Hosea 2

1 Say to brothers your people my and to sisters your she is Shown Compassion.

[At that time, ] you will say to your fellow-Israeli men, “[You are] God’s people,” and [you will say] to your fellow-Israeli women, “You are ones whom God loves.”

2 Conduct a case with mother your conduct a case for she not [is] wife my and I not [am] husband her and let her remove prostitution her from face her and adulteries her from between breasts her.

[Yahweh also said to me], “I want you to accuse the Israeli people. [It is as though] [MET] this nation is your mother, but this nation is [no longer as though it is] [MET] my wife, and it is [no longer as though] [MET] I am its husband. Tell the Israeli people that they must stop [acting like] a prostitute [by worshiping other gods]; they must stop showing by their behavior that they (are unfaithful to/have abandoned) [me] [MET].

3 Lest I should strip her naked and I will exhibit her like [the] day was born she and I will make her like wilderness and I will make her like a land dry and I should make die her with thirst.

If they do not do that, I will not give them [food and] clothes [as a husband should give to his wife]; I will take away those things, and I will cause their nation to become [as deserted] as it was on the day that I [brought their ancestors out of Egypt and caused them to become a nation] [MET]. I will cause their country to be like [SIM] a desert; there will be no rain to water the ground [MET].

4 And children her not I will have compassion on for [are] children of prostitution they.

I will not pity the people, because they have [abandoned me] as [MET] prostitutes abandon their husbands.

5 For she has prostituted herself mother their she has acted shamefully [the] [one who] conceived them for she said I will go after lovers my [who] give food my and water my wool my and flax my oil my and drinks my.

Their parents are like prostitutes [MET]: they have been unfaithful [to me], and they have done [very] disgraceful things. They said, ‘We will run to [our idols/gods] who love us; [they are the ones] who give us food and water and wool and linen and [olive] oil, and [wine to] drink.’

6 Therefore here I [am] about to fence up way your with thorns and I will wall up wall her and paths her not she will find.

So [it will be as though] [MET] I am blocking their road with thornbushes, and putting put a wall around them so that they do not know which way to go.

7 And she will pursue lovers her and not she will overtake them and she will seek them and not she will find [them] and she will say I will go and I will return to husband my former for it was good for me then more than now.

They will run to their idols/gods that [they think] love them, but they will not find them. They will search for their false gods, but they will not find them. Then they will say, ‘[Perhaps] we should return to [Yahweh], whom we worshiped previously [MET], because things were better for us then than they are now.’

8 And she not she knows that I I gave to her the grain and the new wine and the fresh oil and silver I multiplied to her and gold [which] they made into Baal.

But they do not realize that I, [Yahweh], am the one who gave them grain and wine and [olive] oil; I am the one who gave them silver and gold which they used to worship Baal.

9 Therefore I will return and I will take grain my at appropriate time its and new wine my at appointed time its and I will take away wool my and flax my to cover nakedness her.

Therefore I will return and take my grain and grapes from them when they are ripe. I will take from them the wool and linen that I gave to them [to make their clothes] [MTY].

10 And now I will uncover lewdness her to [the] eyes of lovers her and anyone not he will deliver her from hand my.

I will show those false gods/idols that what my people are doing is disgusting [MET], and no one will be able to hinder me from [punishing them].

11 And I will put an end to all gaiety her festival[s] her new moon[s] her and sabbath[s] her and every appointed feast her.

I will cause their religious celebrations to cease, the festivals that they celebrate every year and at every new moon and on their (Sabbath days/weekly days of rest). I will cause all their religious celebrations to cease.

12 And I will devastate vine[s] her and fig tree[s] her which she said [are] wage[s] they of me which they gave to me lovers my and I will make them into a thicket and it will consume them [the] animal[s] of the field.

I will destroy [all] their grapevines and fig trees, which they said were what their [idols/gods] who loved them paid them for worshiping those idols. I will cause those places to become a desert, and wild animals will eat the fruit [that remains].

13 And I will visit on her [the] days of the Baals when she made smoke to them and she ornamented herself ring[s] her and jewelry her and she went after lovers her and me she forgot [the] utterance of Yahweh.

I will punish my people for [all] the times that they burned incense to [honor] the idols of Baal. They decorated themselves with rings and jewelry, and they went to worship those [false gods/idols] that [they thought] [IRO] loved them, but they abandoned/forgot me! [That is what I], Yahweh, say.

14 Therefore here! I [am] about to persuade her and I will lead her the wilderness and I will speak (to *L(abh)*) heart her.

But listen! [Some day] I will persuade my people [to worship me again]; I will lead them [out] into the desert and speak kindly to them [there].

15 And I will give to her vineyards her from there and [the] valley of Achor to a door of hope and she will answer there like [the] days of youth her and like [the] day went up she from [the] land of Egypt.

I will give their vineyards [back] to them, and I will cause Achor Valley, [which means ‘valley of trouble'], to become a valley where they will confidently expect [me to do good things for them]. They will (respond to/want to please) me there like they did long ago, when I freed them from [being slaves in] Egypt.

16 And it will be in the day that [the] utterance of Yahweh you will call husband my and not you will call me again Baal my.

At that time, they will say to me, ‘[It is as though] [MET] you are our husband.’ They will not say that I am their [master, like they considered that] Baal [was].

17 And I will remove [the] names of the Baals from mouth her and not they will be remembered again by name their.

I will not allow them to speak [MTY] the names of Baal; they will never use those names again.

18 And I will make to them a covenant in the day that with [the] animal[s] of the field and with [the] bird[s] of the heavens and [the] creeping thing[s] of the ground and bow and sword and battle I will break from the land and I will make lie down them to security.

At that time [it will be as though] I will make an agreement with [all] the wild animals and birds, and [even with] the little animals that scurry across the ground, so that they will never harm my people [again]. And I will remove from their nation all the weapons [for fighting] battles, [like] swords and bows [and arrows]. The result will be that my people will live peacefully and safely, and will not be afraid.

19 And I will betroth you to myself for ever and I will betroth you to myself in righteousness and in justice and in covenant loyalty and in compassion.

I will cause them to be [as though they are] [MET] my bride forever. I will be righteous and fair/just; I will faithfully love them and be kind to them.

20 And I will betroth you to myself in faithfulness and you will know Yahweh.

I will not abandon them, and they will realize [that I] Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do.]

21 And it will be - in the day that I will answer [the] utterance of Yahweh I will answer the heavens and they they will answer the earth.

At that time, [when they request me to do things for them], [I will do those things]. When they request clouds and rain to fall on their land, I will speak to the clouds, and rain will fall on the earth,

22 And the earth it will answer the grain and the new wine and the fresh oil and they they will answer Jezreel.

and grain will grow, and the vineyards and the olive trees will grow in Jezreel [Valley].

23 And I will sow her for myself in the land and I will have compassion on Lo-Ruhamah and I will say to Not-People My [are] people my you and he he will say God my.

[At that time], I will take care of the Israeli people [like a farmer plants and takes care of his crops] [MET]. I will love those people that I previously said were ones I did not love, and I previously said, ‘You are not my people,’ and [then] they will say to me, ‘You are our God.’”