Hosea 3

1 And the Lord seide to me, Yit go thou, and loue a womman loued of a frend, and a womman auoutresse, as the Lord loueth the sones of Israel; and thei biholden to alien goddis, and louen the draffis of grapis.

Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go again, show love to this woman, who is loved by another, who commits adultery. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods, and love the raisin cakes offered to idols.

2 And Y dalf it to me bi fiftene pens, and bi a corus of barli, and bi half a corus of barli.

So I redeemed her for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a lethek of barley.

3 And Y seide to it, Bi many daies thou shalt abide me; thou schalt not do fornycacioun, and thou schalt not be with an hosebonde, but also Y schal abide thee.

And I told her, ‘You must live with me for many days and you must not sleep around or marry another. And I will do the same for you.

4 For bi many daies the sones of Israel schulen sitte with out kyng, with out prince, and with out sacrifice, and with out auter, and with out prestis cloth, and with out terafyn, that is, ymagis.

And like this the Israelites will live for a long time without king and without prince, without sacrifice and without pillar, without ephod and without teraphim.

5 And after these thingis the sones of Israel schulen turne ayen, and schulen seke her Lord God, and Dauid, her king; and thei schulen drede at the Lord, and at the good of him, in the laste of daies.

Yet afterward the Israelites will return, and seek the Lord their God and their Davidic king, and in the days to come they will turn with awe to the Lord and his goodness.