1 The word of the Lord that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
² The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord.
³ So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.
⁴ And the Lord said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.
⁵ And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel, in the valley of Jezreel.
⁶ And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.
⁷ But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.
⁸ Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.
⁹ Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.
¹⁰ Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.
¹¹ Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Hosea’s Unfaithful Wife

1 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

The Family of Hosea

² When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea:

“Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry
And children of harlotry,
For the land has committed great ^[a]harlotry
By departing from the Lord.”

³ So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. ⁴ Then the Lord said to him:

“Call his name Jezreel,
For in a little while
I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu,
And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.
⁵ It shall come to pass in that day
That I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

⁶ And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him:

“Call her name ^[b]Lo-Ruhamah,
For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel,
^[c]But I will utterly take them away.
⁷ Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah,
Will save them by the Lord their God,
And will not save them by bow,
Nor by sword or battle,
By horses or horsemen.”

⁸ Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. ⁹ Then God said:

“Call his name ^[d]Lo-Ammi,
For you are not My people,
And I will not be your God.

The Restoration of Israel

¹⁰ “Yet the number of the children of Israel
Shall be as the sand of the sea,
Which cannot be measured or numbered.
And it shall come to pass
In the place where it was said to them,
‘You are ^[e]not My people,’
There it shall be said to them,
‘You are sons of the living God.’
¹¹ Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel
Shall be gathered together,
And appoint for themselves one head;
And they shall come up out of the land,
For great will be the day of Jezreel!

Footnotes:
a. Hosea 1:2 Spiritual adultery
b. Hosea 1:6 Lit. No-Mercy
c. Hosea 1:6 Or That I may forgive them at all
d. Hosea 1:9 Lit. Not-My-People
e. Hosea 1:10 Heb. lo-ammi, v. 9

1 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash^[a] king of Israel:

Hosea’s Wife and Children

² When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” ³ So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

⁴ Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. ⁵ In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.”

⁶ Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”), for I will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them. ⁷ Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God, will save them.”

⁸ After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. ⁹ Then the Lord said, “Call him Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God.^[b]

¹⁰ “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ ¹¹ The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.^[c]

Footnotes:
a. Hosea 1:1 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash
b. Hosea 1:9 Or your I am
c. Hosea 1:11 In Hebrew texts 1:10,11 is numbered 2:1,2.

1 The Lord gave this message to Hosea son of Beeri during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash^[a] was king of Israel.

Hosea’s Wife and Children

² When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute,^[b] so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”

³ So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son. ⁴ And the Lord said, “Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. In fact, I will bring an end to Israel’s independence. ⁵ I will break its military power in the Jezreel Valley.”

⁶ Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to Hosea, “Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah—‘Not loved’—for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them. ⁷ But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the Lord their God.”

⁸ After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son. ⁹ And the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi—‘Not my people’—for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God.

^10 [c]“Yet the time will come when Israel’s people will be like the sands of the seashore—too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said, ‘You are children of the living God.’ ¹¹ Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite together. They will choose one leader for themselves, and they will return from exile together. What a day that will be—the day of Jezreel^[d]—when God will again plant his people in his land.

Footnotes:
a. 1:1 Hebrew Joash, a variant spelling of Jehoash.
b. 1:2 Or a promiscuous woman.
c. 1:10 Verses 1:10-11 are numbered 2:1-2 in Hebrew text.
d. 1:11 Jezreel means “God plants.”

2 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
² Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
³ Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.
⁴ And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.
⁵ For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
⁶ Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.
⁷ And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.
⁸ For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.
⁹ Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.
¹⁰ And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.
¹¹ I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.
¹² And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.
¹³ And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the Lord.

The Lord’s Love for His Unfaithful People

2 Say to your brethren, ^[a]‘My people,’
And to your sisters, ^[b]‘Mercy is shown.’

God’s Unfaithful People

² “Bring^[c] charges against your mother, ^[d]bring charges;
For she is not My wife, nor am I her Husband!
Let her put away her harlotries from her sight,
And her adulteries from between her breasts;
³ Lest I strip her naked
And expose her, as in the day she was born,
And make her like a wilderness,
And set her like a dry land,
And slay her with thirst.

