Hosea’s Wife and Children

The word of the Lord which came to (A)Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of (B)Uzziah, (C)Jotham, (D)Ahaz, and (E)Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of (F)Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “(G)Go, take for yourself a wife [a]inclined to infidelity, and children of infidelity; for (H)the land commits flagrant infidelity, [b]abandoning the Lord.” So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and (I)bore him a son. And the Lord said to him, “Name him (J)Jezreel; for in just a little while (K)I will [c]punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and (L)I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. On that day I will (M)break the bow of Israel in the (N)Valley of Jezreel.”

Then she conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And [d]the Lord said to him, “Name her [e]Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer (O)take pity on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them. But I will take (P)pity on the house of Judah and (Q)save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by (R)bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen.”

When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son. And [f]the Lord said, “Name him [g]Lo-ammi, because you are not My people, and I am not [h]your God.”

10 [i]Yet the number of the sons of Israel
Will be like the (S)sand of the sea,
Which cannot be measured or counted;
And (T)in the place
Where it is said to them,
“You are (U)not My people,”
It will be said to them,
You are the (V)sons of the living God.”
11 And the (W)sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be (X)gathered together,
And they will appoint for themselves (Y)one leader,
And they will go up from the land,
For the day of Jezreel will be great.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness Condemned

[j]Say to your brothers, “[k]Ammi,” and to your sisters, “[l]Ruhamah.”

“Dispute with your mother, (Z)dispute,
Because she is (AA)not my wife, and I am not her husband;
But she must remove her (AB)infidelity from her face
And her adultery from between her breasts,
Otherwise, I will strip her (AC)naked
And expose her as on the (AD)day she was born.
I will also (AE)make her like a wilderness,
Make her like desert land,
And put her to death with (AF)thirst.
Also, I will take no pity on her children,
Because they are (AG)children of infidelity.
For their mother has (AH)committed prostitution;
She who conceived them has acted shamefully.
For she said, ‘(AI)I will go after my lovers,
Who (AJ)give me my bread and my water,
My wool and my flax, my (AK)oil and my drink.’
Therefore, behold, I will (AL)obstruct [m]her way with (AM)thorns,
And I will build [n]a stone wall against her so that she cannot find her (AN)paths.
And she will (AO)pursue her lovers, but she will not reach them;
And she will seek them, but will not find them.
Then she will say, ‘(AP)I will go back to my (AQ)first husband,
Because it was (AR)better for me then than now!’

“Yet she does (AS)not know that it was (AT)I myself who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil,
And lavished on her silver and gold,
Which they [o]used for Baal.
Therefore, I will [p](AU)take back My grain at [q]harvest time
And My new wine in its season.
I will also take away My wool and My flax
That I gave to cover her nakedness.
10 So now I will (AV)uncover her [r]lewdness
Before the eyes of her lovers,
And no one will rescue her from My hand.
11 I will also (AW)put an end to all her joy,
Her (AX)feasts, her (AY)new moons, her Sabbaths,
And all her festivals.
12 And I will (AZ)destroy her vines and fig trees,
Of which she said, ‘They are my wages for prostitution
Which my lovers have given me.’
And I will (BA)turn them into a forest,
And the (BB)animals of the field will devour them.
13 I will punish her for the (BC)days of the Baals
When she used to [s](BD)offer sacrifices to them
And (BE)adorn herself with her nose ring and jewelry,
And follow her lovers, so that she (BF)forgot Me,” declares the Lord.

Restoration of Israel

14 “Therefore, behold, I am going to persuade her,
(BG)Bring her into the wilderness,
And speak [t]kindly to her.
15 Then I will give her her (BH)vineyards from there,
And (BI)the [u]Valley of Achor as a door of hope.
And she will [v](BJ)respond there as in the days of her youth,
As in the (BK)day when she went up from the land of Egypt.
16 And it will come about on that day,” declares the Lord,
“That you will call Me [w](BL)my husband
And no longer call Me my [x]Baal.
17 For (BM)I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth,
So that they will no longer be [y]mentioned by their names.
18 On that day I will also make a covenant for them
With the (BN)animals of the field,
The birds of the sky,
And the crawling things of the ground.
And I will [z](BO)eliminate the bow, the sword, and war from the land,
And will let them (BP)lie down in safety.
19 I will (BQ)betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me in (BR)righteousness and in justice,
In favor and in compassion,
20 And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.
Then you will (BS)know the Lord.

21 “And it will come about on that day that (BT)I will respond,” declares the Lord.
“I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,
22 And the (BU)earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine, and to the oil,
And they will respond to [aa]Jezreel.
23 I will (BV)sow her for Myself in the land.
(BW)I will also have compassion on [ab]her who had not obtained compassion,
And (BX)I will say to [ac]those who were (BY)not My people,
‘You are My people!’
And [ad]they will say, ‘You are my God!’”

