< 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].”
And YHWH says to me: “Again, go, love a woman, loved of a friend, and an adulteress, like the loved of YHWH, the sons of Israel, and they are turning to other gods, and are lovers of grape-cakes.”
2 [My wife had become a slave, ] but I bought her for (6 ounces/179 grams) of silver and ten bushels of barley.
And I buy her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver, and a homer and a lethech 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.”
and I say to her, “You remain many days for Me, you do not go whoring, nor become anyone’s; and I also [am] for 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 sons of Israel remain without a king for many days, and there is no prince, and there is no sacrifice, and there is no standing pillar, and there is no ephod and teraphim.
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 sons of Israel have turned back, and sought their God YHWH, and David their king, and have hurried to YHWH, and to His goodness, in the latter end of the days.