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Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine. So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley: and I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee. For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.

Further Assurances of God’s Redeeming Love

The Lord said to me again, “Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”(A) So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barley and a measure of wine.[a](B) And I said to her, “You must remain as mine for many days; you shall not prostitute yourself; you shall not have intercourse with a man, nor I with you.” For the Israelites shall remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim.(C) Afterward the Israelites shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king; they shall come in awe to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.(D)

Footnotes

  1. 3.2 Gk: Heb a homer of barley and a lethek of barley

Hosea’s Wife Is Redeemed

Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she[a] commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.[b]

So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver[c] and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.[d] Then I said to her, “You must live in my house for many days and stop your prostitution. During this time, you will not have sexual relations with anyone, not even with me.[e]

This shows that Israel will go a long time without a king or prince, and without sacrifices, sacred pillars, priests,[f] or even idols! But afterward the people will return and devote themselves to the Lord their God and to David’s descendant, their king.[g] In the last days, they will tremble in awe of the Lord and of his goodness.

Footnotes

  1. 3:1a Or Go and love a woman who.
  2. 3:1b Hebrew love their raisin cakes.
  3. 3:2a Hebrew 15 [shekels] of silver, about 6 ounces or 171 grams in weight.
  4. 3:2b As in Greek version, which reads a homer of barley and a wineskin full of wine; Hebrew reads a homer [5 bushels or 220 liters] of barley and a lethek [2.5 bushels or 110 liters] of barley.
  5. 3:3 Or and I will live with you.
  6. 3:4 Hebrew ephod, the vest worn by the priest.
  7. 3:5 Hebrew to David their king.