Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife

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)

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

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) 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)

Footnotes

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

Hosea Reconciles with His Wife

Then the Lord told me: “Go love your wife[a] again, even though she is being loved by another and is committing adultery. Love her the same way[b] the Lord loves the people of Israel, even though they look to other gods and love raisin cakes.”[c] So I bought her back for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and one and a half omers[d] of barley.

I told her, “You will remain with me a long time,[e] you won’t be promiscuous, you won’t be involved with any man, and I’ll do the same.”[f]

Likewise, the people of Israel will dwell a long time[g] without a king, without a prince, without sacrifice, without sacred[h] pillars, and with neither ephod nor teraphim.[i] Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come in awe to the Lord and to his goodness in the last days.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 3:1 Or love a woman
  2. Hosea 3:1 Lit. adultery, as
  3. Hosea 3:1 I.e. cakes used for offerings; cf. 2Sam 6:19
  4. Hosea 3:2 I.e. about ten bushels
  5. Hosea 3:3 Lit. me many days
  6. Hosea 3:3 Lit. same with you
  7. Hosea 3:4 Lit. will live many days
  8. Hosea 3:4 The Heb. lacks sacred
  9. Hosea 3:4 I.e. images used for divination