Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized

4 “Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it.

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.^(A) Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.^(B)”

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,^(C) without sacrifice^(D) or sacred stones,^(E) without ephod^(F) or household gods.^{(G) 5} Afterward the Israelites will return and seek^(H) the Lord their God and David their king.^(I) They will come trembling^(J) to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.^(K)

Hosea’s Wife and Children

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

⁴ Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel,^(D) 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.^(E)”

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

⁸ After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah,^(K) 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.^[a](L)

³ “Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps^(A) they will understand,^(B) though they are a rebellious people.^{(C) 4} During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile.^{(D) 5} While they watch, dig through the wall^(E) and take your belongings out through it. ⁶ Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign^(F) to the Israelites.”

⁷ So I did as I was commanded.^(G) During the day I brought out my things packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they watched.

⁸ In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹ “Son of man, did not the Israelites, that rebellious people, ask you, ‘What are you doing?’^(H)

¹⁰ “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This prophecy concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the Israelites who are there.’ ¹¹ Say to them, ‘I am a sign^(I) to you.’

“As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives.^(J)

¹² “The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk^(K) and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land.^{(L) 13} I will spread my net^(M) for him, and he will be caught in my snare;^(N) I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans,^(O) but he will not see^(P) it, and there he will die.^{(Q) 14} I will scatter to the winds all those around him—his staff and all his troops—and I will pursue them with drawn sword.^(R)

¹⁵ “They will know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations^(S) and scatter them through the countries. ¹⁶ But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the Lord.^(T)”

God’s Razor of Judgment

5 “Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor^(A) to shave^(B) your head and your beard.^(C) Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair. ² When the days of your siege come to an end, burn^(D) a third^(E) of the hair inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind.^(F) For I will pursue them with drawn sword.^{(G) 3} But take a few hairs and tuck them away in the folds of your garment.^{(H) 4} Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire^(I) and burn them up. A fire will spread from there to all Israel.

⁵ “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her.^{(J) 6} Yet in her wickedness she has rebelled against my laws and decrees more than the nations and countries around her. She has rejected my laws and has not followed my decrees.^(K)

⁷ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have been more unruly than the nations around you and have not followed my decrees or kept my laws. You have not even^[a] conformed to the standards of the nations around you.^(L)

⁸ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will inflict punishment on you in the sight of the nations.^{(M) 9} Because of all your detestable idols, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again.^{(N) 10} Therefore in your midst parents will eat their children, and children will eat their parents.^(O) I will inflict punishment on you and will scatter all your survivors to the winds.^{(P) 11} Therefore as surely as I live,^(Q) declares the Sovereign^(R) Lord, because you have defiled my sanctuary^(S) with all your vile images^(T) and detestable practices,^(U) I myself will shave you; I will not look on you with pity or spare you.^{(V) 12} A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds^(W) and pursue with drawn sword.^(X)

¹³ “Then my anger will cease and my wrath^(Y) against them will subside, and I will be avenged.^(Z) And when I have spent my wrath on them, they will know that I the Lord have spoken in my zeal.^(AA)

¹⁴ “I will make you a ruin and a reproach among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by.^{(AB) 15} You will be a reproach^(AC) and a taunt, a warning^(AD) and an object of horror to the nations around you when I inflict punishment on you in anger and in wrath and with stinging rebuke.^(AE) I the Lord have spoken.^{(AF) 16} When I shoot at you with my deadly and destructive arrows of famine, I will shoot to destroy you. I will bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of food.^{(AG) 17} I will send famine and wild beasts^(AH) against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed^(AI) will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I the Lord have spoken.^(AJ)”

³¹ From the day it was built until now, this city^(A) has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove^(B) it from my sight.

² This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke^(A) out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. ³ Then send^(B) word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon,^(C) Tyre and Sidon^(D) through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. ⁴ Give them a message for their masters and say, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: ⁵ With my great power and outstretched arm^(E) I made^(F) the earth and its people and the animals^(G) that are on it, and I give^(H) it to anyone I please. ⁶ Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant^(I) Nebuchadnezzar^(J) king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.^{(K) 7} All nations will serve^(L) him and his son and his grandson until the time^(M) for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate^(N) him.

⁸ “‘“If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish^(O) that nation with the sword,^(P) famine^(Q) and plague,^(R) declares the Lord, until I destroy it by his hand. ⁹ So do not listen to your prophets,^(S) your diviners,^(T) your interpreters of dreams,^(U) your mediums^(V) or your sorcerers^(W) who tell you, ‘You will not serve^(X) the king of Babylon.’ ¹⁰ They prophesy lies^(Y) to you that will only serve to remove^(Z) you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish. ¹¹ But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke^(AA) of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live^(AB) there, declares the Lord.”’”

¹² I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, “Bow your neck under the yoke^(AC) of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live.^{(AD) 13} Why will you and your people die^(AE) by the sword, famine and plague^(AF) with which the Lord has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? ¹⁴ Do not listen^(AG) to the words of the prophets^(AH) who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying lies^(AI) to you. ¹⁵ ‘I have not sent^(AJ) them,’ declares the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name.^(AK) Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish,^(AL) both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.’”

¹⁶ Then I said to the priests and all these people, “This is what the Lord says: Do not listen to the prophets who say, ‘Very soon now the articles^(AM) from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you. ¹⁷ Do not listen^(AN) to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live.^(AO) Why should this city become a ruin? ¹⁸ If they are prophets and have the word of the Lord, let them plead^(AP) with the Lord Almighty that the articles remaining in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem not be taken to Babylon. ¹⁹ For this is what the Lord Almighty says about the pillars, the bronze Sea,^(AQ) the movable stands and the other articles^(AR) that are left in this city, ²⁰ which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away when he carried^(AS) Jehoiachin^[a](AT) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— ²¹ yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the things that are left in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem: ²² ‘They will be taken^(AU) to Babylon and there they will remain until the day^(AV) I come for them,’ declares the Lord. ‘Then I will bring^(AW) them back and restore them to this place.’”