My people are destroyed because they lack knowledge of me. Because you rejected that knowledge, I will reject you as a priest for me. Since you forget the Law of your God, I will also forget your children.

"When Israel was a young child I loved him, and from Egypt I called my son.

When a message from the LORD came to Hosea, the LORD told him, "Go marry a prostitute and have children with her, because the land is prostituting itself by departing from the LORD."

So call your brothers "Ammi,' and your sisters "Ruhamah.'"

For it is love that I seek, and not sacrifice; knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

The LORD told Hosea, "Name the child "Jezreel,' because in a little while I'll avenge the blood that was shed by Jehu's dynasty at Jezreel. I'll put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.

So you will stumble during the day, the prophet also will stumble with you at night, and I will destroy your mother.

Otherwise, I'll strip her naked as she was on the day she was born make her like a wilderness, turn her into a parched land, and cause her to die of thirst.

Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter, so the LORD told Hosea, "Name her "Lo-ruhamah,' because I will no longer be showing mercy to the house of Israel, nor will I forgive them.

At that time I'll shatter the military strength of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel."

"Hear this message from the LORD, people of Israel. Indeed, the LORD brings a charge against the people who live in the land for there is no truth and no gracious love or knowledge of God in the land.

"Come, let us return to the LORD; even though he has torn us, he will heal us. Even though he has wounded us, he will bind our wounds.

But I'll have mercy on the house of Judah, and I'll save them by the LORD their God I will not save them by the bow, by the sword, by battle, by horses, or by cavalry."

And the people of Judah and the people of Israel will be united as one. They will appoint for themselves a single leader and will take dominion over the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.

After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived again and gave birth to a son,

"But like Adam, they broke the covenant; in this they have acted deceitfully against me.

so the LORD told Hosea, "Name him "Lo-ammi,' because you are not my people, and I will not be your God.

"Ephraim surrounds me with lies, and the house of Israel surrounds me with deceit, But Judah still rules with God, and remains faithful, along with the godly ones."

"I found Israel, as one finds grapes in the wilderness; Your ancestors seemed to me like the fruit gleaned from a fig tree's first harvest. When they went to Baal-peor, they devoted themselves to that filth, and they became loathsome, like what they loved.

Gilead is a lawless town; it is polluted by bloodshed.

"Ephraim compromises with the nations; he's a half-baked cake.

Furthermore, I'll not show pity on her children, since they are children of prostitution.

"Ephraim, the well-trained heifer, loves to thresh grain, so I will spare her neck. I will turn Ephraim into a pack animal. Judah will pull the plow, and Jacob will turn up the fallow ground.

They will go with their flocks and herds to seek the LORD, but they will not find him; he has withdrawn from them.

The glory of Ephraim will fly away like a bird no birth, no pregnancy, not even a conception.

"By a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was rescued.

"Because they went over to Assyria, they are like a wild donkey alone by itself. Ephraim has hired some lovers.

"The more they increased in number, the more they sinned against me, so I will change their glory into shame.

Indeed, their mother has committed prostitution the one who has been conceiving them has acted disgracefully when she said, "I'm going after my lovers, who provide me food and water, as well as my wool, my flax, my oil, and my wine.'

They feed on the sin of my people; they purpose in their heart to transgress.

Even though he is fruitful compared to his relatives, an east wind will come, the LORD's wind storm from the wilderness, and his spring will evaporate. His fountain will dry up, and the LORD's wind storm will plunder all the expensive vessels of the treasury.

Like a gang of thieves that stalk a man, priests commit murder along the road to Shechem, committing shameful crimes.

"Look how I'm blocking her path with thorns and building a wall to hinder her, so she can't find her way.

Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come in awe to the LORD and to his goodness in the last days.

Foreigners have consumed his strength, and he hasn't noticed. Furthermore, his head is sprinkled with gray hair, but he doesn't realize it.

Ephraim has stirred up violent anger; therefore the guilt of his blood will remain on him, and his Lord will repay him for his contempt."

They have been unfaithful to the LORD, having raised unbelieving children. In the coming month they will be devoured, along with their fields.

I have seen a horrible evil in the house of Israel Ephraim's promiscuity. Israel is defiled.

"The more altars Ephraim builds for sin, the more altars there will be for sin.

Even if they rear their children, I will, in turn, make them childless in fact, woe to them when I turn away from them!