Hosea’s Redemption of Gomer

Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love [ae]a woman who is loved by her [af]husband, yet is committing adultery, (BZ)as the Lord loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love [ag]raisin (CA)cakes.” So I (CB)purchased her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and a [ah]homer and a [ai]lethech of barley. Then I said to her, “You shall (CC)live with me for many days. You shall not play the prostitute, nor shall you have another man; so I will also be toward you.” For the sons of Israel will live for many days (CD)without a king or leader, (CE)without sacrifice or (CF)memorial stone, and without (CG)ephod or [aj](CH)household idols. Afterward the sons of Israel will (CI)return and seek the Lord their God and (CJ)David their king; and (CK)they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days.

God’s Controversy with Israel

(CL)Listen to the word of the Lord, you sons of Israel,
Because the Lord has a (CM)case against the inhabitants of the land,
For there is (CN)no [ak]faithfulness, nor [al]loyalty,
Nor (CO)knowledge of God in the land.
There is (CP)oath-taking, (CQ)[am]denial, (CR)murder, (CS)stealing, and (CT)adultery.
They employ violence, so that (CU)bloodshed [an]follows bloodshed.
Therefore the land (CV)mourns,
And everyone who lives in it languishes
Along with the animals of the field and the birds of the sky,
And even the fish of the sea [ao]disappear.

Yet let no one [ap](CW)find fault, and let no one rebuke;
For your people are like those who (CX)contend with a priest.
So you will (CY)stumble by day,
And the prophet also will stumble with you by night;
And I will destroy your (CZ)mother.
(DA)My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Since you have (DB)rejected knowledge,
I also will (DC)reject you from being My priest.
Since you have (DD)forgotten the (DE)Law of your God,
I also will forget your children.

The more they (DF)multiplied, the more they sinned against Me;
I will (DG)change their glory into shame.
They (DH)feed on the [aq]sin of My people,
And (DI)long for their wrongdoing.
And it will be, like people, (DJ)like priest;
So I will (DK)punish them for their ways
And repay them for their deeds.
10 (DL)They will eat, but not have enough;
They will (DM)play the prostitute, but not [ar]increase,
Because they (DN)gave up devoting themselves to the Lord.

11 [as]Infidelity, (DO)wine, and new wine take away the [at]understanding.
12 My people (DP)consult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand informs them;
For a spirit of infidelity has led them astray,
And they have been unfaithful, departing [au]from their God.
13 They offer sacrifices on the (DQ)tops of the mountains
And [av](DR)burn incense on the hills,
(DS)Under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
Because their shade is pleasant.
Therefore your daughters play the prostitute,
And your [aw]brides commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute,
Or your [ax]brides when they commit adultery,
Because the men themselves slip away with the prostitutes
And offer sacrifices with (DT)temple prostitutes;
So the people without understanding are ruined.

15 Though you, Israel, play the prostitute,
Judah must not become guilty;
Also you are not to go to (DU)Gilgal,
Nor go up to Beth-aven
(DV)And take the oath:
“As the Lord lives!”
16 Since Israel is (DW)stubborn
Like a stubborn cow,
[ay]Will the Lord now (DX)pasture them
Like a lamb in a large field?
17 Ephraim is allied with (DY)idols;
(DZ)Leave him alone.
18 Their liquor is gone,
They prostitute themselves continually;
[az](EA)Their [ba]rulers dearly love shame.
19 (EB)The wind wraps them in its wings,
And they will be [bb]put to shame because of their sacrifices.

The People’s Apostasy Rebuked

Hear this, you priests!
Pay attention, house of Israel!
Listen, you of the house of the king!
For the judgment applies to you,
Because you have been a (EC)trap at Mizpah,
And a net spread out on Tabor.
And the (ED)rebels have (EE)gone deep in [bc]depravity,
But I will discipline all of them.
I (EF)know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me;
Because now, Ephraim, you have been unfaithful,
Israel has defiled itself.
Their deeds will not allow them
To return to their God.
For a (EG)spirit of [bd]infidelity is within them,
And they (EH)do not know the Lord.
Moreover, the (EI)pride of Israel testifies against him,
And Israel and Ephraim stumble in their wrongdoing;
(EJ)Judah also has stumbled with them.
They will (EK)go with their flocks and herds
To seek the Lord, but they will (EL)not find Him;
He has (EM)withdrawn from them.
They have (EN)dealt treacherously with the Lord,
For they have given birth to [be](EO)illegitimate children.
Now the (EP)new moon will devour them with their [bf]land.

