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The Lord's People Speak

Let's return to the Lord.
    He has torn us to shreds,
but he will bandage our wounds
    and make us well.
In two or three days
    he will heal us
and restore our strength
    that we may live with him.
Let's do our best
    to know the Lord.
His coming is as certain
    as the morning sun;
he will refresh us like rain
renewing the earth
    in the springtime.

The Lord Speaks to Israel and Judah

People of Israel and Judah,
    what can I do with you?
Your love for me disappears
more quickly than mist
    or dew at sunrise.
That's why I slaughtered you
with the words
    of my prophets.
That's why my judgments blazed
    like the dawning sun.[a]
(A) I'd rather for you to be faithful
and to know me
    than to offer sacrifices.

At a place named Adam,
you[b] betrayed me
    by breaking our agreement.
Everyone in Gilead is evil;
your hands are stained
    with the blood of victims.[c]
You priests are like a gang
    of robbers in ambush.[d]
On the road to Shechem[e]
you murder and commit
    other horrible crimes.
10 I have seen a terrible thing
    in Israel—
you are unfaithful
    and unfit to worship me.
11 People of Judah,
    your time is coming too.

The Lord Wants To Help Israel

I, the Lord, would like to make
my nation prosper again

    and to heal its wounds.
But then I see the crimes
    in Israel[f] and Samaria.
Everyone is deceitful;
    robbers roam the streets.
No one realizes
that I have seen their sins
    surround them like a flood.

The king and his officials
take great pleasure
    in their sin and deceit.
Everyone burns with desire—
they are like coals in an oven,
    ready to burst into flames.
On the day their king
    was crowned,
his officials got him drunk,
and he joined
    in their foolishness.[g]

Their anger is a fire
that smolders all night,
    then flares up at dawn.
They are flames
    destroying their leaders.
And their kings are powerless;
    none of them trust me.

The people of Israel[h]
    have mixed with foreigners;
they are a thin piece of bread
    scorched on one side.
They don't seem to realize
    how weak and feeble they are;
their hair has turned gray,
    while foreigners rule.
10 I am the Lord, their God,
    but in all of their troubles
their pride keeps them
    from returning to me.

No Help from Foreign Nations

The Lord said:

11 Israel[i] is a senseless bird,
fluttering back and forth
    between Egypt and Assyria.
12 But I will catch them in a net
    as hunters trap birds;
I threatened to punish them,
    and indeed I will.[j]
13 Trouble and destruction
will be their reward
    for rejecting me.
I would have rescued them,
    but they told me lies.

14 They don't really pray to me;
    they just howl in their beds.
They have rejected me for Baal
    and slashed themselves,[k]
in the hope that Baal
    will bless their crops.
15 I taught them what they know,
    and I made them strong.
Now they plot against me
16     and refuse to obey.[l]
They are more useless
    than a crooked arrow.
Their leaders will die in war
    for saying foolish things.
Egyptians will laugh at them.

Israel Rejects the Lord

The Lord said:

Sound a warning!
Israel, you broke our agreement
    and ignored my teaching.
Now an eagle[m] is swooping down
    to attack my land.
Israel, you say, “We claim you,
    the Lord, as our God.”
But your enemies
will chase you for rejecting
    our good agreement.[n]

You chose kings and leaders
    without consulting me;
you made silver and gold idols
    that led to your downfall.
City of Samaria, I'm angry
because of your idol
    in the shape of a calf.
When will you ever
    be innocent again?
Someone from Israel built
that idol for you,
    but only I am God.
And so it will be smashed
    to pieces.[o]

If you scatter wind
    instead of wheat,
you will harvest a whirlwind
    and have no wheat.
Even if you harvest grain,
    enemies will steal it all.

Israel, you are ruined,
and now the nations
    consider you worthless.
You are like a wild donkey
    that goes its own way.
You've run off to Assyria
    and hired them as allies.
10 You can bargain with nations,
    but I'll catch you anyway.
Soon you will suffer abuse
    by kings and rulers.

11 Israel, you have built
many altars where you offer
    sacrifices for sin.
But these altars have become
    places for sin.
12 My instructions for sacrifices
were written in detail,
    but you ignored them.
13 You sacrifice your best animals
    and eat the sacrificial meals,[p]
but I, the Lord,
    refuse your offerings.
I will remember your sins
    and punish you.
Then you will return to Egypt.[q]

14 Israel, I created you,
    but you forgot me.
You and Judah built palaces
    and many strong cities.[r]
Now I will send fire to destroy
    your towns and fortresses.

