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 he went and took Gomer, daughter of Diblaim, - and she conceived and bare him a son.

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;

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

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.

So will I sow her unto me in the land, and will have compassion upon the uncompassionated one, - and will say to him who was No-people-of-mine, My people, thou art, and, he, shall say, My God!

Afterward the sons of Israel will return [in deep repentance] and seek the Lord their God and [seek from the line of] David their king [the King of kings—the Messiah]; and they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness and blessing in the last days.

Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel,
For the Lord has a [legal] case with the inhabitants of the land,
Because there is no faithfulness [no steadfast love, no dependability] or loyalty or kindness
Or knowledge of God [from personal experience with Him] in the land.

Howbeit let, no man, contend, nor let him rebuke another, - since, thy people, are as they who contend against a priest:

So doth it come to be - like people, like priest, - therefore will I visit upon him his ways, and, his doings, will I bring back to him;

They shall eat, and not have enough: they have used whoredom, therefore shall they not prosper: and why? They have forsaken the LORD, and not regarded him.

Mated with idols, is Ephraim, let him alone.

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

With their flocks and with their herds, will they go to seek Yahweh, but shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.

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

For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.

He will bring us to life, after two days, - on the third day, will he raise us up, that we may live before him.

So let us acknowledge him! Let us seek to acknowledge the Lord! He will come to our rescue as certainly as the appearance of the dawn, as certainly as the winter rain comes, as certainly as the spring rain that waters the land."

The royal advisers delight the king with their evil schemes, the princes make him glad with their lies.

In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.

They approach him, all the while plotting against him. Their hearts are like an oven; their anger smolders all night long, but in the morning it bursts into a flaming fire.

Foreigners have, eaten up, his strength, and, he, knoweth it not, - even gray hairs, are sprinkled upon him, and, he, knoweth it not.

Therefore doth the Excellency of Israel, answer, to his face; yet have they not returned unto Yahweh their God, nor have they sought him, in spite of all this!

They would return - not to him who is on high! They have become like a deceitful bow, their rulers, shall fall by the sword, for the rage of their tongue, this, shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Israel hath cast away what is good, - an enemy, shall pursue him.

Israel shall perish, the Gentiles shall entreat him as a foul vessel.

Because Ephraim hath multiplied altars sinfully, they have become to him the altars of sin.

I have been wont to write for him the myriad things of my law, - Like something alien, have they been accounted.

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.

They shall not pour out to Yahweh - wine, neither shall they be pleasing to him, their sacrifices, are as the food of mourning to them, all that eat thereof, shall defile themselves, because, their food for their appetite, entereth not into the house of Yahweh.

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.

The watchman of Ephraim, should have been with my God: As for the prophet, the snare of the fowler, is on all his ways, a prosecution awaiteth him , in the house of his God.

Ephraim, as I saw for Tyre, was planted in a habitation: and Ephraim to bring forth his sons to him slaying.

My God will reject them, because they hearkened not unto him, - that they may become wanderers throughout the nations.

A luxuriant vine, is Israel, fruit, beseemeth him, - According to the abundance of his fruit, hath he brought abundance to the altars, according to the goodliness of his land, hath he made goodly statues.

But, Ephraim, shall be a heifer broken in, loving to tread out corn, when, I, have passed over upon her fair neck, - I will drive Ephraim, Judah, shall plow, Jacob, shall harrow to him.

Sow with a view to righteousness [that righteousness, like seed, may germinate];
Reap in accordance with mercy and lovingkindness.
Break up your uncultivated ground,
For it is time to seek and search diligently for the Lord [and to long for His blessing]
Until He comes to rain righteousness and His gift of salvation on you.

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.

When Israel was, a child, then I loved him, - and, out of Egypt, called I my son.

With human cords, used I to draw them, with the bands of love, so became I unto them like those who remove the yoke that was on their jaws, - and, holding out food to him, I let him eat.

And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.

I will not execute the fierceness of My anger;
I will not return to Ephraim to destroy him again.
For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst [who will not revoke My covenant],
And I will not come in wrath or enter the city [in judgment].

The LORD roareth like a lion, that they may follow him. Yea, as a lion roareth he, that they may be afraid like the children of the sea:

But Ephraim goeth about me with lies, and the house of Israel dissembleth. Only Judah holdeth him with God, and with the true holy things.

But, a controversy, hath Yahweh with Judah, - so that he may bring punishment on Jacob, according to his ways, According to his doings, repay him.

Yea he strove against a Messenger, and prevailed, he wept, and made supplication unto him, - At Bethel, he found him, and, there, he spake with us;

Even the Lord, the God of hosts,
The name of Him [who spoke with Jacob] is the Lord.

Ephraim hath provoked, very bitterly, - his own blood, therefore, upon him, will he leave, and, his reproach, shall his Lord, bring back to him.

When the words of my law came from Ephraim, he was lifted up in Israel; but when he did evil through the Baal, death overtook him.

I might give thee a king in mine anger, and take him away in my wrath.

The pangs of a woman in labour, shall overtake him, - he, is a son, not wise, for, now, he cannot stand still, when children are about to be born.

had not I defended him from the grave, and delivered him from death. O death, I will be thy death: O hell, I will be thy sting.

Take with you words, and return to Yahweh: say unto him - Wholly, shalt thou take away iniquity, Accept, then, with favour, and we will make good the boldness of our lips!

I heal their backsliding, I love them freely, For turned back hath Mine anger from him.

His sprouts shall go, and his strength shall be as the olive tree, and the odor to him as Lebanon.

They who dwell in his shade shall again show life like the corn, and break forth as the vine, - and, the remembrance of him, shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim saith - What to me any more are idols? I, have answered, and have closely observed him, I, am like a fir-tree that is green, From me, is thy fruit found.

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.