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."

And the LORD said unto him, "Call his name Jezreel, for I will shortly avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will bring the kingdom of the house of Israel to an end.

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.

Then said he, "Call his name Loammi. For why? Ye are not my people, therefore will I not be yours.

Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together again, and chose themselves one head, and then depart out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel."

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.'

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.'

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.

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

Then will I make a covenant with them, with the wild beasts, with the fowls of the air, and with everything that creepeth upon the earth. As for bow, sword and battle, I will destroy such out of the land, and will make them to sleep safely.

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."

Hear the word of the LORD, O ye children of Israel: For the LORD must punish them, that dwell in the land. And why? There is no faithfulness, there is no mercy, there is no knowledge of God in the land:

Thus the priest is become like the people. Wherefore I will punish them for their wicked ways, and reward them according to their own imaginations.

My people ask counsel at their stocks, their staff must tell them. For a whorish mind hath deceived them, so that they commit fornication against their God.

They make sacrifices upon the high mountains, and burn their incense upon the hills, yea among the oaks, groves and bushes, for there are good shadows. Therefore your daughters are become harlots, and your spouses have broken their wedlock.

I will not punish your daughters for being defiled, and your brides that became whores: seeing the fathers themselves have meddled with harlots, and offered with unthriftiness: but the people that will not understand must be punished.

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

O ye priests, hear this; take heed, O thou household of Israel; give ear, O thou kingly house. For this punishment will come upon you, that are become a snare unto Mizphah, and a spread net unto the mount of Tabor.

I know Ephraim well enough, and Israel is not hid from me: for Ephraim is become a harlot, and Israel is defiled.

They are not minded to turn unto their God, for they have an whorish heart, so that they cannot know the LORD.

But the pride of Israel will be rewarded him in his face, yea both Israel and Ephraim shall fall for their wickedness, and Judah with them also.

They shall come with their sheep and bullocks to seek the LORD, but they shall not find him, for he is gone from them.

As for the LORD, they have refused him, and brought up bastard children: a month therefore shall devour them with their portions.

Ephraim is oppressed, and can have no right of the law. For why? They follow the doctrines of men.

In their adversity they shall seek me, and say, "Come, let us turn again to the LORD: for he hath smitten us, and he shall heal us;

Therefore have I cut down the prophets, and let them be slain for my words' sake: so that thy punishment shall come to light.

For I have pleasure in loving-kindness, and not in offering: Yea in the knowledge of God, more than in burnt sacrifice.

The multitude of the priests is like a heap of thieves, murderers and bloodthirsty: for they have wrought abomination.

But Judah shall have a harvest for himself, when I return the captivity of my people.

Even so goeth it this day with our kings and princes, for they begin to be wood drunken through wine: they use familiarity with such as deceive them.

They with the imagination of their heart are like an oven, their sleep is all night like the sleep of a baker, in the morning is he as hot as the flame of fire:

And the pride of Israel is cast down before their face, yet will they not turn to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.

Woe be unto them, for they have forsaken me. They must be destroyed, for they have set me at naught. I am he that have redeemed them, and yet they dissemble with me.

They call not upon me with their hearts, but lie howling upon their beds. Whereas they come together, it is but for meat and drink, and me will they not obey.

They turn themselves, but not aright, and are become as a broken bow. Their princes shall be slain with the sword for the malice of their tongues, such blasphemies have they learned in the land of Egypt.

Set the horn to thy mouth, and blow: get thee swiftly as an Eagle into the house of the LORD: for they have broken my covenant, and transgressed my law.

Thy calf, O Samaria, shall be taken away, for my wrathful indignation is gone forth against thee. How long will it be, before they can be cleansed?

For the calf came from Israel; the workman made it: therefore can it be no God, but even to a spider's web shall the calf of Samaria be turned.

they have forgotten him that made them, they build churches, and Judah maketh many strong cities: therefore will I send a fire into their cities, and it shall consume their places.

Do not thou triumph, O Israel; make no boasting more than the Heathen. For thou hast committed adultery against thy God: strange rewards hast thou loved, more than all the corn floors.

They pour out no wine for a drink offering unto the LORD, neither give they him their slain offerings: but they be unto them as mourner's meats, wherein all they that eat them are defiled. For the bread that they have such lust unto, shall not come into the house of the LORD.

Lo, they shall get them away for the destruction. Egypt shall receive them, and Memphis shall bury them. The nettles shall overgrow their pleasant goods, and burrs shall be in their tabernacles.

Be ye sure, O Israel: the time of visitation is come, the days of recompensing are at hand. As for the prophet, ye hold him for a fool; and him that is rich in the spirit, for a mad man: so great is your wickedness and malice.

They be gone too far, and have destroyed themselves, like as they did afore time at Gibeah. Therefore their wickedness shall be remembered, and their sins punished.

All their wickedness is done at Gilgal, there do I abhor them. For the ungraciousness of their own inventions, I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more, for all their princes are unfaithful.

My God shall cast them away, for they have not been obedient unto him, therefore shall they go astray among the Heathen.

Then shall they say, "We have no king. For why? We have not feared the LORD. And what shall then the king do to us?"

It shall be brought to the Assyrians for a present unto king Jareb. Ephraim shall receive full punishment; Israel shall be confounded for his own imaginations;

I will chasten them, even after mine own desire; the people shall be gathered together over them, when I punish them for their great wickedness.

Ephraim was unto me, as a cow that is used to go to plow; therefore I loved him, and fell upon his fair neck. I drove Ephraim, Judah plowed, and Jacob played the husbandman:

that they should not go again into Egypt. And now is Assyria their king: for they would not turn unto me.

therefore have I not turned me to destroy Ephraim in my wrathful displeasure. For I am God, and no man: I am even that holy one in the midst of thee, though I came not within the city.

Jacob fled into the land of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

Therefore shall sorrows come upon him, as upon a woman that travaileth. An indiscreet son is he: for he considereth not, that he should not have been able to have endured in the time of his birth,

Yet can I see no comfort, for when he is now the goodliest among the brethren, the East wind, even the wind of the LORD, shall come down from the wilderness, and dry up his conduits, and drink up his wells: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.

As for Samaria, they shall be made waste. And why? They are disobedient unto their God. They shall perish with the sword, their children shall be slain, and their women great with child shall be ripped up.

Turn Israel unto the LORD thy God: For thou art fallen for thy wickednesses' sake.

Assyria shall not save us, neither will we ride on horses: neither will we say to the works of our own hands, 'Ye are our Gods,' for thou hast compassion on the friendless.

I will heal their obedience and will love them of mine own accord: for my wrath is ceased from them.

Ephraim, what have ye any more to do with idols? I have healed him and looked on him. I will be as a great fir tree, and of me shall thy fruit be found.

Who is wise to understand these things and hath wit to perceive them? For the ways of the LORD are straight, and the righteous shall walk in them: but the wicked shall tumble in them.