(EQ)Blow the horn in (ER)Gibeah,
And the trumpet in Ramah.
Sound an alarm at Beth-aven:
(ES)Behind you, Benjamin!”
Ephraim will become a (ET)desolation in the (EU)day of rebuke;
Among the tribes of Israel I (EV)make known what is trustworthy.
10 The leaders of Judah have become like those who (EW)displace a boundary marker;
On them I will (EX)pour out My anger (EY)like water.
11 Ephraim is (EZ)oppressed, broken by judgment,
(FA)Because he was determined to follow [bg]man’s command.
12 Therefore I am like a (FB)moth to Ephraim,
And like rottenness to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah his [bh]sore,
Ephraim then went to (FC)Assyria
And sent word to [bi](FD)King Jareb.
But he is (FE)unable to heal you,
Or to cure you of your [bj]sore.
14 For I will be (FF)like a lion to Ephraim
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
(FG)I, yes I, will tear to pieces and go away,
I will carry away, and there will be (FH)no one to rescue.
15 I will go away and return to My place
Until they [bk](FI)acknowledge their guilt and seek My face;
In their distress they will (FJ)search for Me.

The Response to God’s Rebuke

(FK)Come, let’s return to the Lord.
For (FL)He has torn us, but (FM)He will heal us;
He has [bl]wounded us, but He will (FN)bandage us.
He will (FO)revive us after two days;
He will (FP)raise us up on the third day,
That we may live before Him.
So let’s (FQ)learn, let’s press on to know the Lord.
His (FR)appearance is as sure as the dawn;
And He will come to us like the (FS)rain,
As the spring rain waters the earth.”

What shall I do with you, (FT)Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, Judah?
For your loyalty is like a (FU)morning cloud,
And like the dew which goes away early.
Therefore I have (FV)cut them in pieces by the prophets;
I have slain them by the (FW)words of My mouth;
And the judgments on you are like the light that [bm]shines.
For (FX)I [bn]desire loyalty (FY)rather than sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
But (FZ)like [bo]Adam they have (GA)violated the covenant;
There they have (GB)dealt treacherously with Me.
(GC)Gilead is a city of wrongdoers,
Tracked with (GD)bloody footprints.
And as a (GE)band of robbers lie in wait for a person,
So a band of priests (GF)murder on the way to Shechem;
Certainly they have committed an act of (GG)infamy.
10 In the house of Israel I have seen a (GH)horrible thing;
Ephraim’s (GI)infidelity is there, Israel has defiled itself.
11 Also, Judah, there is a (GJ)harvest appointed for you,
When I (GK)restore the fortunes of My people.

Ephraim’s Wrongdoing

When I (GL)would heal Israel,
The wrongdoing of Ephraim is uncovered,
And the evil deeds of Samaria,
For they practice (GM)deception;
The thief enters,
A band of (GN)robbers attack outside,
And they do not [bp]consider in their hearts
That I (GO)remember all their wickedness.
Now their (GP)deeds surround them;
They are before My face.
(GQ)With their wickedness they make the (GR)king happy,
And the officials with their (GS)lies.
They are (GT)all adulterers,
Like an oven heated by the baker,
Who stops [bq]stoking the fire
From the time the dough is kneaded until it is leavened.
On the [br]day of our king, the officials (GU)became sick with the heat of wine;
He stretched out his hand with [bs](GV)scoffers,
For their hearts are like an (GW)oven
As they approach their [bt]plotting;
Their [bu]anger [bv]smolders all night,
In the morning it burns like flaming fire.
All of them are hot like an oven,
And they consume their (GX)rulers;
All their kings have fallen.
(GY)None of them calls on Me.

Ephraim is himself (GZ)thrown about with the [bw]nations;
Ephraim has become a round loaf not turned over.
(HA)Strangers devour his strength,
Yet he (HB)does not know it;
Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him,
Yet he does not know it.
10 Though the (HC)pride of Israel testifies against him,
Yet (HD)they have not returned to the Lord their God,
Nor have they sought Him, despite all this.
11 So (HE)Ephraim has become like a gullible dove, (HF)without [bx]sense;
They call to (HG)Egypt, they go to (HH)Assyria.
12 When they go, I will (HI)spread My net over them;
I will bring them down like the birds of the sky.
I will (HJ)discipline them in accordance with the [by]proclamation to their assembly.
13 (HK)Woe to them, for they have (HL)strayed from Me!
Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me!
I (HM)would redeem them, but they have spoken lies against Me.
14 And (HN)they do not cry to Me from their heart
When they wail on their beds;
For the sake of grain and new wine they [bz](HO)assemble themselves,
They (HP)turn against Me.
15 Although I trained and strengthened their arms,
Yet they (HQ)devise evil against Me.
16 They turn, but not [ca]upward,
They are like a (HR)loose bow;
Their officials will fall by the sword
Because of the [cb](HS)insolence of their tongue.
This will be their (HT)derision in the land of Egypt.

