Hosea Redeems His Wife

And the Lord said to me, (A)“Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a (B)homer and a lethech[a] of barley. And I said to her, “You must (C)dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” For the children of Israel (D)shall dwell many days (E)without king or prince, (F)without sacrifice or (G)pillar, without (H)ephod or (I)household gods. Afterward (J)the children of Israel shall return and (K)seek the Lord their God, and (L)David their king, (M)and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the (N)latter days.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 3:2 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; a lethech was about 3 bushels or 110 liters

Waiting for Restoration

Then the Lord said to me, “Go again; show love to a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress,(A) just as the Lord loves the Israelites though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”(B)

So I bought her for 15 shekels of silver and five bushels of barley.[a][b](C) I said to her, “You must live with me many days. Don’t be promiscuous or belong to any man, and I will act the same way toward you.”

For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince,(D) without sacrifice(E) or sacred pillar,(F) and without ephod(G) or household idols.(H) Afterward, the people of Israel will return(I) and seek the Lord their God and David their king.(J) They will come with awe to the Lord(K) and to His goodness in the last days.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 3:2 LXX reads barley and a measure of wine
  2. Hosea 3:2 Lit silver, a homer of barley, and a lethek of barley