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Yahweh said to me, “Go again, love a woman loved by another, and an adulteress, even as Yahweh loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins.”

So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer[a] and a half of barley. I said to her, “You shall stay with me many days. You shall not play the prostitute, and you shall not be with any other man. I will also be so toward you.”

For the children of Israel shall live many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without sacred stone, and without ephod or idols. Afterward the children of Israel shall return, and seek Yahweh their God, and David their king, and shall come with trembling to Yahweh and to his blessings in the last days.

Footnotes

  1. 3:2 1 homer is about 220 liters or 6 bushels

Another Symbolic Marriage

And Yahweh said to me again,
“Go, love a woman
who has a lover[a] and is committing adultery,
    just like the love of Yahweh for the children of Israel,
but they are turning to other gods
    and love raisin cakes.”
So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver
    and a homer of barely and a measure of wine.[b]
And I said to her,
    You must remain as mine[c] for many days,
        and you will not play the whore;
you will not belong[d] to a man,
    and I will belong to you.”
The children of Israel will remain for many days
    without a king and prince,
    without sacrifice and stone pillar, ephod and teraphim.
Afterward the children of Israel will return
    and seek Yahweh their God and David their king.
They will come in fear to Yahweh
    and to his goodness at the end of days.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 3:1 Literally “who is beloved of a friend”
  2. Hosea 3:2 Hebrew “a measure of barley”; the LXX has “a nebel of wine,” although some modern translations, e.g. NASB, have “a homer and a half of barley”
  3. Hosea 3:3 Literally “You must sit at home for me”
  4. Hosea 3:3 Literally “you will not be”