Hosea 3:2-4

Living Bible

² So I bought her back from her slavery^[a] for a couple of dollars and eight bushels of barley, ³ and I said to her, “You must live alone for many days; do not go out with other men nor be a prostitute, and I will wait for you.”

⁴ This illustrates the fact that Israel will be a long time without a king or prince, and without an altar, Temple, priests, or even idols!