< Hosea 1 >
1 This is the word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and of Jeroboam son of Jehoash, 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 the LORD first spoke through Hosea, He told him, “Go, take a prostitute as your wife and have children of adultery, because this land is flagrantly prostituting itself by departing from the LORD.”
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 Hosea went and married Gomer 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 Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Name him Jezreel, for soon I will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.
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 on that day 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 Gomer again conceived and gave birth to a daughter, and the LORD said to Hosea, “Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel, that I should ever forgive 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 Yet I will have compassion on the house of Judah, and I will save them—not by bow or sword or war, not by horses and cavalry, but by the LORD their God.”
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 After she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, Gomer conceived and gave birth to a son.
After she had weaned No-Compassion, and when she conceived and bore a son, he said:
9 And the LORD said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people, and I am not your God.
“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 Israelites will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. And it will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘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 Then the people of Judah and of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint for themselves one leader, and will go up out of the land. For great will 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!