Hosea’s Wife and Children

The word of the Lord which came to (A)Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of (B)Uzziah, (C)Jotham, (D)Ahaz, and (E)Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of (F)Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “(G)Go, take for yourself a wife [a]inclined to infidelity, and children of infidelity; for (H)the land commits flagrant infidelity, [b]abandoning the Lord.” So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and (I)bore him a son. And the Lord said to him, “Name him (J)Jezreel; for in just a little while (K)I will [c]punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and (L)I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. On that day I will (M)break the bow of Israel in the (N)Valley of Jezreel.”

Then she conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And [d]the Lord said to him, “Name her [e]Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer (O)take pity on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them. But I will take (P)pity on the house of Judah and (Q)save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by (R)bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen.”

When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son. And [f]the Lord said, “Name him [g]Lo-ammi, because you are not My people, and I am not [h]your God.”

10 [i]Yet the number of the sons of Israel
Will be like the (S)sand of the sea,
Which cannot be measured or counted;
And (T)in the place
Where it is said to them,
“You are (U)not My people,”
It will be said to them,
You are the (V)sons of the living God.”
11 And the (W)sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be (X)gathered together,
And they will appoint for themselves (Y)one leader,
And they will go up from the land,
For the day of Jezreel will be great.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 1:2 Lit of infidelity; or fornication
  2. Hosea 1:2 Lit away from
  3. Hosea 1:4 Lit visit the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu
  4. Hosea 1:6 Lit He
  5. Hosea 1:6 I.e., not having obtained mercy
  6. Hosea 1:9 Lit He
  7. Hosea 1:9 I.e., not my people
  8. Hosea 1:9 Lit yours
  9. Hosea 1:10 Ch 2:1 in Heb

Hosea’s Redemption of Gomer

Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love [a]a woman who is loved by her [b]husband, yet is committing adultery, (A)as the Lord loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love [c]raisin (B)cakes.” So I (C)purchased her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and a [d]homer and a [e]lethech of barley. Then I said to her, “You shall (D)live with me for many days. You shall not play the prostitute, nor shall you have another man; so I will also be toward you.” For the sons of Israel will live for many days (E)without a king or leader, (F)without sacrifice or (G)memorial stone, and without (H)ephod or [f](I)household idols. Afterward the sons of Israel will (J)return and seek the Lord their God and (K)David their king; and (L)they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 3:1 I.e., Gomer
  2. Hosea 3:1 Lit companion
  3. Hosea 3:1 Used in idolatry
  4. Hosea 3:2 About 7.7 cubic feet or 0.22 cubic meters
  5. Hosea 3:2 About 3.8 cubic feet or 0.11 cubic meters
  6. Hosea 3:4 Heb teraphim

Israel’s Future Blessing

14 [a](A)Return, Israel, to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled [b]because of your (B)wrongdoing.
Take words with you and return to the Lord.
Say to Him, “(C)Take away all guilt
And [c]receive us graciously,
So that we may (D)present [d]the fruit of our lips.
Assyria will not save us,
We will (E)not ride on horses;
Nor will we say again, ‘(F)Our god’
To the (G)work of our hands;
For in (H)You the [e]orphan finds mercy.”

I will (I)heal their apostasy,
I will (J)love them freely,
Because My anger has (K)turned away from them.
I will be like the (L)dew to Israel;
He will blossom like the (M)lily,
And he will [f]take root like the cedars of (N)Lebanon.
His shoots will [g]sprout,
His [h]majesty will be like the (O)olive tree,
And his fragrance like the cedars of (P)Lebanon.
Those who (Q)live in his shadow
Will [i]again raise (R)grain,
And they will blossom like the vine.
His fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim, what more have I to do with (S)idols?
It is I who answer and look after [j]you.
I am like a luxuriant (T)juniper;
From (U)Me [k]comes your fruit.

(V)Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
Whoever is discerning, let him know them.
For the (W)ways of the Lord are right,
And the (X)righteous will walk in them,
But (Y)wrongdoers will stumble in them.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 14:1 Ch 14:2 in Heb
  2. Hosea 14:1 Or in
  3. Hosea 14:2 Or accept that which is good
  4. Hosea 14:2 As in ancient versions; MT our lips as bulls
  5. Hosea 14:3 Or fatherless
  6. Hosea 14:5 Lit strike his roots
  7. Hosea 14:6 Lit go
  8. Hosea 14:6 Lit splendor
  9. Hosea 14:7 Or return, they will raise grain
  10. Hosea 14:8 Lit him
  11. Hosea 14:8 Lit is found

Bible Gateway Recommends