Even though they sold themselves to the nations, I will gather them. They will mourn for a while for the burden they were to the king and princes.

So it will be: like people, like priest. I will punish them for their lifestyles, rewarding them according to their behavior.

"Sound the trumpet in Gibeah, and the alarm in Ramah. Cry out at Beth-aven Go out, Benjamin!

"So, Judah, a harvest has been appointed for you when I restore my people from captivity."

She didn't recognize that it was I who provided her grain, wine, and oil, and it was I who gave her silver, while they crafted gold for Baal.

"Sexual immorality, wine, and fresh wine seduce the heart of my people.

They offer sacrifices on the mountain tops, burning offerings on the hills, under oaks, poplars, and terebinth trees, since their shade is very good. Therefore your daughters are prostitutes and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

You have plowed evil; you have reaped unrighteousness; you have eaten the fruit of hypocrisy; because you trusted in your own direction, and in the number of your mighty forces.

When they go, I'll cast my net over them. I'll bring them down, as one shoots birds in the sky. I'll chasten them, as the assembly has already heard.

"Therefore I'll return and take back my grain at harvest time and my new wine in its season. I'll take back my wool and my flax that was to have covered her nakedness.

She will pursue her lovers, but she won't catch up with them. She will seek them, but she won't find them. Then she will say, "I'll go back and return to my first husband, because it was better for me then than now.'

Therefore a disaster will come upon your people, and all of your fortresses will be ruined. As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel in wartime, mothers were dashed to pieces along with their children.

"Now as for the merchant, deceitful balances remain in his hand, and he loves to defraud.

"All of their wickedness started in Gilgal, because I began to hate them there. Because of the wickedness of their behavior, I will drive them from my Temple. I will not love them anymore; all their leaders are rebels.

Woe to them because they have run away from me. Ruin to them because they have sinned against me. Even though I redeemed them, they spread lies against me.

They will eat, but will not be satisfied. They will engage in prostitution, but they won't increase, because they have stopped listening to the LORD.

The same will happen to you, Bethel, because of your great evil early one morning the king of Israel will be totally silenced."

"Call your mother to account, call her for she is not my wife, and I'm not her husband. Let her do away with her seductive looks and remove her adultery from between her breasts.

So now I'll reveal her lewdness to the eyes of her lovers, and no man will rescue her from my control.

I'll punish her for the time she has devoted to the Baals, to whom she burned incense, and for whom she put on her earrings and jewels so she could go after her lovers and forget me," declares the LORD.

"The residents of Samaria will be terrified because of the cows of Beth-aven. Its people will mourn over Beth-aven, along with the priests who will mourn its glory, because that glory has departed.

Ephraim is blighted; its roots shriveled. It can bear no fruit. Even if they bear children, I will kill their cherished offspring.

I'll destroy her vines and her fig trees, about which she said, "These are the earnings that my lovers paid me. I'll make them grow into a forest, and the wild animals will eat from them.'

I'll put a stop to her mirth, along with her celebrations, her New Moons, her Sabbaths, and all of her festive assemblies.

Israel's arrogance testifies against him; but they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him in all of this.

"Israel has neglected its maker in building palaces. Judah has multiplied its fortified cities, but I will send fire to their cities, and it will consume their fortresses."

Ephraim will be desolate when it is rebuked. I have made known among the tribes of Israel what will surely come about.

However, I'm not going to punish your daughters when they commit prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because their men are themselves immoral they offer sacrifices with prostitutes. These people who aren't discerning will stumble.

My people seek counsel from their piece of wood, and their diviner's rod speaks to them. For a spirit of prostitution causes them to go astray; in their immorality they desert their God.

"My God will reject them, because they did not obey him, and they will become wanderers among the nations."

I prescribed great things from my Law for them, but they considered them profane.

There I will restore her vineyards to her, and the Valley of Achor will become a doorway to hope. There she will respond as she did in her youth, when she came up from Egypt."

I will plant my people in the land for myself. I will show mercy on her who has received no mercy I will say to those who are not my people, "You are my people!' and they will say, "You are my God.'"

I will make a covenant with them at that time, a covenant with the wild animals of the field, with the birds of the air, and with the creatures of the ground. I will banish the battle bow, the sword, and war from the earth. I will cause my people to lie down where it is safe.