Israel Will Be Punished

Israel, don't celebrate
or make noisy shouts[s]
    like other nations.
You have been unfaithful
    to your God.
Wherever grain is threshed,
    you behave like prostitutes
because you enjoy
    the money you receive.[t]
But you will run short
    of grain and wine,
and you will have to leave
    the land of the Lord.
Some of you will go to Egypt;
others will go to Assyria
    and eat unclean food.

You won't be able to offer
sacrifices of wine
    to the Lord.
None of your sacrifices
    will please him—
they will be unclean
    like food offered to the dead.
Your food will only be used
    to satisfy your hunger;
none of it will be brought
    to the Lord's temple.
You will no longer be able
to celebrate the festival
    of the Lord.[u]
Even if you escape alive,
you will end up in Egypt
    and be buried in Memphis.[v]
Your silver treasures
    will be lost among weeds;[w]
thorns will sprout in your tents.

(B) Israel, the time has come.
You will get what you deserve,
    and you will know it.
“Prophets are fools,” you say.
“And God's messengers
    are crazy.”
Your terrible guilt
    has filled you with hatred.

Israel, the Lord sent me
    to look after you.[x]
But you trap his prophets
and flood his temple
    with your hatred.
(C) You are brutal and corrupt,
    as were the men of Gibeah.[y]
But God remembers your sin,
    and you will be punished.

Sin's Terrible Results

10 (D) Israel, when I, the Lord,
    found you long ago
it was like finding
grapes in a barren desert
    or tender young figs.
Then you worshiped Baal Peor,
    that disgusting idol,
and you became as disgusting
    as the idol you loved.

11 And so, Israel, your glory
    will fly away like birds—
your women will no longer
    be able to give birth.
12 Even if you do have children,
I will take them all
    and leave you to mourn.
I will turn away,
and you will sink down
    in deep trouble.
13 Israel, when I first met you,
I thought of you as palm trees
    growing in fertile ground.[z]
Now you lead your people out,
    only to be slaughtered.

Hosea's Advice

14 Our Lord, do just one thing
    for your people—
make their women unable
to have children
    or to nurse their babies.

The Lord's Judgment on Israel

15 Israel, I first began
to hate you because
    you did evil at Gilgal.[aa]
Now I will chase you
    out of my house.
No longer will I love you;
    your leaders betrayed me.
16 Israel, you are a vine
with dried-up roots
    and fruitless branches.
Even if you had more children
and loved them dearly,
    I would slaughter them all.

Hosea Warns Israel

17 Israel, you disobeyed my God.
Now he will force you to roam
    from nation to nation.

Footnotes

  1. 6.5 That's why my … sun: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  2. 6.7 At … you: Or “Like Adam, you” or “Each one of you.”
  3. 6.8 your hands … victims: This may refer to child sacrifice.
  4. 6.9 You … ambush: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  5. 6.9 Shechem: This was one of the towns where people could run for safety, if they had accidentally killed someone (see Joshua 20.1-9).
  6. 7.1 Israel: See the note at 4.17. Samaria was the capital city of Israel.
  7. 7.5 foolishness: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 5.
  8. 7.8 Israel: Hebrew “Ephraim” (see the note at 4.17).
  9. 7.11 Israel: Hebrew “Ephraim” (see the note at 4.17).
  10. 7.12 I threatened … will: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  11. 7.14 slashed themselves: One ancient translation and some Hebrew manuscripts; other Hebrew manuscripts “gather together.” Slashing themselves was one way of worshiping Baal (see 1 Kings 18.28).
  12. 7.16 and … obey: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  13. 8.1 an eagle: Or “a vulture.”
  14. 8.3 our good agreement: Or “me, the Good One” (referring to God).
  15. 8.6 smashed to pieces: Or “destroyed by fire.”
  16. 8.13 sacrifice … sacrificial meals: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. Two kinds of sacrifices are referred to: Those in which the whole animal is burned on the altar (“whole burnt offerings” in traditional translations) and those in which part is eaten by the worshipers (“fellowship offerings” in traditional translations).
  17. 8.13 return to Egypt: Either as slaves or to find help against Assyria.
  18. 8.14 built palaces … cities: They did this because they no longer trusted the Lord to protect them. “Palaces” may also mean “temples.”
  19. 9.1 or … shouts: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  20. 9.1 Wherever … receive: Grain was threshed on hills or other places where the wind could blow away the husks. People also met at these places to worship Baal, the god they thought had given them the grain harvest.
  21. 9.5 festival of the Lord: Probably the Festival of Shelters.
  22. 9.6 Memphis: An Egyptian city with a famous cemetery.
  23. 9.6 Your silver … weeds: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  24. 9.8 Israel … you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  25. 9.9 the men of Gibeah: They raped and murdered a woman (see Judges 19).
  26. 9.13 Israel, when … ground: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  27. 9.15 Gilgal: See 4.15.

