1 This is the word of the Lord which was revealed to Hosea 2 son of Beeri during the time when 3 Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah ruled Judah, 4 and during the time when Jeroboam son of Joash 5 ruled Israel. 6
2 When the Lord first spoke 7 through 8 Hosea, he 9 said to him, 10 “Go marry 11 a prostitute 12 who will bear illegitimate children conceived through prostitution, 13 because the nation 14 continually commits spiritual prostitution 15 by turning away from 16 the Lord.” 3 So Hosea married 17 Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. Then she conceived and gave birth to a son for him. 4 Then the Lord said to Hosea, 18 “Name him ‘Jezreel,’ because in a little while I will punish 19 the dynasty 20 of Jehu on account of the bloodshed 21 in the valley of Jezreel, 22 and I will put an end to the kingdom 23 of Israel. 24 5 At that time, 25 I will destroy the military power 26 of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.”
6 She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord 27 said to him, “Name her ‘No Pity’ (Lo-Ruhamah) because I will no longer have pity 28 on the nation 29 of Israel. For 30 I will certainly not forgive 31 their guilt. 32 7 But I will have pity on the nation 33 of Judah. 34 I will deliver them by the Lord their God; I will not deliver them by the warrior’s bow, by sword, by military victory, 35 by chariot horses, or by chariots.” 36
8 When 37 she had weaned ‘No Pity’ (Lo-Ruhamah) she conceived again and gave birth to another son. 9 Then the Lord 38 said: “Name him ‘Not My People’ (Lo-Ammi), because you 39 are not my people and I am not your 40 God.” 41
10 42 However, 43 in the future the number of the people 44 of Israel will be like the sand of the sea which can be neither measured nor numbered. Although 45 it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it will be said to them, “You are 46 children 47 of the living God!” 11 Then the people 48 of Judah and the people of Israel will be gathered together. They will appoint for themselves one leader, 49 and will flourish in the land. 50 Certainly, 51 the day of Jezreel will be great!
2 Then you will call 1 your 2 brother, “My People” (Ammi)! You will call your sister, “Pity” (Ruhamah)! 2 Plead earnestly 3 with your 4 mother
(for 5 she is not my wife, and I am not her husband),
so that 6 she might put an end to her adulterous lifestyle, 7
and turn away from her sexually immoral behavior. 8
3 Otherwise, I will strip her naked,
and expose her like she was when she was born.
I will turn her land into a wilderness
and make her country a parched land,
so that I might kill 9 her with thirst.
4 I will have no pity on her children, 10
because they are children conceived in adultery. 11
5 For their mother has committed adultery;
she who conceived them has acted shamefully.
For she said, “I will seek out 12 my lovers; 13
they are the ones who give me my bread and my water,
my wool, my flax, my olive oil, and my wine. 14
6 Therefore, I will soon 15 fence her in 16 with thorns;
I will wall her in 17 so that 18 she cannot find her way. 19
7 Then she will pursue her lovers, but she will not catch 20 them;
she will seek them, but she will not find them. 21
Then she will say,
“I will go back 22 to my husband, 23
because I was better off then than I am now.” 24
8 Yet 25 until now 26 she has refused to acknowledge 27 that I 28 was the one
who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil;
and that it was I who 29 lavished on her the silver and gold –
which they 30 used in worshiping Baal! 31
9 Therefore, I will take back 32 my grain during the harvest time 33
and my new wine when it ripens; 34
I will take away my wool and my flax
which I had provided 35 in order to clothe her. 36
10 Soon 37 I will expose her lewd nakedness 38 in front of her lovers,
and no one will be able to rescue her from me! 39
11 I will put an end to all her celebration:
her annual religious festivals,
monthly new moon celebrations,
and weekly Sabbath festivities –
all her appointed festivals.
12 I will destroy her vines and fig trees,
about which she said, “These are my wages for prostitution 40
that my lovers gave to me!”
I will turn her cultivated vines and fig trees 41 into an uncultivated thicket,
so that wild animals 42 will devour them.
13 “I will punish her for the festival days
when she burned incense to the Baal idols; 43
she adorned herself with earrings and jewelry,
and went after her lovers,
but 44 she forgot me!” 45 says the Lord.
14 However, in the future I will allure her; 46
I will lead 47 her back into the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her.
15 From there I will give back her vineyards to her,
and turn the “Valley of Trouble” 48 into an “Opportunity 49 for Hope.”
There she will sing as she did when she was young, 50
when 51 she came up from the land of Egypt.
16 “At that time,” 52 declares the Lord,
“you will call, 53 ‘My husband’; 54
you will never again call me, 55 ‘My master.’ 56
17 For 57 I will remove the names of the Baal idols 58 from your lips, 59
so that you will never again utter their names!” 60
18 “At that time 61 I will make a covenant for them with the wild animals,
the birds of the air, and the creatures that crawl on the ground.
I will abolish 62 the warrior’s bow and sword
– that is, every weapon of warfare 63 – from the land,
and I will allow them to live securely.” 64
19 I will commit myself to you 65 forever;
I will commit myself to you in 66 righteousness and justice,
in steadfast love and tender compassion.
20 I will commit myself to you in faithfulness;
then 67 you will acknowledge 68 the Lord.” 69
21 “At that time, 70 I will willingly respond,” 71 declares the Lord.
“I will respond to the sky,
and the sky 72 will respond to the ground;
22 then the ground will respond to the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil;
and they will respond to ‘God Plants’ (Jezreel)! 73
23 Then I will plant her as my own 74 in the land.
I will have pity on ‘No Pity’ (Lo-Ruhamah).
I will say to ‘Not My People’ (Lo-Ammi), ‘You are my people!’
And he 75 will say, ‘You are 76 my God!’”
