< Hosea 3 >
1 Yahweh said to me, “Go again, love a woman, loved by her husband, but who is an adulteress. Love her just as I, Yahweh, love the people of Israel, although they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”
And Jehovah said unto me, Go again, love a woman beloved of [her] friend, and an adulteress, even as Jehovah loveth the children of Israel, though they turn unto other gods, and love cakes of raisins.
2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a lethek of barley.
So I bought her to me for fifteen [pieces] of silver, and a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley;
3 I said to her, “You must live with me many days. You will not be a prostitute or belong to any other man. In the same way, I will be with you.”
and I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be any man’s wife: so will I also be toward thee.
4 For the people of Israel will live for many days without a king, prince, sacrifice, stone pillar, ephod or household idols.
For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim:
5 Afterward the people of Israel will return and seek Yahweh their God and David their king, and in the last days, they will come trembling before Yahweh and his goodness.
afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king, and shall come with fear unto Jehovah and to his goodness in the latter days.