Hosea 2
1 "Say to your brothers, 'My People.' and to your sisters, 'Compassion.'
SAY ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ru-hamah.
2 Contend with your mother. Contend, for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband; and let her put away her prostitution from her face, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
3 Lest I strip her naked, and make her bare as in the day that she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and kill her with thirst.
Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.
4 Indeed, on her children I will have no mercy; for they are children of unfaithfulness;
And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.
5 For their mother has played the prostitute. She who conceived them has done shamefully; for she said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.'
For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
6 Therefore, look, I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, that she can't find her way.
Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.
7 She will follow after her lovers, but she won't overtake them; and she will seek them, but won't find them. Then she will say, 'I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.'
And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.
8 For she did not know that I gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil, and multiplied to her silver and gold, which they used for Baal.
For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.
9 Therefore I will take back my grain in its time, and my new wine in its season, and will pluck away my wool and my flax which should have covered her nakedness.
Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.
10 Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and no one will deliver her out of my hand.
And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.
11 I will also cause all her celebrations to cease: her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her solemn assemblies.
I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.
12 I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, about which she has said, 'These are my wages that my lovers have given me; and I will make them a forest,' and the animals of the field shall eat them.
And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.
13 I will visit on her the days of the Baals, to which she burned incense, when she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and went after her lovers, and forgot me," says Jehovah.
And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the Lord.
14 "Therefore, look, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.
Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
15 I will give her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she will respond there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
16 It will be in that day," says Jehovah, "that you will call me 'my husband,' and no longer call me 'my master.'
And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.
17 For I will take away the names of the Baals out of her mouth, and they will no longer be mentioned by name.
For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
18 In that day I will make a covenant for them with the animals of the field, and with the birds of the sky, and with the crawling creatures of the ground. I will break the bow, the sword, and the battle out of the land, and will make them lie down safely.
And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
19 I will betroth you to me forever. Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness, and in compassion.
And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
20 I will even betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know Jehovah.
I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.
21 It will happen in that day, I will respond," says Jehovah, "I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth;
And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;
22 and the earth will respond to the grain, and the new wine, and the oil; and they will respond to Jezreel.
And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.
23 And I will sow her for myself in the land; and I will compassion on No Compassion; and I will say to Not My People, 'You are my people;' and they will say, 'My God.'"
And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.
