< Hosea 3 >
1 And the Lord said to me, Give your love again to a woman who has a lover and is false to her husband, even as the Lord has love for the children of Israel, though they are turned to other gods and are lovers of grape-cakes.
And Jehovah said to me, Go again, love a woman beloved of her friend, and an adulteress, even as Jehovah loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins.
2 So I got her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley;
So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley.
3 And I said to her, You are to be mine for a long space of time; you are not to be false to me, and no other man is to have you for his wife; and so will I be to you.
And I said to her, Thou shall abide for me many days. Thou shall not play the harlot, and thou shall not be any man's wife. So I will also be toward thee.
4 For the children of Israel will for a long time be without king and without ruler, without offerings and without pillars, and without ephod or images.
For the sons of Israel shall abide many days without king, and without ruler, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim.
5 And after that, the children of Israel will come back and go in search of the Lord their God and David their king; and they will come in fear to the Lord and to his mercies in the days to come.
Afterward the sons of Israel shall return and seek Jehovah their God and David their king, and shall come with fear to Jehovah and to his goodness in the latter days.