⁴ “I will not have mercy on her children,
For they are the children of harlotry.
⁵ For their mother has played the harlot;
She who conceived them has behaved shamefully.
For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
Who give me my bread and my water,
My wool and my linen,
My oil and my drink.’

⁶ “Therefore, behold,
I will hedge up your way with thorns,
And ^[e]wall her in,
So that she cannot find her paths.
⁷ She will ^[f]chase her lovers,
But not overtake them;
Yes, she will seek them, but not find them.
Then she will say,
‘I will go and return to my first husband,
For then it was better for me than now.’
⁸ For she did not know
That I gave her grain, new wine, and oil,
And multiplied her silver and gold—
Which they prepared for Baal.

⁹ “Therefore I will return and take away
My grain in its time
And My new wine in its season,
And will take back My wool and My linen,
Given to cover her nakedness.
¹⁰ Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers,
And no one shall deliver her from My hand.
¹¹ I will also cause all her mirth to cease,
Her feast days,
Her New Moons,
Her Sabbaths—
All her appointed feasts.

¹² “And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees,
Of which she has said,
‘These are my wages that my lovers have given me.’
So I will make them a forest,
And the beasts of the field shall eat them.
¹³ I will punish her
For the days of the Baals to which she burned incense.
She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry,
And went after her lovers;
But Me she forgot,” says the Lord.

Footnotes:
a. Hosea 2:1 Heb. Ammi, Hos. 1:9, 10
b. Hosea 2:1 Heb. Ruhamah, Hos. 1:6
c. Hosea 2:2 Or Contend with
d. Hosea 2:2 Or contend
e. Hosea 2:6 Lit. wall up her wall
f. Hosea 2:7 Or pursue

2 ^[a]“Say of your brothers, ‘My people,’ and of your sisters, ‘My loved one.’

Israel Punished and Restored

² “Rebuke your mother, rebuke her,
    for she is not my wife,
    and I am not her husband.
Let her remove the adulterous look from her face
    and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts.
³ Otherwise I will strip her naked
    and make her as bare as on the day she was born;
I will make her like a desert,
    turn her into a parched land,
    and slay her with thirst.
⁴ I will not show my love to her children,
    because they are the children of adultery.
⁵ Their mother has been unfaithful
    and has conceived them in disgrace.
She said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
    who give me my food and my water,
    my wool and my linen, my olive oil and my drink.’
⁶ Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes;
    I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.
⁷ She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;
    she will look for them but not find them.
Then she will say,
    ‘I will go back to my husband as at first,
    for then I was better off than now.’
⁸ She has not acknowledged that I was the one
    who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,
who lavished on her the silver and gold—
    which they used for Baal.

⁹ “Therefore I will take away my grain when it ripens,
    and my new wine when it is ready.
I will take back my wool and my linen,
    intended to cover her naked body.
¹⁰ So now I will expose her lewdness
    before the eyes of her lovers;
    no one will take her out of my hands.
¹¹ I will stop all her celebrations:
    her yearly festivals, her New Moons,
    her Sabbath days—all her appointed festivals.
¹² I will ruin her vines and her fig trees,
    which she said were her pay from her lovers;
I will make them a thicket,
    and wild animals will devour them.
¹³ I will punish her for the days
    she burned incense to the Baals;
she decked herself with rings and jewelry,
    and went after her lovers,
    but me she forgot,”
declares the Lord.

Footnotes:
a. Hosea 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1-23 is numbered 2:3-25.

2 ^[a]“In that day you will call your brothers Ammi—‘My people.’ And you will call your sisters Ruhamah—‘The ones I love.’

Charges against an Unfaithful Wife

² “But now bring charges against Israel—your mother—
    for she is no longer my wife,
    and I am no longer her husband.
Tell her to remove the prostitute’s makeup from her face
    and the clothing that exposes her breasts.
³ Otherwise, I will strip her as naked
    as she was on the day she was born.
I will leave her to die of thirst,
    as in a dry and barren wilderness.
⁴ And I will not love her children,
    for they were conceived in prostitution.
⁵ Their mother is a shameless prostitute
    and became pregnant in a shameful way.
She said, ‘I’ll run after other lovers
    and sell myself to them for food and water,
for clothing of wool and linen,
    and for olive oil and drinks.’

