la,
i ye i la hiinoo yitandi ǹ na,
fo ǹ si ǹ na jayiroo samba i ye naŋ
ko beeyaŋ sadaa*.
3 Asiriya te ǹ kiisa noo la,
ǹ te n tuuku la keleraŋ suwoolu la.
Aduŋ m̀ buloo ye meŋ dadaa,
ǹ nene te a fo la wo ye kotenke ko, ‘Ǹ na Alla.’
Aliyatiimoo ka balafaa soto ite le bulu.”
4 Yaawe ko:
“M be ì la foroyaabaliyaa bondi la le,
n na kanoo te dandulaa soto la ì ye,
n na kamfaa bota ì kaŋ ne.
5 M be ke la Banisirayila ye le ko komboo,
a be yiriwaa la le ko koobayi firi ñiimaa,
a ye suloo duŋ ko Libanooni yiroo.
6 A be buloolu fayi la le,
a ye ñiiñaa ko olifu* yiroo,
a ye seera ko Libanooni yiroo.
7 Ì be sii la n dubeŋo koto le kotenke,
ì be siimaŋ kesoo fii la le kotenke,
ì be yiriwaa la le ko wayini* yiroo,
ì ye daraja ko Libanooni wayinoo.
8 Efurayimu*,
ali ye muŋ haaji le soto jalaŋolu bala?
Nte le ye n danku ali ma,
ŋa ali topatoo.
M be le ko junipa yiri ñiimaa,
nte le mu ali la neemoo bundaa ti.”
Kuma labaŋo
9 Moo meŋ ñaamenta,
wo be ñiŋ kuwolu fahaamu la le.
Moo meŋ ka kuwolu bo noo ñoo to,
wo be ñiŋ loŋ na le.
Yaawe la siloo tilinta le,
moo tilindiŋo ka taama ate le la,
bari moo kuruŋo,
wo ka taki a kaŋ ne.
