Hosea 1

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

The Lord’s message to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah and during the reign of King Jeroboam, son of Joash of Israel.

2 When Jehovah spoke at the first by Hosea, Jehovah said to Hosea, Go, take to thee a wife of whoredom and children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom, departing from Jehovah.

When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, he said to him: “Go marry an unfaithful woman who will bear you children by her adultery, for like an adulterous wife the land is unfaithful to the Lord.”

3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived, and bore him a son.

So he married Gomer, the daughter of Dibliam, and when she conceived and bore him a son,

4 And Jehovah said to him, Call his name Jezreel, for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease.

the Lord said: “Call him ‘Jezreel,’ for in a little while I will punish the dynasty of Jehu for the blood shed at the valley of Jezreel, I will cause the kingdom of Israel to cease.

5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

On that day, I will break Israel’s bows and arrows in the valley of Jezreel.”

6 And she conceived again, and bore a daughter. And Jehovah said to him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah, for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, that I should in any way pardon them.

When she conceived again and bore a daughter, the Lord said to Hosea: “Call her Lo-Ruhamah – ‘No-Compassion’ for I will no longer have compassion on Israel, certainly not spare them.

7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

But on Judah I will have compassion, I will deliver them by the Lord their God, but I will not deliver them by bow nor by sword, nor by battle nor by horses nor by horsemen.”

8 Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son.

After she had weaned No-Compassion, and when she conceived and bore a son, he said:

9 And Jehovah said, Call his name Lo-ammi, for ye are not my people, and I will not be yours.

“Call him Lo-Ammi – ‘Not-My-People’ for you, Israel, are not my people, and I indeed am not your God.”

10 Yet the number of the sons of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered. And it shall come to pass that, in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not my people, it shall be said to them, The sons of the living God.

Yet the number of the Israelites will be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted, and where they were told, “You are not my people,” they will be called, “children of the living God.”

11 And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint themselves one head, and shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

The Judeans and the Israelites will join together again, will appoint for themselves one leader, will return to their own land. Great will be the day of Jezreel!