1 Musa ukuvuya, Sirayeli, ude ugcobe njengezizwe: ngokuba uhenyuzile, wemka kuThixo wakho; uthande utshequ ezandeni zonke zengqolowa.
2 Isanda nesixovulelo seoli asiyi kubondla, newayini entsha iya kunidanisa.
3 Abayi kuhlala ezweni likaYehova; uEfrayim uya kubuyela eYiputa, badle izinto eziyinqambi eAsiriya.
4 Abayi kumthululela uYehova iwayini, ayiyi kuba mnandi kuye nemibingelelo yabo; ukudla kwabo kubo kuya kuba njengesonka sabalilayo. Bonke abakudlayo baya kuba ziinqambi; ngokuba ukudla kwabo kuya kuba kokwabo, akuyi kungena endlwini kaYehova.
5 Nothini na ngemini yexesha elimisiweyo, nangemini yomthendeleko kaYehova?
6 Kuba, yabonani, bemkile ngenxa yembuqo; iYiputa iya kubabutha, iMofi iya kubangcwaba; izinto zabo ezinqwenelekayo zesilivere ziya kuhluthwa ngamarhawu; yimithi enameva ezintenteni zabo.
7 Kufike iimini zokuvelela, kufike iimini zempindezelo; uya kwazi uSirayeli. Umprofeti sisimathane, ngumbhudi indoda enomoya, ngenxa yobukhulu bobugwenxa bakho nokutshutshisa okuninzi.
8 Ngumboniseli uEfrayim ngakuThixo wam; umprofeti ngumgibe womthiyeli ezindleleni zakhe zonke, uyintshutshiso endlwini yoThixo wakhe.
9 Batshonisile ukonakalisa kwabo, njengokwemihla yaseGibheha; uya kubukhumbula ubugwenxa babo, uya kuzivelela izono zabo.
10 Ndamfumana uSirayeli enjengeediliya entlango; ndababona ooyihlo benjengamakhiwane aqalelayo emkhiwaneni, ekuqaleni kwawo; basuka bona baya kuBhahali-pehore, bazahlulela entweni eziintloni, baba yinto enezothe, njengesithandane sabo.
11 UEfrayim, uzuko lwakhe luya kubaleka, lumke njengentaka; kungabikho kuzala, nakumitha, nakukhawula.
12 Ewe, nokuba bathe bakhulisa oonyana, ndobahlutha abantwana, kungabikho luntu. Yeha ke bona, ekusukeni kwam kubo!
13 Ngoko ndazibonela uEfrayim, ukuba abe yiTire, etyelwe ekriweni; kodwa uEfrayim uya kubakhuphela kumbulali oonyana bakhe.
14 Banike, Yehova; wobanika ntoni na? Banike isisu esiphumayo, namabele awomileyo.
15 Bonke ububi babo buseGiligali; kuba ndaqala ukubathiya khona. Ngenxa yobubi beentlondi zabo, ndiya kubagxotha endlwini yam; andiyi kuphinda ndibathande; bonke abathetheli babo baziinjubaqa.
16 Ubethiwe uEfrayim, ingcambu yabo yomile; abayi kuxakatha siqhamo. Nokuba bathe bazala, ndozibulala izinto ezinqwenelekayo zesisu sabo.
17 UThixo wam uya kubacekisa, kuba bengamphulaphulanga; baya kuphalaphala ezintlangeni.