< Hosea 1 >
1 A word of YHWH that has been to Hosea, son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam 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 The commencement of YHWH’s speaking by Hosea. And YHWH says to Hosea, “Go, take a woman of whoredoms for yourself, and children of whoredoms, for the land goes utterly whoring from after YHWH.”
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 And he goes and takes Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceives and bears a son to him;
So he married Gomer, the daughter of Dibliam, and when she conceived and bore him a son,
4 and YHWH says to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for yet a little, and I have charged the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and have caused 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 has come to pass in that day that I have broken 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 conceives again, and bears a daughter, and He says to him, “Call her name Lo-Ruhamah [(Not Loved)], for I no longer pity the house of Israel, for I utterly take them away;
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 and I pity the house of Judah, and have saved them by their God YHWH, and do not save them by bow, and by sword, and by battle, by horses, and 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 And she weans Lo-Ruhamah, and conceives, and bears a son;
After she had weaned No-Compassion, and when she conceived and bore a son, he said:
9 and He says, “Call his name Lo-Ammi [(Not My People)], for you [are] not My people, and I am not for you;
‘Call him Lo-Ammi – “Not-My-People” for you, Israel, are not my people, and I indeed am not your God.’
10 and the number of the sons of Israel has been as the sand of the sea that is not measured nor numbered, and it has come to pass in the place where it is said to them, You [are] not My people, it is said to them, 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 have been gathered together, and they have appointed one head for themselves, and have gone up from the land, for great [is] 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!