The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto you a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry: for the land has committed great harlotry, departing from the LORD.

And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

And she conceived again, and bore a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for you are not my people, and I will not be your God.

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, you are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, you are the sons of the living God.

For their mother has played the harlot: she that conceived them has done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.

And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, of which she has said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.

Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her lover, and an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love cakes of raisins.

And I said unto her, you shall abide with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, and you shall not be for another man: so will I also be to you.

And Ephraim said, Yet I have become rich, I have found myself wealth: in all my labors they shall find no iniquity in me that is sin.

I will be your king: where is any other that may save you in all your cities? and your judges of whom you said, Give me a king and princes?