< Hosea 1 >
1 The LORD’s word 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’s message to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah and during the reign of King Jeroboam, son of Joash of Israel.
2 When the LORD spoke at first by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife of prostitution and children of unfaithfulness; for the land commits great adultery, forsaking the LORD.”
When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, he said to him: “Go marry an unfaithful woman who will bear you children by her adultery, for like an adulterous wife the land is unfaithful to the Lord.”
3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived, and bore him a son.
So he married Gomer, the daughter of Dibliam, and when she conceived and bore him a son,
4 The LORD said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease.
the Lord said: “Call him ‘Jezreel,’ for in a little while I will punish the dynasty of Jehu for the blood shed at the valley of Jezreel, I will cause the kingdom of Israel to cease.
5 It will happen in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.”
On that day, I will break Israel’s bows and arrows in the valley of Jezreel.”
6 She conceived again, and bore a daughter. Then he said to him, “Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, for I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, that I should in any way pardon them.
When she conceived again and bore a daughter, the Lord said to Hosea: “Call her Lo-Ruhamah – ‘No-Compassion’ for I will no longer have compassion on Israel, certainly not spare them.
7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen.”
But on Judah I will have compassion, I will deliver them by the Lord their God, but I will not deliver them by bow nor by sword, nor by battle nor by horses nor by horsemen.”
8 Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son.
After she had weaned No-Compassion, and when she conceived and bore a son, he said:
9 He said, “Call his name Lo-Ammi, for you are not my people, and I will not be yours.
“Call him Lo-Ammi – ‘Not-My-People’ for you, Israel, are not my people, and I indeed am not your God.”
10 Yet the number of the children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which can’t be measured or counted; and it will come to pass that, in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’
Yet the number of the Israelites will be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted, and where they were told, “You are not my people,” they will be called, “children of the living God.”
11 The children of Judah and the children of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint themselves one head, and will go up from the land; for great will be the day of Jezreel.
The Judeans and the Israelites will join together again, will appoint for themselves one leader, will return to their own land. Great will be the day of Jezreel!