"Israel, the overgrown vine, bears fruit like itself; the more fruitful they become, the more altars they build. The better the land, the more ornate the stone idols.

"How can I give up on you, Ephraim? I will deliver you, will I not, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? I can't make you like Zeboim, can I? My heart stirs within me; my compassion also fans into flame!

"Even though you prostitute yourself, Israel let not Judah incur guilt don't go to Gilgal, or visit Beth-aven, or swear an oath using the LORD's name.

While drinking to excess, they prostitute themselves. They're in love with dishonor.

From now on they will say, "We have no king, because we did not fear the LORD and what would a king do for us?'

The princes of Judah have become like those who move boundary markers: I will pour out my anger on them like water.

I will not act in my anger; I will not return to destroy Ephraim, For I am God, and not a human the Holy One among you so I will not enter the city in anger.

I guided them with human kindness, with loving reins. I acted toward them like one who removes a yoke from their neck; I bent down and fed them.

"Ephraim feeds on the wind, chasing after the eastern winds, storing up lies and desolation day after day. They are making a contract with the Assyrians, and sending oil to Egypt.

"I will leave and go back to my place until they admit their offense and seek my face. When affliction comes to them, they will eagerly seek me."

"It will come about at that time that I will respond," declares the LORD, "I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth.

They offer me meat from the sacrifices of my offerings, and they eat from it, but the LORD does not accept them. He will now remember their transgression and pay them back for their sins; to Egypt they will return.

"Ephraim is also like a silly dove, lacking sense: They call out to Egypt, and turn toward Assyria.

Ephraim has become entwined with idols; leave him alone!

Ephraim is crushed, broken by judgment, because he willingly pursued idols.

I will remove the names of the Baals from her vocabulary they will not be remembered by their names anymore.

Ephraim, as I see it, is like Tyre, planted in a comfortable place; Ephraim will bear children but they will be executed."

Swearing, lying, murder, theft, and adultery are rampant, and blood mingles with blood.

He even fought the angel and won; he cried and prayed to him. Then at Bethel he found him, and there he spoke with us

I spoke to the prophets, giving revelation after revelation, and employing parables in the prophetic writings.

Destroyed will be the high places of Aven, that are the sin of Israel. Both thorn and thistle will grow up over their altars. They will call out to the mountains, "Cover us!' and to the hills, "Fall on us!'

They will not cry to me from their heart instead, they wail on their beds. They gather together to eat and drink, turning away from me.

For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn mule! Nevertheless, will not the LORD feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture?

I will make you my wife because of my faithfulness, and you will know the LORD.

He circumvented his brother in the womb, and as an adult he fought with God.

The LORD accuses Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; he will repay him for what he does.

They will go after the LORD, who will roar like a lion; and when he roars, the children will come trembling from the west.

So you, return to your God; guard grace and justice, and look to your God always.

"Because they sow the wind, they will reap the wind storm. The plant has no stalk and its bud yields no grain. Even if there's a harvest, foreigners will gobble it up.

The earth will respond with grain, new wine, and oil, and they will respond to Jezreel.

When Ephraim examined his illness and Judah his injury, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and inquired of the great king; but he could not cure you nor heal your injury.

"Sound the ram's horn! Like a vulture the enemy will come against the Temple of the LORD, because Israel violated my covenant, transgressing my Law.

Jacob fled into the land of Aram; Israel served there to obtain his wife, tending sheep to gain his wife.

My people are determined to turn away from me; though they call to the Most High, no one is worshiping.

Give them, LORD What will you give? You will give them a womb that miscarries and dry breasts.

Their hearts are divided; from now on they are to be found guilty. God will tear down their altars, he will destroy their stone idols.

So he went out and married Diblaim's daughter Gomer. She conceived with him and gave birth to a son.

The more I called out to them, the farther they fled from me; they sacrificed to Baals, burning incense to carved images.

Trembling like a bird, they will come out of Egypt, and as a dove from the land of Assyria; and I will settle them in their houses," declares the LORD.

"There's iniquity in Gilead, isn't there? They have become truly vain. They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal; their altars are like piles of stone in furrowed fields.

Therefore the land will mourn, and all who live there will languish, along with the wild animals of the field and the birds of the air. Even the fish in the sea will disappear.

