1xa ndandifuna ukumnyanga uSirayeli,suka badandalaza ubugwenxa bukaEfrayim,
batyhileka ububi beSamariya.
Kaloku bahleli ngobuqhophololo.
Ngamasela aqhekezayo ebe;
basisigqubu sezikrelemnqa esiphanga phandle.
2Ewe, bona abaqondi tu,
kanti izenzo zabo zithe thaa kum.
Ngoku bajikelezwe zizenzo zabo;
ziluzenge-zenge oluphambi kwam.
3“Inkohlakalo yabo iyamvuyisa ukumkani;
inkohliso yabo iyawavuyisa namaphakathi.
4Bakrexeza bonke bephela;
batshisa njengomlilo wokubhaka
oyekwayo ungakhwezelwa ngumbhaki
ukusukela ekuxovuleni kwakhe
de inyuke intlama.
5Ngomhla wetheko lokumkani
suka amaphakathi ashushu yiwayini,
naye wabambana izandla nabahlekisi.
6Kaloku iintliziyo zabo zinjengeziko;
ewe, zona zivutha ngamayelenqe.
Ingcwangu yabo ilala ubusuku bonke,
kusasa idangazele njengomlilo.
7Bonke banobushushu oku kweziko lokubhaka,
abalawuli babo babathi lenye.
Iikumkani zikhahleleka phantsi,
kungekho bani ubhenela kum.
8“UEfrayim uxubana neentlanga;
ewe, yena ufana nesonka esingaguqulwanga.
9Abasemzini bawaxhaphazile amandla akhe;
ke kuye kurhidiwe, akaqondi.
Kaloku yena ngoku iinwele zakhe zixubile,
ibe ke phofu engaqondi.
10Ikratshi likaSirayeli liyamkhonkotha,
kodwa nkqi kubo ukubuya beze kuNdikhoyo uThixo wabo;
ewe, abazidubi nangokumfuna.
11“UEfrayim ukhamisile, nqwa nehobe;
yena usisimathane esingaqondiyo.
Uphatha kubhenela eJiputa,
maxa wambi abalekele eAsiriya.
12Ndobabekela umgibe endleleni, ndibanqakule njengeentaka.
Xa ndibeva bexhontelana ndobabambisa.
13Mawoo, ngokuba banxaxhile kum!
Yintshabalalo kubo,
ngokuba bemkile bandishiya!
Mna ndiyafuna ukubahlangula,
koko suka baxoka ngam.
14Xa bekhala abatsho ngomxhelo wabo;
basuka bazibhuqa-bhuqe emandlalweni.
Baqokelelana ngenxa yokutya newayini,
kodwa mna bandichasile.
15Ndabaqeqesha ndabomeleza,
kodwa ngoku bandijikeleza ngobubi.
16Ababuyeli kuPhezukonke;
bafana nesaphetha esinenkohliso.
Iinkokheli zabo zohlatyaniselwa likrele,
kuba imilomo yazo iphokoza ububi.
Ewe, boba sisigculelo kwilizwe laseJiputa.”