⁶ “For this reason I will fence her in with thornbushes.
    I will block her path with a wall
    to make her lose her way.
⁷ When she runs after her lovers,
    she won’t be able to catch them.
She will search for them
    but not find them.
Then she will think,
‘I might as well return to my husband,
    for I was better off with him than I am now.’
⁸ She doesn’t realize it was I who gave her everything she has—
    the grain, the new wine, the olive oil;
I even gave her silver and gold.
    But she gave all my gifts to Baal.

⁹ “But now I will take back the ripened grain and new wine
    I generously provided each harvest season.
I will take away the wool and linen clothing
    I gave her to cover her nakedness.
¹⁰ I will strip her naked in public,
    while all her lovers look on.
No one will be able
    to rescue her from my hands.
¹¹ I will put an end to her annual festivals,
    her new moon celebrations, and her Sabbath days—
    all her appointed festivals.
¹² I will destroy her grapevines and fig trees,
    things she claims her lovers gave her.
I will let them grow into tangled thickets,
    where only wild animals will eat the fruit.
¹³ I will punish her for all those times
    when she burned incense to her images of Baal,
when she put on her earrings and jewels
    and went out to look for her lovers
but forgot all about me,”
    says the Lord.

Footnotes:
a. 2:1 Verses 2:1-23 are numbered 2:3-25 in Hebrew text.

¹⁴ Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
¹⁵ And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
¹⁶ And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.
¹⁷ For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
¹⁸ And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
¹⁹ And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
²⁰ I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.
²¹ And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;
²² And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.
²³ And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

God’s Mercy on His People

¹⁴ “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
Will bring her into the wilderness,
And speak ^[a]comfort to her.
¹⁵ I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;
She shall sing there,
As in the days of her youth,
As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.

¹⁶ “And it shall be, in that day,”
Says the Lord,
“That you will call Me ^[b]‘My Husband,’
And no longer call Me ^[c]‘My Master,’
¹⁷ For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals,
And they shall be remembered by their name no more.
¹⁸ In that day I will make a covenant for them
With the beasts of the field,
With the birds of the air,
And with the creeping things of the ground.
Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth,
To make them lie down safely.

¹⁹ “I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me
In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy;
²⁰ I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And you shall know the Lord.

²¹ “It shall come to pass in that day
That I will answer,” says the Lord;
“I will answer the heavens,
And they shall answer the earth.
²² The earth shall answer
With grain,
With new wine,
And with oil;
They shall answer ^[d]Jezreel.
²³ Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth,
And I will have mercy on her who had ^[e]not obtained mercy;
Then I will say to those who were ^[f]not My people,
‘You are ^[g]My people!’
And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’ ”

Footnotes:
a. Hosea 2:14 Lit. to her heart
b. Hosea 2:16 Heb. Ishi
c. Hosea 2:16 Heb. Baali
d. Hosea 2:22 Lit. God Will Sow
e. Hosea 2:23 Heb. lo-ruhamah
f. Hosea 2:23 Heb. lo-ammi
g. Hosea 2:23 Heb. ammi

¹⁴ “Therefore I am now going to allure her;
    I will lead her into the wilderness
    and speak tenderly to her.
¹⁵ There I will give her back her vineyards,
    and will make the Valley of Achor^[a] a door of hope.
There she will respond^[b] as in the days of her youth,
    as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

¹⁶ “In that day,” declares the Lord,
    “you will call me ‘my husband’;
    you will no longer call me ‘my master.^[c]’
¹⁷ I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;
    no longer will their names be invoked.
¹⁸ In that day I will make a covenant for them
    with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
    and the creatures that move along the ground.
Bow and sword and battle
    I will abolish from the land,
    so that all may lie down in safety.
¹⁹ I will betroth you to me forever;
    I will betroth you in^[d] righteousness and justice,
    in^[e] love and compassion.
²⁰ I will betroth you in^[f] faithfulness,
    and you will acknowledge the Lord.