Israel Reaps the Whirlwind

(HU)Put the trumpet to your [cc]lips!
(HV)Like an eagle the enemy comes (HW)against the house of the Lord,
Because they have (HX)violated My covenant
And rebelled against My (HY)Law.
(HZ)They cry out to Me,
“My God, (IA)we of Israel know You!”
Israel has rejected the good;
The enemy will pursue him.
(IB)They have set up kings, but not by Me;
They have appointed officials, but I did not know it.
With their (IC)silver and gold they have made idols for themselves,
So that [cd]they will be eliminated.
[ce]He has rejected your (ID)calf, Samaria, saying,
“My anger burns against them!”
How long will they be incapable of (IE)innocence?
For from Israel comes even this!
A (IF)craftsman made it, so it is not God;
Assuredly, the calf of Samaria will be broken to [cf]pieces.
For (IG)they sow wind
And they harvest a (IH)storm.
The standing grain has no [cg]kernels;
It yields (II)no [ch]grain.
If it were to yield, strangers would swallow it.

Israel has been (IJ)swallowed up;
They are now among the nations
Like a (IK)vessel in which no one delights.
For they have gone up to (IL)Assyria,
Like (IM)a wild donkey all alone;
Ephraim has (IN)paid fees for [ci]lovers.
10 Even though they [cj]pay for allies among the nations,
I will (IO)gather them up now;
And they will begin (IP)to diminish
Because of the burden of the (IQ)king of officials.

11 Since Ephraim has (IR)multiplied altars for sin,
They have become altars of sinning for him.
12 Though (IS)I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My (IT)Law,
They are regarded as a strange thing.
13 As for My (IU)sacrificial gifts,
They (IV)sacrifice the flesh and eat it,
But the Lord has taken no delight in them.
Now He will (IW)remember their guilt,
And (IX)punish them for their sins;
They will return to (IY)Egypt.
14 For Israel has (IZ)forgotten his Maker and (JA)built palaces;
And Judah has multiplied fortified cities,
But I will send a (JB)fire on its cities, and it will consume its palatial buildings.

Ephraim Punished

(JC)Do not rejoice, Israel, [ck]with jubilation like the [cl]nations!
For you have (JD)been unfaithful, [cm]abandoning your God.
You have loved the earnings of unfaithfulness on [cn]every threshing floor.
Threshing floor and wine press will (JE)not feed them,
And the new wine will fail [co]them.
They will not remain in (JF)the Lords land,
But Ephraim will return to (JG)Egypt,
And in (JH)Assyria they will eat (JI)unclean food.
They will not pour out drink offerings of (JJ)wine to the Lord,
(JK)Nor will [cp]their sacrifices please Him.
Their bread will be to them like [cq]mourners’ bread;
All who eat it will be (JL)defiled,
Because their bread will be for [cr]themselves alone;
It will not enter the house of the Lord.
(JM)What will you do on the day of the appointed festival
And on the day of the (JN)feast of the Lord?
For behold, they will be gone because of destruction;
Egypt will gather them together, (JO)Memphis will bury them.
Weeds will take possession of their treasures of silver;
(JP)Thorns will be in their tents.

The days of (JQ)punishment have come,
The days of (JR)retribution have come;
[cs]Let Israel know this!
The prophet is a (JS)fool,
The [ct]inspired person is (JT)insane,
Because of the grossness of your (JU)wrongdoing,
And because your [cu]hostility is so great.
Ephraim was a watchman with my God, a prophet;
Yet the snare of a bird catcher is in all his ways,
And there is only [cv]hostility in the house of his God.
They are (JV)deeply depraved
As in the days of (JW)Gibeah;
He will (JX)remember their guilt,
He will punish their sins.

10 I found Israel like (JY)grapes in the wilderness;
I saw your forefathers as the (JZ)earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season.
But they came to (KA)Baal-peor and devoted themselves to [cw](KB)shame,
And they became as (KC)detestable as that which they loved.
11 As for Ephraim, their (KD)glory will fly away like a bird—
No birth, no pregnancy, and no conception!
12 Though they bring up their children,
Yet I will bereave them of their children [cx]until not a person is left.
Yes, (KE)woe to them indeed when I depart from them!
13 Ephraim, as I have seen,
Is planted in a pasture like (KF)Tyre;
But Ephraim is going to bring out his children for slaughter.
14 Give to them, Lord—what will You give?
Give them a (KG)miscarrying womb and dried-up breasts.

