Hosea 3
New Living Translation
Hosea’s Wife Is Redeemed
3 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]”
2 So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver[c] and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.[d] 3 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]”
4 This shows that Israel will go a long time without a king or prince, and without sacrifices, sacred pillars, priests,[f] or even idols! 5 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.
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- 3:1a Or Go and love a woman who.
- 3:1b Hebrew love their raisin cakes.
- 3:2a Hebrew 15 [shekels] of silver, about 6 ounces or 171 grams in weight.
- 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.
- 3:3 Or and I will live with you.
- 3:4 Hebrew ephod, the vest worn by the priest.
- 3:5 Hebrew to David their king.
Hosea 3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Further Assurances of God’s Redeeming Love
3 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) 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barley and a measure of wine.[a](B) 3 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.” 4 For the Israelites shall remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim.(C) 5 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)
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- 3.2 Gk: Heb a homer of barley and a lethek of barley
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.