²¹ “In that day I will respond,”
    declares the Lord—
“I will respond to the skies,
    and they will respond to the earth;
²² and the earth will respond to the grain,
    the new wine and the olive oil,
    and they will respond to Jezreel.^[g]
23 I will plant her for myself in the land;
    I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.^[h]’
I will say to those called ‘Not my people,^[i]’ ‘You are my people’;
    and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”

Footnotes:
a. Hosea 2:15 Achor means trouble.
b. Hosea 2:15 Or sing
c. Hosea 2:16 Hebrew baal
d. Hosea 2:19 Or with
e. Hosea 2:19 Or with
f. Hosea 2:20 Or with
g. Hosea 2:22 Jezreel means God plants.
h. Hosea 2:23 Hebrew Lo-Ruhamah (see 1:6)
i. Hosea 2:23 Hebrew Lo-Ammi (see 1:9)

The Lord’s Love for Unfaithful Israel

¹⁴ “But then I will win her back once again.
    I will lead her into the desert
    and speak tenderly to her there.
¹⁵ I will return her vineyards to her
    and transform the Valley of Trouble^[a] into a gateway of hope.
She will give herself to me there,
    as she did long ago when she was young,
    when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.
¹⁶ When that day comes,” says the Lord,
    “you will call me ‘my husband’
    instead of ‘my master.’^[b]
17 O Israel, I will wipe the many names of Baal from your lips,
    and you will never mention them again.
¹⁸ On that day I will make a covenant
    with all the wild animals and the birds of the sky
and the animals that scurry along the ground
    so they will not harm you.
I will remove all weapons of war from the land,
    all swords and bows,
so you can live unafraid
    in peace and safety.
¹⁹ I will make you my wife forever,
    showing you righteousness and justice,
    unfailing love and compassion.
²⁰ I will be faithful to you and make you mine,
    and you will finally know me as the Lord.

²¹ “In that day, I will answer,”
    says the Lord.
“I will answer the sky as it pleads for clouds.
    And the sky will answer the earth with rain.
²² Then the earth will answer the thirsty cries
    of the grain, the grapevines, and the olive trees.
And they in turn will answer,
    ‘Jezreel’—‘God plants!’
²³ At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites
    and raise them for myself.
I will show love
    to those I called ‘Not loved.’^[c]
And to those I called ‘Not my people,’^[d]
    I will say, ‘Now you are my people.’
And they will reply, ‘You are our God!’”

Footnotes:
a. 2:15 Hebrew valley of Achor.
b. 2:16 Hebrew ‘my baal.’
c. 2:23a Hebrew Lo-ruhamah; see 1:6.
d. 2:23b Hebrew Lo-ammi; see 1:9.

3 Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.
² So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:
³ And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.
⁴ For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:
⁵ Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.

Israel Will Return to God

3 Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover^[a] and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.”

² So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley. ³ And I said to her, “You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man—so, too, will I be toward you.”

⁴ For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. ⁵ Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.

Footnotes:
a. Hosea 3:1 Lit. friend or husband

Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife

3 The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”

² So I bought her for fifteen shekels^[a] of silver and about a homer and a lethek^[b] of barley. ³ Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.”

⁴ For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods. ⁵ Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.

Footnotes:
a. Hosea 3:2 That is, about 6 ounces or about 170 grams
b. Hosea 3:2 A homer and a lethek possibly weighed about 430 pounds or about 195 kilograms.

Hosea’s Wife Is Redeemed

3 Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she^[a] commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.^[b]”

² So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver^[c] and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.^[d] 3 Then I said to her, “You must live in my house for many days and stop your prostitution. During this time, you will not have sexual relations with anyone, not even with me.^[e]”

⁴ This shows that Israel will go a long time without a king or prince, and without sacrifices, sacred pillars, priests,^[f] or even idols! ⁵ But afterward the people will return and devote themselves to the Lord their God and to David’s descendant, their king.^[g] In the last days, they will tremble in awe of the Lord and of his goodness.

Footnotes:
a. 3:1a Or Go and love a woman who.
b. 3:1b Hebrew love their raisin cakes.
c. 3:2a Hebrew 15 [shekels] of silver, about 6 ounces or 171 grams in weight.
d. 3:2b As in Greek version, which reads a homer of barley and a wineskin full of wine; Hebrew reads a homer [5 bushels or 220 liters] of barley and a lethek [2.5 bushels or 110 liters] of barley.
e. 3:3 Or and I will live with you.
f. 3:4 Hebrew ephod, the vest worn by the priest.
g. 3:5 Hebrew to David their king.

