Hosea 1

1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, 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 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go take to thee a wife addicted to lewdness and children of lewdness; for the land hath committed great lewdness, [departing] from the LORD.

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 he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; who conceived, and bore him a son.

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

4 And the LORD said to him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little [while], and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house 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 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

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

6 And she conceived again, and bore a daughter. And [God] said to him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

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 have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

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 Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son.

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

9 Then said [God], Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye [are] not my people, and I will not be your [God].

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

10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, [that] in the place where it was said to them, Ye [are] not my people, [there] it shall be said to them, [Ye are] the sons of the living God.

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 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be assembled, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up from the land: for great [shall be] the day of Jezreel.

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.”