15 All their evil is at (KH)Gilgal;
Indeed, I came to hate them there!
Because of the (KI)wickedness of their deeds
I will drive them out of My house!
I will no longer love them;
All their leaders are (KJ)rebels.
16 (KK)Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up,
They will produce (KL)no fruit.
Even though they give birth to children,
I will put to death the (KM)precious ones of their womb.
17 My God will reject them
Because they have (KN)not listened to Him;
And they will be (KO)wanderers among the nations.

Retribution for Israel’s Sin

10 Israel is a luxuriant (KP)vine;
He produces fruit for himself.
The more his fruit,
The more altars he (KQ)made;
The [cy]richer his land,
The better [cz]he made the (KR)memorial stones.
Their heart is [da](KS)deceitful;
Now they must suffer for their (KT)guilt.
[db]The Lord will (KU)break down their altars
And destroy their memorial stones.

Certainly now they will say, “We have (KV)no king,
For we do not revere the Lord.
As for the king, what can he do for us?”
They speak mere words,
[dc]With (KW)worthless oaths they make covenants;
And (KX)judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
The inhabitants of Samaria will fear
For the [dd](KY)calf of (KZ)Beth-aven.
Indeed, its people will mourn for it,
And its (LA)idolatrous priests [de]will cry out over it,
Over its (LB)glory, since it has left it.
The thing itself will be brought to (LC)Assyria
As a gift of tribute to [df](LD)King Jareb;
Ephraim will [dg]be (LE)seized with shame,
And Israel will be ashamed of its (LF)own plan.
Samaria will be (LG)destroyed with her king,
Like a twig on the surface of the water.
Also the (LH)high places of Aven, the (LI)sin of Israel, will be destroyed;
(LJ)Thorns and thistles will grow on their altars;
Then they will (LK)say to the mountains,
“Cover us!” And to the hills, “Fall on us!”
Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, Israel;
There they stand!
Will the battle against the sons of injustice not overtake them in Gibeah?
10 When it is My (LL)desire, I will [dh](LM)discipline them;
And (LN)the peoples will be gathered against them
When they are bound for their double guilt.

11 Ephraim is a trained (LO)heifer that loves to thresh,
[di]And I (LP)passed over her lovely neck;
I will harness Ephraim,
Judah will plow, Jacob will [dj]harrow for himself.
12 (LQ)Sow for yourselves, with a view to righteousness;
Harvest in accordance with [dk]kindness.
(LR)Break up your uncultivated ground,
For it is time to (LS)seek the Lord
Until He (LT)comes and (LU)rains righteousness on you.
13 You have (LV)plowed wickedness, you have harvested injustice,
You have eaten the fruit of (LW)lies.
Because you have trusted in your way, in your (LX)many warriors,
14 An uproar will arise among your people,
And all your (LY)fortresses will be destroyed,
As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle,
When (LZ)mothers were [dl]slaughtered with their children.
15 So it will be done to you at Bethel because of your great wickedness.
At dawn the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.

God Yearns over His People

11 When Israel was a youth I loved him,
And (MA)out of Egypt I (MB)called My son.
The more [dm](MC)they called them,
The more they went away from [dn]them;
They kept (MD)sacrificing to the Baals
And (ME)burning incense to idols.
Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk,
[do]I (MF)took them in My arms;
But they did not know that I (MG)healed them.
I (MH)pulled them along with cords of a man, with ropes of love,
And (MI)I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws;
And I bent down and (MJ)fed them.

[dp]They will not return to the land of Egypt;
But Assyria—he will be [dq]their king
Because they (MK)refused to return to Me.
And the (ML)sword will whirl against [dr]their cities,
And will destroy [ds]their oracle priests
And (MM)consume them, because of their (MN)counsels.
So My people are determined to (MO)turn from Me.
Though [dt]they call [du]them to the One on high,
None at all exalts Him.

(MP)How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I surrender you, Israel?
How can I [dv]make you like (MQ)Admah?
How can I treat you like (MR)Zeboiim?
My heart is turned over within Me,
[dw]All My compassions are kindled.
I will (MS)not carry out My fierce anger;
I will not destroy Ephraim (MT)again.
For (MU)I am God and not a man, the (MV)Holy One in your midst,
And I will not come in [dx]wrath.
10 They will (MW)walk after the Lord,
He will (MX)roar like a lion;
Indeed He will roar,
And His sons will come (MY)trembling from the west.
11 They will come trembling like birds from (MZ)Egypt,
And like (NA)doves from the land of (NB)Assyria;
And I will (NC)settle them in their houses, declares the Lord.

12 [dy]Ephraim surrounds Me with (ND)lies
And the house of Israel with deceit;
[dz]Judah is still unruly against God,
Even against the Holy One who is faithful.

