I am Hosea son of Beeri. When Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were the kings of Judah, and when Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel, the Lord spoke this message to me.

Hosea's Family

The Lord said, “Hosea, Israel has betrayed me like an unfaithful wife. Marry such a woman and have children by her.”

So I married Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and we had a son.

Then the Lord said, “Hosea, name your son Jezreel, because I will soon punish the descendants of King Jehu of Israel for the murders he committed in Jezreel Valley. I will destroy his kingdom,

Later, Gomer had a daughter, and the Lord said, “Name her Lo-Ruhamah, because I will no longer have mercy and forgive Israel.

But I am the Lord God of Judah, and I will have mercy and save Judah by my own power—not by wars and arrows or swords and cavalry.”

After Gomer had stopped nursing Lo-Ruhamah, she had another son.

Then the Lord said, “Name him Lo-Ammi, because these people are not mine, and I am not their God.”

Hope for Israel

Someday it will be impossible to count the people of Israel, because there will be as many of them as there are grains of sand along the seashore. They are now called “Not My People,” but in the future they will be called “Children of the Living God.”

So let your brothers be called “My People” and your sisters be called “Shown Mercy.”

The Lord Promises To Punish Israel

Accuse! Accuse your mother! She is no longer my wife, and now I, the Lord, am not her husband. Beg her to give up prostitution and stop being unfaithful,

or I will strip her naked like the day she was born. I will make her barren like a desert, and she will die of thirst.

You children are the result of her unfaithfulness, and I'll show you no pity.

Your mother was unfaithful. She was disgraceful and said, “I'll run after my lovers. Everything comes from them— my food and drink, my linen and wool, my olive oil and wine.”

She will run after her lovers, but not catch them; she will search, but not find them. Then she will say, “I'll return to my first husband. Life was better then.”

She didn't know that her grain, wine, and olive oil were gifts from me, as were the gold and silver she used in worshiping Baal.

So I'll hold back the harvest of grain and grapes. I'll take back my wool and my linen that cover her body.

Then I'll strip her naked in the sight of her lovers. No one can rescue her.

I'll stop Israel's celebrations— no more New Moon Festivals, Sabbaths, or other feasts.

She said, “My lovers gave me vineyards and fig trees as payment for sex.” Now I, the Lord, will ruin her vineyards and fig trees; they will become clumps of weeds eaten by wild animals.

I'll punish her for the days she worshiped Baal and burned incense to him. I'll punish her for the times she forgot about me and wore jewelry and rings to attract her lovers. I, the Lord, have spoken!

The Lord Will Help Israel

Israel, I, the Lord, will lure you into the desert and speak gently to you.

I will return your vineyards, and then Trouble Valley will become Hopeful Valley. You will say “Yes” to me as you did in your youth, when leaving Egypt.

I will command the sky to send rain on the earth,

I will scatter the seeds and show mercy to Lo-Ruhamah. I will say to Lo-Ammi, “You are my people,” and they will answer, “You are our God.”