< Hosea 1 >
1 The worde of the Lord that came vnto Hosea the sonne of Beeri, in the daies of Vzziah, Iotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah, and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash king of Israel.
[I am] Hosea, the son of Beeri. Yahweh gave me these messages [at various times] during the years that Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were the kings of Judah, and Jeroboam the son of Jehoash was the King of Israel.
2 At the beginning the Lord spake by Hosea, and the Lord said vnto Hosea, Goe, take vnto thee a wife of fornications, and children of fornications: for the lande hath committed great whoredome, departing from the Lord.
When Yahweh first [began to] give messages to me [to tell to the people of Israel], he said to me, “Go and marry a prostitute. But [some of] her children will be born as a result of her having sex with men to whom she is not married. That will illustrate how the people of Israel have turned away from me and worship (idols/other gods).”
3 So he went, and tooke Gomer, ye daughter of Diblaim, which conceiued and bare him a sonne.
So I married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. She became pregnant and gave birth to my son.
4 And the Lord said vnto him, Cal his name Izreel: for yet a litle, and I will visite the blood of Izreel vpon the house of Iehu, and will cause to cease the kingdome of the house of Israel.
Yahweh said to me, “Give him the name Jezreel, [which means ‘God scatters’], because I will soon punish the descendants [MTY] of [King] Jehu [by scattering them], because he killed many of my people at Jezreel [town]. [Some day] I will end the kingdom of Israel,
5 And at that day will I also breake the bowe of Israel in the valley of Izreel.
by destroying the power [MTY] of [the army of] Israel in Jezreel Valley.”
6 She conceiued yet againe, and bare a daughter, and God saide vnto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more haue pitie vpon the house of Israel: but I wil vtterly take them away.
[Later] Gomer became pregnant [again], and she gave birth to a daughter. Yahweh said to me “Give her the name Lo-ruhamah, [which means ‘not loved],’ because I will no longer [show that I] love the people [MET] of Israel, and I will not forgive them [for the sins that they have committed].
7 Yet I will haue mercie vpon the house of Iudah, and wil saue them by the Lord their God, and wil not saue them by bow, nor by sword nor by battell, by horses, nor by horsemen.
But I will [show that I] love the people [MTY] of Judah [by saving them from their enemies]. However, it will not be by weapons and armies or horses and chariots that I will save them. Instead, it will be by [the power that I], Yahweh their God, [have].”
8 Nowe when she had wained Lo-ruhamah, shee conceiued, and bare a sonne.
After Gomer had (weaned/stopped breast-feeding) Lo-ruhamah, she became pregnant again, and she gave birth to another son.
9 Then saide God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for yee are not my people: therefore will I not be yours.
Yahweh said “Give him the name Lo-ammi, [which means 'not my people', ] because the people of Israel are no [longer my people], and I am not their God.
10 Yet the nomber of the children of Israel shall be as the sande of the sea, which can not be measured nor tolde: and in the place where it was saide vnto them, Yee are not my people, it shall be saide vnto them, Yee are the sonnes of the liuing God.
But [some day] the people of Israel will be [as numerous] as [SIM] the [grains of] sand on the seashore; no one will be able to count them. Now [I] am saying to them, ‘You are not my people,’ but then people will say to them, ‘[You are the] children of God who is all-powerful.’
11 Then shall the children of Iudah, and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint them selues one head, and they shall come vp out of the land: for great is the day of Izreel.
[At that time], the people of Judah and the people of Israel will unite. They will appoint one leader for all of them, and they will return from the countries [to which they have been (exiled/forced to go)]. That will be a great time; Jezreel [also means ‘God plants’, and it will be as though God will plant them in this country again].”