Hosea 3

1 The Lord told me, “Go again and love a woman who is loved by another and who is committing adultery, just as the Lord loves the children of Israel, even though they turn to other gods and love their sensual worship.”

And Jehovah said to me, Go again, love a woman that is loved by another, and is an adulteress; even as Jehovah loveth the sons of Israel, who turn themselves to other gods, and love raisin-cakes.

2 So I bought her back for fifteen shekels of silver and one and half homer of barley.

So I bought her for me for fifteen shekels of silver, and a homer and a half of barley.

3 I told her, “You must remain with me for many days and you shall stop your prostitution. You shall not be intimate with any man, and then I shall be yours.”

And I said to her, Thou shalt wait for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be with any man; so will I also wait for thee.

4 For the people of Israel shall be without a king or a prince, without a sacrifice or a stone pillar or a pagan image or an idolatrous shrine for a long time.

For the sons of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim.

5 After this, the people of Israel will return and dedicate themselves to the Lord their God and to the line of David their king. In the last days they will come with awe and reverence for the Lord and his goodness.

Afterward shall the sons of Israel return, and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king, and turn with fear to Jehovah and his goodness in future times.