The Family of Hosea

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.”

The Restoration of Israel

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.”

Upon her children also I will have no pity, because they are children of prostitution.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge! Because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me; and since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord, for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the new moon shall devour them along with their fields.

Even if they bring up children, I will bereave them until no one is left. Woe to them indeed when I depart from them!

Once I saw Ephraim as a young palm planted in a lovely meadow, but now Ephraim must lead out his children for slaughter.

therefore the tumult of war shall rise against your people, and all your fortresses shall be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.

They shall go after the Lord, who roars like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west.