Israel Will Return to God

Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a (A)lover[a] and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.

So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley. And I said to her, “You shall (B)stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man—so, too, will I be toward you.”

For the children of Israel shall abide many days (C)without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without (D)ephod or (E)teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and (F)seek the Lord their God and (G)David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the (H)latter days.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 3:1 Lit. friend or husband

And Jehovah said unto me, Go again, love a woman beloved [a]of her friend, and an adulteress, even as Jehovah loveth the children of Israel, though they turn unto other gods, and [b]love cakes of raisins. So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and a homer of barley, and a [c]half-homer of barley; and I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be any man’s wife: so will I also be toward thee. For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without [d]pillar, and without ephod or teraphim: afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king, and shall come with fear unto Jehovah and to his goodness in the latter days.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 3:1 Or, of her husband, yet an etc.
  2. Hosea 3:1 Or, them that love
  3. Hosea 3:2 Hebrew lethech.
  4. Hosea 3:4 Or, obelisk