The Family of Hosea

² When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife of prostitution and have children of prostitution, for the land commits great prostitution by forsaking the Lord.”^{(A) 3} So he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

⁴ And the Lord said to him, “Name him Jezreel,^[a] for in a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.^{(B) 5} On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”^(C)

⁶ She conceived again and bore a daughter. Then the Lord said to him, “Name her Lo-ruhamah,^[b] for I will no longer have pity on the house of Israel or forgive them.^{(D) 7} But I will have pity on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God; I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”^(E)

⁸ When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. ⁹ Then the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi,^[c] for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”^[d]

The Restoration of Israel

^10 [e]Yet the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither measured nor numbered, and in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.”^(F)

The Lord’s Prayer

11 He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”^{(A) 2} So he said to them, “When you pray, say:

Perseverance in Prayer

⁵ And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, ⁶ for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ ⁷ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything out of friendship, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.^(C)

⁹ “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.^{(D) 10} For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ¹¹ Is there anyone among you who, if your child asked for^[e] a fish, would give a snake instead of a fish? ¹² Or if the child asked for an egg, would give a scorpion? ¹³ If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit^[f] to those who ask him!”