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Hosea’s Wife and Children

When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute,[a] so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”

So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son. And the Lord said, “Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. In fact, I will bring an end to Israel’s independence. I will break its military power in the Jezreel Valley.”

Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to Hosea, “Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah—‘Not loved’—for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them. But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the Lord their God.”

After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son. And the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi—‘Not my people’—for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:2 Or a promiscuous woman.

At the beginning when Yahweh spoke[a] through Hosea,
Yahweh said to Hosea,
    “Go, take for yourself a wife and children of whoredom,
    because the land commits great whoredom
        forsaking Yahweh.”[b]
So he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim,
    and she conceived and bore him a son.
And Yahweh said to him,
Name him[c] Jezreel;[d]
    because in a little while I will punish[e] the house of Jehu[f]
    for the blood[g] of Jezreel,[h]
        and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.[i]
On that day[j]
    I will break the bow of Israel
        in the Valley of Jezreel.”

And she conceived again and bore a daughter, and he[k] said to him,

Name her[l] Lo-ruhamah,[m]
for I will no longer have pity
    on the house of Israel
        or forgive them.[n]
But I will have pity on the house of Judah
    and I will save them by Yahweh their God,
and will not deliver them
    by bow, sword, war,
        horses, or horsemen.
And when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah,[o] she conceived and bore a son.
And he[p] said, “Name him[q] Lo-ammi,[r]
    for you are not my people
    and I am not your God.[s]

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 1:2 Literally “At the beginning of the talking of Yahweh”
  2. Hosea 1:2 Literally “from behind Yahweh”
  3. Hosea 1:4 Literally “Call his name”
  4. Hosea 1:4 Jezreel means “God sows”
  5. Hosea 1:4 Literally “I will visit sin upon”
  6. Hosea 1:4 Or “the dynasty of Jehu”
  7. Hosea 1:4 Or “bloodshed”
  8. Hosea 1:4 Jezreel means “God sows”
  9. Hosea 1:4 Or “the dynasty of Israel”
  10. Hosea 1:5 Literally “And it will happen on that day”
  11. Hosea 1:6 Yahweh
  12. Hosea 1:6 Literally “Call her name”
  13. Hosea 1:6 Lo-ruhamah means “Not pitied”
  14. Hosea 1:6 Literally “raise them up”
  15. Hosea 1:8 Lo-ruhamah means “Not pitied”
  16. Hosea 1:9 Yahweh
  17. Hosea 1:9 Literally “Call his name”
  18. Hosea 1:9 Lo-ammi means “not my people”
  19. Hosea 1:9 Hebrew “not yours”