Israel Unrepentant

“Come, let us return(A) to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces(B)
    but he will heal us;(C)
he has injured us
    but he will bind up our wounds.(D)
After two days he will revive us;(E)
    on the third day(F) he will restore(G) us,
    that we may live in his presence.
Let us acknowledge the Lord;
    let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
    he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,(H)
    like the spring rains that water the earth.(I)

“What can I do with you, Ephraim?(J)
    What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears.(K)
Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
    I killed you with the words of my mouth(L)
    then my judgments go forth like the sun.[a](M)
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,(N)
    and acknowledgment(O) of God rather than burnt offerings.(P)
As at Adam,[b] they have broken the covenant;(Q)
    they were unfaithful(R) to me there.
Gilead is a city of evildoers,(S)
    stained with footprints of blood.
As marauders lie in ambush for a victim,(T)
    so do bands of priests;
they murder(U) on the road to Shechem,
    carrying out their wicked schemes.(V)
10 I have seen a horrible(W) thing in Israel:
    There Ephraim is given to prostitution,
    Israel is defiled.(X)

11 “Also for you, Judah,
    a harvest(Y) is appointed.

“Whenever I would restore the fortunes(Z) of my people,

whenever I would heal Israel,
the sins of Ephraim are exposed
    and the crimes of Samaria revealed.(AA)
They practice deceit,(AB)
    thieves break into houses,(AC)
    bandits rob in the streets;(AD)
but they do not realize
    that I remember(AE) all their evil deeds.(AF)
Their sins engulf them;(AG)
    they are always before me.

“They delight the king with their wickedness,
    the princes with their lies.(AH)
They are all adulterers,(AI)
    burning like an oven
whose fire the baker need not stir
    from the kneading of the dough till it rises.
On the day of the festival of our king
    the princes become inflamed with wine,(AJ)
    and he joins hands with the mockers.(AK)
Their hearts are like an oven;(AL)
    they approach him with intrigue.
Their passion smolders all night;
    in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
All of them are hot as an oven;
    they devour their rulers.
All their kings fall,(AM)
    and none of them calls(AN) on me.

“Ephraim mixes(AO) with the nations;
    Ephraim is a flat loaf not turned over.
Foreigners sap his strength,(AP)
    but he does not realize it.
His hair is sprinkled with gray,
    but he does not notice.
10 Israel’s arrogance testifies against him,(AQ)
    but despite all this
he does not return(AR) to the Lord his God
    or search(AS) for him.

11 “Ephraim is like a dove,(AT)
    easily deceived and senseless—
now calling to Egypt,(AU)
    now turning to Assyria.(AV)
12 When they go, I will throw my net(AW) over them;
    I will pull them down like the birds in the sky.
When I hear them flocking together,
    I will catch them.
13 Woe(AX) to them,
    because they have strayed(AY) from me!
Destruction to them,
    because they have rebelled against me!
I long to redeem them
    but they speak about me(AZ) falsely.(BA)
14 They do not cry out to me from their hearts(BB)
    but wail on their beds.
They slash themselves,[c] appealing to their gods
    for grain and new wine,(BC)
    but they turn away from me.(BD)
15 I trained(BE) them and strengthened their arms,
    but they plot evil(BF) against me.
16 They do not turn to the Most High;(BG)
    they are like a faulty bow.(BH)
Their leaders will fall by the sword
    because of their insolent(BI) words.
For this they will be ridiculed(BJ)
    in the land of Egypt.(BK)

Israel to Reap the Whirlwind

“Put the trumpet(BL) to your lips!
    An eagle(BM) is over the house of the Lord
because the people have broken my covenant(BN)
    and rebelled against my law.(BO)
Israel cries out to me,
    ‘Our God, we acknowledge you!’
But Israel has rejected what is good;
    an enemy will pursue him.(BP)
They set up kings without my consent;
    they choose princes without my approval.(BQ)
With their silver and gold
    they make idols(BR) for themselves
    to their own destruction.
Samaria, throw out your calf-idol!(BS)
    My anger burns against them.
How long will they be incapable of purity?(BT)
    They are from Israel!
This calf—a metalworker has made it;
    it is not God.(BU)
It will be broken in pieces,
    that calf(BV) of Samaria.(BW)