4 Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
² By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
³ Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
⁴ Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
⁵ Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.
⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
⁷ As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
⁸ They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
⁹ And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.
¹⁰ For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord.

God’s Charge Against Israel

4 Hear the word of the Lord,
You children of Israel,
For the Lord brings a charge^[a] against the inhabitants of the land:

“There is no truth or mercy
Or knowledge of God in the land.
² By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed ^[b]upon bloodshed.
³ Therefore the land will mourn;
And everyone who dwells there will waste away
With the beasts of the field
And the birds of the air;
Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.

⁴ “Now let no man contend, or rebuke another;
For your people are like those who contend with the priest.
⁵ Therefore you shall stumble in the day;
The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night;
And I will destroy your mother.
⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
Because you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.

⁷ “The more they increased,
The more they sinned against Me;
I^[c] will change ^[d]their glory into shame.
⁸ They eat up the sin of My people;
They set their ^[e]heart on their iniquity.
⁹ And it shall be: like people, like priest.
So I will punish them for their ways,
And ^[f]reward them for their deeds.
¹⁰ For they shall eat, but not have enough;
They shall commit harlotry, but not increase;
Because they have ceased obeying the Lord.

Footnotes:
a. Hosea 4:1 A legal complaint
b. Hosea 4:2 Lit. touching
c. Hosea 4:7 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; scribal tradition, Syr., Tg. They will change
d. Hosea 4:7 So with MT, LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; scribal tradition My glory
e. Hosea 4:8 Desires
f. Hosea 4:9 repay

The Charge Against Israel

4 Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,
    because the Lord has a charge to bring
    against you who live in the land:
“There is no faithfulness, no love,
    no acknowledgment of God in the land.
² There is only cursing,^[a] lying and murder,
    stealing and adultery;
they break all bounds,
    and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
³ Because of this the land dries up,
    and all who live in it waste away;
the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
    and the fish in the sea are swept away.

⁴ “But let no one bring a charge,
    let no one accuse another,
for your people are like those
    who bring charges against a priest.
⁵ You stumble day and night,
    and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother—
⁶     my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

“Because you have rejected knowledge,
    I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law of your God,
    I also will ignore your children.
⁷ The more priests there were,
    the more they sinned against me;
    they exchanged their glorious God^[b] for something disgraceful.
⁸ They feed on the sins of my people
    and relish their wickedness.
⁹ And it will be: Like people, like priests.
    I will punish both of them for their ways
    and repay them for their deeds.

¹⁰ “They will eat but not have enough;
    they will engage in prostitution but not flourish,
because they have deserted the Lord
    to give themselves

Footnotes:
a. Hosea 4:2 That is, to pronounce a curse on
b. Hosea 4:7 Syriac (see also an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition); Masoretic Text me; / I will exchange their glory

The Lord’s Case against Israel

4 Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel!
    The Lord has brought charges against you, saying:
“There is no faithfulness, no kindness,
    no knowledge of God in your land.
² You make vows and break them;
    you kill and steal and commit adultery.
There is violence everywhere—
    one murder after another.
³ That is why your land is in mourning,
    and everyone is wasting away.
Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky,
    and the fish of the sea are disappearing.

⁴ “Don’t point your finger at someone else
    and try to pass the blame!
My complaint, you priests,
    is with you.^[a]
5 So you will stumble in broad daylight,
    and your false prophets will fall with you in the night.
    And I will destroy Israel, your mother.
⁶ My people are being destroyed
    because they don’t know me.
Since you priests refuse to know me,
    I refuse to recognize you as my priests.
Since you have forgotten the laws of your God,
    I will forget to bless your children.
⁷ The more priests there are,
    the more they sin against me.
They have exchanged the glory of God
    for the shame of idols.^[b]

⁸ “When the people bring their sin offerings, the priests get fed.
    So the priests are glad when the people sin!
⁹ ‘And what the priests do, the people also do.’
    So now I will punish both priests and people
    for their wicked deeds.
¹⁰ They will eat and still be hungry.
    They will play the prostitute and gain nothing from it,
for they have deserted the Lord

Footnotes:
a. 4:4 Hebrew Your people are like those with a complaint against the priests.
b. 4:7 As in Syriac version and an ancient Hebrew tradition; Masoretic Text reads I will turn their glory into shame.