"From the time of Gibeah, you have sinned, Israel; There they took their stand; the battle at Gibeah could not subdue the lawless.

Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, supporting them by their arms, but they never knew that I was healing them.

"Yet I remain the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. I will make you live in tents again, as in the festival of that name.

Ephraim claims, "I have become rich, I have made a fortune! Because of all my wealth, no one will find any iniquity or sin in me.'

Their word is falsely given as they make their agreements; so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

the LORD God of the Heavenly Armies the LORD is his name.

"What am I to do with you, Ephraim? What am I to do with you, Judah? Your love is like a morning rain cloud it passes away like the morning dew.

Therefore I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I even I will tear them to pieces, and then I will leave. I will take them away, and there will be no rescue.

Therefore I will consume Ephraim like a moth, and the house of Judah as rottenness consumes.

"They will not return to the land of Egypt; instead, the Assyrian will be their king, because they kept refusing to repent.

Indeed, that glory will be carried to Assyria it will become a present for an avenging king. Ephraim will be disgraced, and Israel will become ashamed of its decision.

"Hear this, priests, pay attention, house of Israel, listen, royal family! For judgment is coming your way, because you have been a trap to Mizpah, a snare spread out on Mount Tabor.

"Let no one fight or bring charges against another, for my dispute is with you, priest.

The sword will fall on their cities, consuming and devouring their fortified gates, despite their planning.

Samaria's king will float away like driftwood on the surface of water.

A wind storm will carry them away in its embrace, and their sacrifices will bring them shame."

"From the power of Sheol I will rescue them, from death I will redeem them. Death, where are your plagues? Sheol, where is your destruction? My eyes will remain closed to your pleas for compassion.

When I'm ready, I will chasten them; and the people will gather against them, to imprison them for their two unrighteous acts."

So I bought her back for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and one and a half omers of barley.

I told her, "You will remain with me a long time, you won't be promiscuous, you won't be involved with any man, and I'll do the same."

Therefore I cut them to pieces by the prophets, killing them by the words from my mouth. The verdict against you shines like a beacon.

A message from the LORD came to Beeri's son Hosea during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Joash's son Jeroboam, who was king of Israel.

"Don't celebrate, Israel, like other nations would rejoice, because you left your God by committing fornication, loving the profit you gained on all of the threshing floors.

They set kings in place, but not by me. They established princes, whom I did not recognize. They crafted idols for themselves from their silver and gold; as a result, they will be destroyed.

"Though I have taught them and strengthened their arms, nevertheless they plot evil against me.

"When I was healing Israel, Ephraim's sin was uncovered, along with Samaria's wickedness. While they craft lying schemes, the thief invades, and the gang of thieves plunders outside.

Let us know, let us pursue knowledge of the LORD; his coming is as certain as the dawn. He will come to us like the rain, like the autumn and spring rains come on the earth.

The arrogance of Israel testifies against him; therefore Israel and Ephraim will stumble in their iniquity, and Judah with them.

Your calf, Samaria, has been thrown away. My anger is burning against them. How long until they become pure again?

They return but not to the Most High. They are like a defective weapon. Their princes will fall by the sword because of their raging tongue, and they will be a laughingstock in the land of Egypt."

"Their actions hinder them from turning to their God, because a spirit of fornication is in their midst, and the LORD they do not know.

"I will correct their apostasy, loving them freely, since my anger will have turned away from them.

I know Ephraim, and Israel cannot hide from me, since you, Ephraim, have been acting like a prostitute, defiling Israel.

All of them are adulterers they burn like an oven prepared by the baker, who has ceased stoking it until the dough is leavened.

Israel has been devoured; now they will live among the nations like a worthless container.

The rebels are deep into their slaughter; I am punishing them all.

The time for your judgment has now come; payday is here and Israel knows it. The prophet is a fool, and the spiritual man is insane. Because of your great sin, the hatred against you is great.

Despite this, the number of the people of Israel will be like ocean sand, which can neither be measured nor counted. And the time will come when instead of it being said, "You are not my people,' it will be said, "You are children of the living God.'

Because from Israel it was fashioned by craftsmen, it is not God; therefore Samaria's calf will be broken in pieces.

They cry out to me, "God, we of Israel acknowledge you.'

Sow in righteousness in your own interest, reap in gracious love, break up your own unprepared ground; It is now time to inquire of the LORD, until he comes to pour out righteousness for you.

