The word of Yahweh that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived, and bore him a son.

Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son.

They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.

Let us acknowledge Yahweh. Let us press on to know Yahweh. As surely as the sun rises, Yahweh will appear. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain that waters the earth."

In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing. There is prostitution in Ephraim. Israel is defiled.

I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place; but Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer.

The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. The thorn and the thistle will come up on their altars. They will tell the mountains, "Cover us!" and the hills, "Fall on us!"

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

Ephraim said, "Surely I have become rich, I have found myself wealth. In all my wealth they won't find in me any iniquity that is sin."

Now they sin more and more, and have made themselves molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen. They say of them, 'They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves.'

The guilt of Ephraim is stored up. His sin is stored up.

The sorrows of a travailing woman will come on him. He is an unwise son; for when it is time, he doesn't come to the opening of the womb.

Israel, return to Yahweh your God; for you have fallen because of your sin.