Hosea 1

1 [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.

The Lord sent a message to Hosea son of Beeri at the time when Uzziah, Jotham, and Ahaz were the kings of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was the king of Israel.

2 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).”

The Lord began speaking through Hosea by telling him, “Go and take a wife who is a prostitute and have children born to a prostitute because those living in this land have committed terrible prostitution by turning away from the Lord.”

3 So I married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. She became pregnant and gave birth to my son.

So Hosea went and married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. She became pregnant and bore Hosea a son.

4 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,

The Lord told Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I am going to punish the house of Jehu for the blood he shed at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.

5 by destroying the power [MTY] of [the army of] Israel in Jezreel Valley.”

On that day I will break Israel's military power in the valley of Jezreel.”

6 [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].

Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. The Lord told Hosea, “Call her Lo-ruhamah, because I will no longer love the house of Israel and certainly not forgive them.

7 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].”

But I will have pity on the house of Judah, and I will save them—but I will not save them by bow or sword or war or horses and riders.”

8 After Gomer had (weaned/stopped breast-feeding) Lo-ruhamah, she became pregnant again, and she gave birth to another son.

After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah she became pregnant again and gave birth to a son.

9 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.

The Lord told Hosea, “Call him Lo-ammi, because you are not my people and I am not your God.

10 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.’

Even so the number of the people of Israel will be like the sand on the seashore that cannot be measured or counted. Then right there at the place where they were told ‘you are not my people’ they will be called ‘the children of the living God.’

11 [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].”

The people of Israel and the people of Judah will be gathered together and they will choose one leader for themselves and they will take possession of the land, and the day of Jezreel will be great.”