The beginning of the word of Yahweh with Hosea, was, - that Yahweh said unto Hosea, Go take thee a woman of unchastity, and the children of unchastity, for, unchastely indeed, hath the land been going away from following Yahweh.

Then said Yahweh unto him, Call his name Jezreel: for, yet a little, and I will visit the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

Then conceived she again and bare a daughter, and he said to him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah "Uncompassionated" , - for, not again any more, will I have compassion upon the house of Israel, that I should, forgive, them;

Then said he, Call his name Lo-ammi, - for ye are Lo-ammi "No people of mine" , and, I, will not be yours.

Yet shall the number of the sons of Israel become like the sand of the sea, which can neither he measured, nor numbered, - and it shall come to pass, in the place where it used to be said to them, No people of mine, are ye, it shall be said to them, Sons of a Living God!

Lest I strip off her under-clothing, and set her forth to view, as in the day she was born, - and make her like a wilderness, and render her like a land that is parched, and suffer her to die of thirst;

For their mother, hath been unchaste, and she that conceived them, hath caused shame, - for she said, Let me go after my lovers! who used to give my bread, and my water, my wool, and my flax, mine oil, and my drink.

And will lay waste her vine and her fig- tree, as to which she hath said, A present, are they for myself, which my lovers, have given me, - and I will make of them a thicket, and the wild beasts of the field shall devour them.

Then said Yahweh unto me, Once more, go love a woman who loveth a friend, and is an adulteress, - according to the love of Yahweh unto the sons of Israel, though they keep turning away unto other gods, and love idolatrous raisin-cakes.

and I said unto her, Many days, shalt thou tarry for me, thou shalt not be unchaste, neither shalt thou become another man's, - moreover also, I, will tarry for thee.

Then let us know - let us press on to know - Yahweh, Like the dawn, is his coming forth assured, - that he may come like a down-pour upon us, like the harvest-rain, and the seed-rain of the land.

How can I give thee up, Ephraim? abandon thee Israel? How can I make thee as Admah? set thee as Zeboim? Mine own heart, turneth against me, at once, are kindled my compassions.

So then Ephraim said, Surely I have gotten me riches, I have found wealth for myself, - in all my toils, they cannot find in me perversity which is sin.