“They sow the wind
    and reap the whirlwind.(BX)
The stalk has no head;
    it will produce no flour.(BY)
Were it to yield grain,
    foreigners would swallow it up.(BZ)
Israel is swallowed up;(CA)
    now she is among the nations
    like something no one wants.(CB)
For they have gone up to Assyria(CC)
    like a wild donkey(CD) wandering alone.
    Ephraim has sold herself to lovers.(CE)
10 Although they have sold themselves among the nations,
    I will now gather them together.(CF)
They will begin to waste away(CG)
    under the oppression of the mighty king.

11 “Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings,
    these have become altars for sinning.(CH)
12 I wrote for them the many things of my law,
    but they regarded them as something foreign.(CI)
13 Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to me,
    and though they eat(CJ) the meat,
    the Lord is not pleased with them.(CK)
Now he will remember(CL) their wickedness
    and punish their sins:(CM)
    They will return to Egypt.(CN)
14 Israel has forgotten(CO) their Maker(CP)
    and built palaces;
    Judah has fortified many towns.
But I will send fire on their cities
    that will consume their fortresses.”(CQ)

Punishment for Israel

Do not rejoice, Israel;
    do not be jubilant(CR) like the other nations.
For you have been unfaithful(CS) to your God;
    you love the wages of a prostitute(CT)
    at every threshing floor.
Threshing floors and winepresses will not feed the people;
    the new wine(CU) will fail them.
They will not remain(CV) in the Lord’s land;
    Ephraim will return to Egypt(CW)
    and eat unclean food in Assyria.(CX)
They will not pour out wine offerings(CY) to the Lord,
    nor will their sacrifices please(CZ) him.
Such sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners;(DA)
    all who eat them will be unclean.(DB)
This food will be for themselves;
    it will not come into the temple of the Lord.(DC)

What will you do(DD) on the day of your appointed festivals,(DE)
    on the feast days of the Lord?
Even if they escape from destruction,
    Egypt will gather them,(DF)
    and Memphis(DG) will bury them.(DH)
Their treasures of silver(DI) will be taken over by briers,
    and thorns(DJ) will overrun their tents.
The days of punishment(DK) are coming,
    the days of reckoning(DL) are at hand.
    Let Israel know this.
Because your sins(DM) are so many
    and your hostility so great,
the prophet is considered a fool,(DN)
    the inspired person a maniac.(DO)
The prophet, along with my God,
    is the watchman over Ephraim,[d]
yet snares(DP) await him on all his paths,
    and hostility in the house of his God.(DQ)
They have sunk deep into corruption,(DR)
    as in the days of Gibeah.(DS)
God will remember(DT) their wickedness
    and punish them for their sins.(DU)

10 “When I found Israel,
    it was like finding grapes in the desert;
when I saw your ancestors,
    it was like seeing the early fruit(DV) on the fig(DW) tree.
But when they came to Baal Peor,(DX)
    they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol(DY)
    and became as vile as the thing they loved.
11 Ephraim’s glory(DZ) will fly away like a bird(EA)
    no birth, no pregnancy, no conception.(EB)
12 Even if they rear children,
    I will bereave(EC) them of every one.
Woe(ED) to them
    when I turn away from them!(EE)
13 I have seen Ephraim,(EF) like Tyre,
    planted in a pleasant place.(EG)
But Ephraim will bring out
    their children to the slayer.”(EH)

14 Give them, Lord
    what will you give them?
Give them wombs that miscarry
    and breasts that are dry.(EI)

15 “Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal,(EJ)
    I hated them there.
Because of their sinful deeds,(EK)
    I will drive them out of my house.
I will no longer love them;(EL)
    all their leaders are rebellious.(EM)
16 Ephraim(EN) is blighted,
    their root is withered,
    they yield no fruit.(EO)
Even if they bear children,
    I will slay(EP) their cherished offspring.”

17 My God will reject(EQ) them
    because they have not obeyed(ER) him;
    they will be wanderers among the nations.(ES)

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 6:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
  2. Hosea 6:7 Or Like Adam; or Like human beings
  3. Hosea 7:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts They gather together
  4. Hosea 9:8 Or The prophet is the watchman over Ephraim, / the people of my God