Hosea 3

New International Version

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)”

²So I bought her for fifteen shekels^[a] of silver and about a homer and a lethek^[b] of barley. ³Then 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.”

⁴For 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) ⁵Afterward 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)

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Footnotes

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

Hosea 11:4-11

New International Version

⁴I led them with cords of human kindness,
    with ties of love.^(A)
To them I was like one who lifts
    a little child to the cheek,
    and I bent down to feed^(B) them.^(C)

⁵“Will they not return to Egypt^(D)
    and will not Assyria^(E) rule over them
    because they refuse to repent?^(F)
⁶A sword^(G) will flash in their cities;
    it will devour^(H) their false prophets
    and put an end to their plans.
⁷My people are determined to turn^(I) from me.^(J)
    Even though they call me God Most High,
    I will by no means exalt them.

⁸“How can I give you up,^(K) Ephraim?^(L)
    How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
    How can I make you like Zeboyim?^(M)
My heart is changed within me;
    all my compassion^(N) is aroused.^(O)
⁹I will not carry out my fierce anger,^(P)
    nor will I devastate^(Q) Ephraim again.
For I am God, and not a man^(R)—
    the Holy One^(S) among you.
    I will not come against their cities.
¹⁰They will follow the Lord;
    he will roar^(T) like a lion.^(U)
When he roars,
    his children will come trembling^(V) from the west.^(W)
¹¹They will come from Egypt,
    trembling like sparrows,
    from Assyria,^(X) fluttering like doves.^(Y)
I will settle them in their homes,”^(Z)
    declares the Lord.