Bring a prepared speech with you as you return to the LORD. Say to him: "Take away all our iniquity, and accept what is good. Then we will present the fruit of our lips.

"On the king's festival day the princes got drunk from wine, so the king joined the mockers.

"Israel has discarded what is good. The enemy will pursue them.

They all burn like an oven; they have consumed their judges; all their kings have fallen not even one of them calls on me.

"Return, Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have fallen due to your own iniquity.

It never occurs to them that I remember all their sin. Now their actions have caught up with them, and they have my attention.

They please the king with their evil, and the princes with their dishonesty.

For they have stirred up themselves like an oven as they lie in ambush. Their baker sleeps through the night; in the morning, the oven will be blazing like a fire.

They have corrupted themselves deeply, as did Gibeah in its day. Therefore God will remember their lawlessness, and he will pay them back for their sins.

"I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt, and you have known no god except for me, because except for me there is no savior.

After two days, he will restore us to life, on the third day he will raise us up, and we will live in his presence.

They will not live in the LORD's land Ephraim will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Assyria.

Likewise, the people of Israel will dwell a long time without a king, without a prince, without sacrifice, without sacred pillars, and with neither ephod nor teraphim.

Look! They have gone away because of the destruction Egypt will gather them up, and Memphis will bury them. Weeds will overgrow their inheritance, and thorns will grow in their tents.

While Ephraim stands watch with my God, the prophet has snares set that will trap his ways, and hostility lodges in the Temple of his God.

Neither threshing floor nor winepress will sustain them, and the new wine will disappoint her.

They won't present wine offerings to the LORD, nor will they please him. Their sacrifices will seem like food for mourners everyone who eats them will become unclean; none of them will enter the Temple of the LORD.

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things. Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right: the righteous follow his example, but the rebellious stumble in them.

"What will you do on the designated holiday, when the LORD's festival comes?

I will be like the dew to Israel; Israel will blossom like a lily, growing roots like the cedars of Lebanon.

"Therefore, look! I will now allure her. I will make her go out to the wilderness, and will speak to her heart.

Samaria will be held guilty, because she has rebelled against her God. By the sword they will fall with their infants dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women torn open."

"Ephraim, what have I in common with idols? I have listened and will pay attention to him. I am like a flourishing cypress; in me will your fruit be found."

I will make you my wife forever I will make you my wife in a way that is righteous, in a manner that is just, by a love that is gracious, and by a motive that is mercy.

I will confront them like a bear deprived of her cubs; I will tear open their ribs. I will devour them like a lion the wild beasts will rip them apart.

"It will come about at that time," declares the LORD, "that you will address me as "My husband,' and you will no longer call me "My master'.

Assyria won't save us; we won't be riding on horses, Nor will we be saying anymore to the work of our hands, "You are our God." Indeed, in you the orphan finds mercy.'

Then the LORD told me: "Go love your wife again, even though she is being loved by another and is committing adultery. Love her the same way the LORD loves the people of Israel, even though they look to other gods and love raisin cakes."

"When the tribe of Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; and it was exalted within Israel. But when they offended God by Baal, they died,

Israel's branches will spread out, and its beauty will be like an olive tree, with its scent like that of Lebanon.

"You have destroyed yourself, Israel, although I remain your help.

but now they are sinning more and more, crafting idols from melted silver. Their idols are made with the most exacting skill, all of it the work of craftsmen. People say about them, "They offer human sacrifice, and kiss calf-shaped idols.'

Those who live under its protection will surely return. Their grain will flourish; they will blossom like a vine, and Israel's scent will be like wine from Lebanon.

Therefore they will be like morning clouds, like early morning dew that evaporates, like chaff blown away from the threshing floor, or like smoke from a chimney."

I gave you a king in my anger, and I took him away in my fury."

As their pastures flourished, all their desires were met. As they were satiated, they became arrogant and therefore ignored me.

When the time of childbirth comes, he will be so foolish that he will refuse to be born."

I took care of you in the wilderness, in a waterless land.

Now where is your king? Will he save you in all your cities? And where are your judges, about whom you demanded, "Give me a king and officials!'?

"So I will be like a lion to them. Like a leopard I will stalk them along the road.

"Ephraim's guilt is on record; his sin is stored away.