Ephraim Reminded

12 [ea]Ephraim feeds on (NE)wind,
And pursues the (NF)east wind continually;
He multiplies lies and violence.
Moreover, [eb]he makes a covenant with Assyria,
And oil is brought to Egypt.
The Lord also has a (NG)case against Judah,
And will punish Jacob (NH)according to his ways;
He will repay him according to his deeds.
In the womb he (NI)took his brother by the heel,
And in his mature strength he (NJ)contended with God.
Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed;
He wept and (NK)implored His favor.
He found Him at (NL)Bethel,
And there He spoke with us,
And the Lord, the God of armies,
The Lord is His [ec](NM)name.
So as for you, (NN)return to your God,
(NO)Maintain [ed]kindness and justice,
And (NP)wait for your God continually.
A [ee]merchant, in whose hands are fraudulent (NQ)balances,
Loves to exploit.
And Ephraim said, “I have certainly become (NR)rich,
I have found wealth for myself;
In all my labors they will find in me
(NS)No wrongdoing, which would be sin.”
But I have been the Lord your God since the land of Egypt;
I will make you (NT)live in tents again,
As in the days of the appointed festival.
10 I have also spoken to the (NU)prophets,
And I [ef]provided many visions,
And through the prophets I spoke in (NV)parables.
11 Is there injustice in Gilead?
Certainly they are worthless.
In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
Yes, (NW)their altars are like stone heaps
Beside the furrows of a field.

12 Now (NX)Jacob fled to the [eg]land of Aram,
And (NY)Israel worked for a wife,
And for a wife he kept sheep.
13 But by a (NZ)prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,
And by a prophet he was protected.
14 (OA)Ephraim has provoked God to bitter anger;
So his Lord will leave his (OB)guilt for bloodshed on him
And bring his (OC)disgrace back to him.

Ephraim’s Idolatry

13 (OD)When Ephraim [eh]spoke, there was trembling.
He (OE)exalted himself in Israel,
But through (OF)Baal he incurred guilt and died.
And now they sin more and more,
And make for themselves (OG)cast metal images,
Idols [ei](OH)skillfully made from their silver,
All of them the (OI)work of craftsmen.
They say of them, “Let the [ej]people who sacrifice kiss the (OJ)calves!”
Therefore they will be like the (OK)morning cloud
And like dew which [ek]soon disappears,
Like (OL)chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor,
And like (OM)smoke from a chimney.

Yet I have been the (ON)Lord your God
Since the land of Egypt;
And you were not to know (OO)any god except Me,
For there is no savior (OP)besides Me.
I [el](OQ)cared for you in the wilderness,
(OR)In the land of drought.
As they had their pasture, they became (OS)satisfied,
And as they became satisfied, their (OT)heart became proud;
Therefore they (OU)forgot Me.
So I will be (OV)like a lion to them;
Like a (OW)leopard I will [em]lie in wait by the wayside.
I will confront them (OX)like a bear deprived of her cubs,
And I will tear open [en]their chests;
I will also (OY)devour them there like a lioness,
As a wild animal would tear them to pieces.

[eo]It is to your own destruction, Israel,
That you are (OZ)against Me, against your (PA)help.
10 Where then is your (PB)king,
That he might save you in all your cities;
And your (PC)judges, to whom you said,
“Give me a king and princes”?
11 I (PD)gave you a king in My anger,
And (PE)took him away in My wrath.

12 The guilt of Ephraim is wrapped up;
His sin is (PF)stored up.
13 The pains of (PG)childbirth come on him;
He is (PH)not a wise son,
For [ep]it is not the time that he should (PI)delay at the opening of the womb.
14 Shall I (PJ)ransom them from the [eq]power of Sheol?
Shall I redeem them from death?
(PK)Death, where are your [er]thorns?
Sheol, where is your sting?
(PL)Compassion will be hidden from My sight.

15 Though he (PM)flourishes among the [es]reeds,
An (PN)east wind will come,
The wind of the Lord coming up from the wilderness;
And his fountain will (PO)become dry
And his spring will dry up;
It will (PP)plunder his treasury of every precious article.
16 [et]Samaria will pay the penalty for her (PQ)guilt,
Because she has (PR)rebelled against her God.
(PS)They will fall by the (PT)sword,
Their children will be [eu](PU)slaughtered,
And their pregnant (PV)women will be ripped open.

Israel’s Future Blessing

14 [ev](PW)Return, Israel, to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled [ew]because of your (PX)wrongdoing.
Take words with you and return to the Lord.
Say to Him, “(PY)Take away all guilt
And [ex]receive us graciously,
So that we may (PZ)present [ey]the fruit of our lips.
Assyria will not save us,
We will (QA)not ride on horses;
Nor will we say again, ‘(QB)Our god’
To the (QC)work of our hands;
For in (QD)You the [ez]orphan finds mercy.”

