Hosea 3

1 Then Yahweh said to me, “Go and show to your wife that you still love her, even though she has been committing adultery with another man who loves her. [That will show that] I still love the people of Israel, even though they worship other gods/idols and eat raisin cakes [in feasts that honor those gods].”

The LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman loved by another, and an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins.”

2 [My wife had become a slave, ] but I bought her for (6 ounces/179 grams) of silver and ten bushels of barley.

So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley.

3 Then I said to her, “You must wait for many days [before we sleep together] [EUP]. During that time, you must not be a prostitute, and you must not have sex with any other man; but I will live with you.”

I said to her, “You shall stay with me many days. You shall not play the prostitute, and you shall not be with any other man. I will also be so toward you.”

4 [Our doing that will show that] in the same way, the people of Israel will not have a king and [other] leaders for many years. They will not offer sacrifices or [have sacred stone] pillars, no sacred vest [for the Supreme Priest], and no idols!

For the children of Israel shall live many days without king, without prince, without sacrifice, without sacred stone, and without ephod or idols.

5 But later, the people of Israel will return to Yahweh their God and [be guided by him and] by a king who is a descendant of [King] David. In the last/future days they will come to Yahweh, revering him and trembling [in his presence], and he will bless them.

Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and shall come with trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days.