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God Commands Hosea to Start a Family

The word of Yahweh that came to Hosea son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

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]
10 [t] The number of the children of Israel
    will be like the sand of the sea
    that cannot be measured or counted;
and in the place where it is said to them,
    “You are not my people,”
it will be said to them,
    “Children of the living God.”
11 Then the children of Judah
    and Israel will be gathered together,
and they will appoint for themselves
    one head;
and they will take possession of[u] the land,
    for great is the day of Jezreel.[v]

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”
  20. Hosea 1:10 Hosea 1:10–2:23 in the English Bible is 2:1–25 in the Hebrew Bible
  21. Hosea 1:11 Literally “they will go up from”
  22. Hosea 1:11 Jezreel means “God sows”

The Lord’s word that came to Hosea, Beeri’s son, in the days of Judah’s Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, and in the days of Israel’s King Jeroboam, Joash’s son.

God commands Hosea to marry

When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to him,“Go, marry a prostitute and have children of prostitution, for the people of the land commit great prostitution by deserting the Lord.” So Hosea went and took Gomer, Diblaim’s daughter, and she became pregnant and bore him a son. The Lord said to him, “Name him Jezreel; for in a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will destroy the kingdom of the house of Israel. On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Jezreel Valley.” Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Name her No Compassion, because I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel or forgive them. But I will have compassion on the house of Judah. I, the Lord their God, will save them; I will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by war, or by horses, or by horsemen.” When Gomer finished nursing No Compassion, she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Then the Lord said, “Name him Not My People because you are not my people, and I am not your God.”[a]

Hope for the future

10 [b] Yet the number of the people of Israel will 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 will be said to them, “Children of the living God.” 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be gathered together, and they will choose one head. They will become fruitful in the land.[c] The day will be a wonderful one for Jezreel.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 1:9 Or I am not yours.
  2. Hosea 1:10 1:10-11=Heb 2:1-2
  3. Hosea 1:11 Or They will go up from the land.