I will (QE)heal their apostasy,
I will (QF)love them freely,
Because My anger has (QG)turned away from them.
I will be like the (QH)dew to Israel;
He will blossom like the (QI)lily,
And he will [fa]take root like the cedars of (QJ)Lebanon.
His shoots will [fb]sprout,
His [fc]majesty will be like the (QK)olive tree,
And his fragrance like the cedars of (QL)Lebanon.
Those who (QM)live in his shadow
Will [fd]again raise (QN)grain,
And they will blossom like the vine.
His fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim, what more have I to do with (QO)idols?
It is I who answer and look after [fe]you.
I am like a luxuriant (QP)juniper;
From (QQ)Me [ff]comes your fruit.

(QR)Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
Whoever is discerning, let him know them.
For the (QS)ways of the Lord are right,
And the (QT)righteous will walk in them,
But (QU)wrongdoers will stumble in them.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 1:2 Lit of infidelity; or fornication
  2. Hosea 1:2 Lit away from
  3. Hosea 1:4 Lit visit the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu
  4. Hosea 1:6 Lit He
  5. Hosea 1:6 I.e., not having obtained mercy
  6. Hosea 1:9 Lit He
  7. Hosea 1:9 I.e., not my people
  8. Hosea 1:9 Lit yours
  9. Hosea 1:10 Ch 2:1 in Heb
  10. Hosea 2:1 Ch 2:3 in Heb
  11. Hosea 2:1 I.e., my people
  12. Hosea 2:1 I.e., she has obtained compassion
  13. Hosea 2:6 As in some ancient versions; MT your
  14. Hosea 2:6 Lit her stone wall so that
  15. Hosea 2:8 Or made into the
  16. Hosea 2:9 Lit return and take My
  17. Hosea 2:9 Lit its time
  18. Hosea 2:10 Or shame
  19. Hosea 2:13 Or burn incense
  20. Hosea 2:14 Lit upon her heart
  21. Hosea 2:15 Lit Valley of Trouble
  22. Hosea 2:15 Or give answer
  23. Hosea 2:16 Heb Ishi
  24. Hosea 2:16 Also meaning husband in Heb, besides a name for false gods
  25. Hosea 2:17 Or remembered
  26. Hosea 2:18 Lit break
  27. Hosea 2:22 I.e., God sows
  28. Hosea 2:23 Heb Lo-ruhamah
  29. Hosea 2:23 Heb Lo-ammi
  30. Hosea 2:23 Lit he
  31. Hosea 3:1 I.e., Gomer
  32. Hosea 3:1 Lit companion
  33. Hosea 3:1 Used in idolatry
  34. Hosea 3:2 About 7.7 cubic feet or 0.22 cubic meters
  35. Hosea 3:2 About 3.8 cubic feet or 0.11 cubic meters
  36. Hosea 3:4 Heb teraphim
  37. Hosea 4:1 Or truth
  38. Hosea 4:1 Or kindness
  39. Hosea 4:2 I.e., of truth
  40. Hosea 4:2 Lit touches
  41. Hosea 4:3 Lit are taken away
  42. Hosea 4:4 Lit contend
  43. Hosea 4:8 Or sin offering
  44. Hosea 4:10 I.e., either in population or wealth
  45. Hosea 4:11 Or Prostitution
  46. Hosea 4:11 Lit heart
  47. Hosea 4:12 Lit from under
  48. Hosea 4:13 Or offer sacrifices
  49. Hosea 4:13 Or daughters-in-law
  50. Hosea 4:14 Or daughters-in-law
  51. Hosea 4:16 Or The Lord will now pasture...field.
  52. Hosea 4:18 Another reading is They dearly love the shame of gifts
  53. Hosea 4:18 Lit shields
  54. Hosea 4:19 Or ashamed
  55. Hosea 5:2 Or slaughter
  56. Hosea 5:4 Or prostitution
  57. Hosea 5:7 Lit strange
  58. Hosea 5:7 Lit portions
  59. Hosea 5:11 Or with some ancient versions, nothingness
  60. Hosea 5:13 Or ulcer
  61. Hosea 5:13 Or another reading is the great king; or the contentious king
  62. Hosea 5:13 Or ulcer
  63. Hosea 5:15 Or suffer their punishment
  64. Hosea 6:1 Lit struck
  65. Hosea 6:5 Lit proceeds
  66. Hosea 6:6 Or take pleasure in
  67. Hosea 6:7 Or men
  68. Hosea 7:2 Lit say to their
  69. Hosea 7:4 Lit stirring up
  70. Hosea 7:5 I.e., a festive occasion
