First, when the LORD spake unto Hosea, he said unto him, "Go thy way, take a harlot to thy wife, and get children by her: for the land hath committed great whoredom against the LORD."

She conceived yet again, and bare a daughter. And he said unto him, "Call her name Loruhamah, that is, 'Not obtaining mercy,' for I will have no pity upon the house of Israel, but forget them, and put them clean out of remembrance.

As for your mother, ye shall chide with her, and reprove her: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband, unless she put away her whoredoms out of my sight, and her adultery from her breasts.

If no, I shall strip her naked, and set her, even as she came into the world. Yea, I shall lay her waste, and make her like a wilderness, and slay her for thirst.

I shall have no pity also upon her children, for they be the children of fornication.

Their mother hath broken her wedlock, and she that bare them, is come to confusion. For she said, 'I will go after my lovers, that give me my water and my bread, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.'

"But I will hedge her way with thorns, and stop it, that she shall not find her footsteps:

and though she run after her lovers, yet shall she not get them: she shall seek them, but not find them. Then shall she say, 'Well, I will go turn again to my first husband, for at that time was I better at ease, than now.'

And she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold: which they bestowed upon Baal.

Wherefore now will I go take my corn and wine again in their season, and fet again my wool and my flax, which I gave her to cover her shame.

And now will I discover her foolishness, even in the sight of her lovers, and no man shall deliver her out of my hands.

Moreover, I will take away all her mirth, her holidays, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts:

I will destroy her vineyards and fig trees, though she sayeth, 'Lo, here are my rewards, that my lovers have given me.' I will make it a wood, and the wild beasts shall eat it up.

I will punish her also for the days of Baal, wherein she censed him, decking him with her earrings and chains: when she followed her lovers, and forgat me, sayeth the LORD.

"Wherefore behold: I will call her again, bring her into a wilderness, and speak friendly unto her.

There will I give her, her vineyards again; yea, and the valley of Achor also, to show her hope and comfort. Then shall she sing there as in the time of her youth, and like as in the day when she came out of the land of Egypt.

For I will take away those names of Baal from her mouth, yea she shall never remember their names any more.

I will sow them upon earth, for a seed to mine own self, and will have mercy upon her, that was without mercy. And to them which were not my people, I will say, 'Thou art my people.' And he shall say, 'Thou art my God.'"

So I gat her for fifteen silverlings, and for a homer and a half of barley,

and said unto her, "Thou shalt bide with me a long season, but see that thou playest not the harlot, and look thou meddle with none other man, and then will I keep myself for thee."

For Israel is gone back like a wanton cow. The LORD therefore shall make her feed, as the lamb that goeth astray.

but while they be going here and there, I shall spread my net over them, and draw them down as the fowls of the air. And according as they have been warned, so will I punish them.

Ephraim, as me think, is planted in wealthiness, like as Tyre, but now must she bring her own children forth to the manslayer.

there shall grow a sedition among thy people. All thy strong cities shall be laid waste, even as Shalman was destroyed with his familiars, through him that was avenged of Arbel in the day of battle: where the mother perished with her children.

I will come upon them as a she bear, that is robbed of her whelps, and I will break that stubborn heart of theirs. There will I devour them as a lion: yea the wild beast shall tear them.