  71. Hosea 7:5 Or rebels
  72. Hosea 7:6 Lit ambush
  73. Hosea 7:6 As in some ancient versions; MT baker
  74. Hosea 7:6 Lit is asleep
  75. Hosea 7:8 Lit peoples
  76. Hosea 7:11 Lit heart
  77. Hosea 7:12 Lit report
  78. Hosea 7:14 Or LXX and many ancient mss gash themselves
  79. Hosea 7:16 Or possibly to the Most High
  80. Hosea 7:16 Lit cursing
  81. Hosea 8:1 Lit palate
  82. Hosea 8:4 Lit he
  83. Hosea 8:5 Or Your calf has rejected you
  84. Hosea 8:6 Or splinters
  85. Hosea 8:7 Lit growth
  86. Hosea 8:7 Or meal
  87. Hosea 8:9 Lit love gifts
  88. Hosea 8:10 Or recruit allies
  89. Hosea 9:1 Lit to
  90. Hosea 9:1 Lit peoples
  91. Hosea 9:1 Lit away from your God
  92. Hosea 9:1 Lit all threshing floors of grain
  93. Hosea 9:2 Lit her
  94. Hosea 9:4 Or they offer to Him their
  95. Hosea 9:4 Lit bread of mourning
  96. Hosea 9:4 Lit their soul
  97. Hosea 9:7 Or Israel will know this
  98. Hosea 9:7 Lit man of the spirit
  99. Hosea 9:7 Or persecution
  100. Hosea 9:8 Or persecution
  101. Hosea 9:10 I.e., Baal
  102. Hosea 9:12 Lit without a person
  103. Hosea 10:1 Lit better
  104. Hosea 10:1 Lit they
  105. Hosea 10:2 Lit slippery; or divided
  106. Hosea 10:2 Lit He
  107. Hosea 10:4 Or Swearing falsely in making a covenant
  108. Hosea 10:5 As in some ancient versions; MT calves
  109. Hosea 10:5 Or who used to rejoice over
  110. Hosea 10:6 Another reading is the great king; or the contentious king
  111. Hosea 10:6 Lit receive shame
  112. Hosea 10:10 Or instruct
  113. Hosea 10:11 Or But I put a yoke on her lovely
  114. Hosea 10:11 I.e., pull a harrow, a farming device
  115. Hosea 10:12 Or loyalty
  116. Hosea 10:14 Lit shattered
  117. Hosea 11:2 I.e., God’s prophets
  118. Hosea 11:2 I.e., God’s prophets
  119. Hosea 11:3 As in ancient versions; MT He...His
  120. Hosea 11:5 Lit He
  121. Hosea 11:5 Lit his
  122. Hosea 11:6 Lit his
  123. Hosea 11:6 Lit his
  124. Hosea 11:7 I.e., God’s prophets
  125. Hosea 11:7 Lit him; i.e., Israel
  126. Hosea 11:8 Lit give
  127. Hosea 11:8 Lit Together
  128. Hosea 11:9 Lit agitation
  129. Hosea 11:12 Ch 12:1 in Heb
  130. Hosea 11:12 Or But Judah still goes about with God, even with
  131. Hosea 12:1 Ch 12:2 in Heb
  132. Hosea 12:1 Lit they make
  133. Hosea 12:5 Lit invocation
  134. Hosea 12:6 Or loyalty
  135. Hosea 12:7 Or Canaanite
  136. Hosea 12:10 Lit multiplied the vision
  137. Hosea 12:12 Lit field
  138. Hosea 13:1 Or spoke with trembling, he exalted
  139. Hosea 13:2 Or according to their skill
  140. Hosea 13:2 Lit sacrificers of; or among mankind
  141. Hosea 13:3 Lit goes away early
  142. Hosea 13:5 Or knew
  143. Hosea 13:7 Or watch
  144. Hosea 13:8 Lit the enclosure of their heart
  145. Hosea 13:9 Lit It has destroyed you
  146. Hosea 13:13 Lit it is the time that he should not remain at the opening of children
  147. Hosea 13:14 Lit hand
  148. Hosea 13:14 Or stings
  149. Hosea 13:15 Another reading is brothers
  150. Hosea 13:16 Ch 14:1 in Heb
  151. Hosea 13:16 Lit shattered
  152. Hosea 14:1 Ch 14:2 in Heb
  153. Hosea 14:1 Or in
  154. Hosea 14:2 Or accept that which is good
  155. Hosea 14:2 As in ancient versions; MT our lips as bulls
  156. Hosea 14:3 Or fatherless
  157. Hosea 14:5 Lit strike his roots
  158. Hosea 14:6 Lit go
  159. Hosea 14:6 Lit splendor
  160. Hosea 14:7 Or return, they will raise grain
  161. Hosea 14:8 Lit him
  162. Hosea 14:8 Lit is found

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